16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. – Galatians 5:16-17 (NIV)
Have you ever gone to the grocery store when you’re hungry? If so, then you’ve had a taste of the tension between doing what you know is right and having your cart look like it was filled by teenagers going away to summer camp. You went into the store with a list of vegetables and fresh fruits, but the cookies started calling your name. You’ve made the commitment to eat healthy this year and lose the weight you’ve so desperately been trying to make disappear but instead of salad and lean meats, the donuts and Scotcheroos that were on sale and in the middle of the aisle managed to jump into your cart. How does that happen? Why does it keep happening?
It’s so easy to blame the commercials, the tempting smells, the strategic placement of merchandise and the people who put them there. But the reality is, our flesh (sinful nature, fleshly appetites) wages a battle against us and we end up on the losing side so many times. While our Scripture text today is talking about much more than our cravings for junk food, we can see that the same thing happens in other areas of our lives when our flesh takes over and gets the upper hand. What about when we lose our temper? What about when we ignore the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible reading, church attendance, etc.? What about when we look at pictures of scantily clad women and hope we don’t get caught? What about the foul language that flies out of our mouth without hesitation? What about when we engage in online conversations with the opposite sex that end up becoming emotional affairs or even more? What about when we call ourselves driven but it’s actually workaholism? What about when we base our decisions on pleasing other people or getting their praise?
So what are we to do? Are we left to fight this battle on our own? Are we supposed to throw up our hands in surrender? Do we just need to try harder?
When we give our lives to Christ, He gifts us with the presence of His Holy Spirit to live in us and be with us 24/7. And it’s when we walk in step each day with the Holy Spirit that we are able to overcome the temptations and desires of the flesh. Here are 3 practical ways you can walk by the Spirit:
- Spend time each day in the Word.
The Holy Spirit speak through the pages of Scripture to teach us, equip us, and show us how to live and look like Jesus. Since the Word of God is alive and active, the Holy Spirit meets us when we read and will often make the passages leap off the page and speak to us in fresh and insightful ways. Being in the Bible daily is one of the key ways the Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out and shows us God’s will for our lives. The more we spend time in the Word, the more we find ourselves committing the text to memory. Like Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), we can use God’s Word to combat the attacks of the enemy. When we memorize Scripture, the Holy Spirit takes these words that we’ve hidden deep in our hearts to keep us from caving into sin (Psalm 119:11).
- Spend time each day in prayer
When we look at prayer as our first response rather than our last resort we begin to experience a closeness and intimacy with the Holy Spirit. By keeping an attitude of prayer all day, we find that the Holy Spirit is like a close personal friend that we can ask for advice and help. And as this relationship continues to develop, you begin to recognize His voice and guidance more and more. Since prayer is our lifeline, we need to be plugged in at all times to this open line of communication with God with the One who is already leading, already guiding, and already fighting battles on your behalf.
- Ask for the strength and desire to obey
All of the Bible reading and prayer doesn’t mean too much if we aren’t going to act on it (Matthew 7:24-27). We need the Holy Spirit to birth within us a desire to obey what we know God has said to us. As He works deep within us, we find that He transforms our heart in such a way that we find ourselves falling more in love with Jesus. And the more we love Jesus, the more we find that we want to obey Him. We also need the Holy Spirit to give us the strength to resist the desires of the flesh and helps us defeat temptation. And the more victories we experience in His power, the more confident we become in His ability to see us through anything we may face.
During this 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, what desires of the flesh do you need to crucify rather than gratify? How will you begin walking in step with the Spirit in order to be successful?