It must be stressed again and again. I cannot tell you how important this is to us spiritually. It seems like I am in a constant state of repeating myself, but this is the most destructive part of our well being and that is our flesh!
When we talk about the flesh, the Bible uses it in two different ways. First, it can be about what we are made of as a human, our substance. For instance, there is a flesh of birds, animals, fish and humans. The other way the term flesh is used is our nature. What we are naturally. Our desires, reactions and the like. So many in Christ do not realize how destructive this part of our spiritual makeup can be. We do things that are so much part of our makeup that many give no thought as to what they are doing because it is natural. It is our natural nature that got us separated from God to begin with and to be united with Christ and continue following our natural behavior will only get us separated into the state of death (Rom. 8:12-13). The easiest thing for any of us to do is follow our own nature. That's what the Lord is trying to stop!
"For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do that things that you please." (Gal. 5:17) That's the problem: doing what we please. Something happens we do not like and what pleases us? To lash out, to respond to let others know that we have been offended or hurt. We want to let everyone around us know we aren't happy, our attitudes reveal this and it creates problems between people. All these things and anything like this is called the flesh! The Lord is trying to get His love in us and get us into His power to overcoming rather than being overcome by our feelings. People argue and it creates a division between them. That's called the flesh. Marriages fail because of the flesh! The flesh is opposed to the things of God because God is trying to reconcile, create love and unity while our flesh leads us to the opposite. People lash out and after they have gotten all their frustrations vented, they feel better. They have pleased their flesh and it is back to being content again! No thought given to how they acted or what they said. They simply vented through their flesh and feel satisfied. In reality, its costing them dearly in terms of God. There is no power to overcome, no help from the Lord and little stability.
We have been given the Spirit of God if we are in Christ. That means we must set our minds on doing things God's way and not allow our flesh to control our lives. When you feel you have been wronged, you have a choice to make: you can dwell on the wrong and let your attitude drift into hurtful thinking and reacting in ways that will divide or you can let your mind dwell on God and willingly do things His way where life and peace will enter your being and unify. The longer one walks in their flesh, the harder it is to get them away from it. That's what happens when people get older, they can't let go of certain attitudes because the flesh has won the battle and has corrupted them from within. Those who walk according to the flesh, practice the things of the flesh will not, no matter what they may say they believe, they will NOT make it to God in the end (Gal. 5:21). What are you going to do? Follow your desires or the Lord's? It takes no faith to walk after your flesh!!!
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