Galatians 5: 16-17 (NLT)
When tempted, we have a choice: we can either give in to the temptation (the wrong desires of the flesh) or give in to the Spirit (the desires of the Spirit)—and this is the conflict we have, the resistance or struggle to choose. Our flesh wants it, but the Spirit says no. We so often find ourselves justifying it or telling ourselves it's not really that bad or making some other excuse to satisfy the flesh. When we do that, we're playing into the enemy's hand as he wants us to make the wrong choice. And it really does come down to a matter of choice! I do believe we actually choose to sin or choose not to sin.
The Holy Spirit will always be in direct opposition to the wrong desires of the flesh. The flesh, as the amplified bible puts it, is our sinful capacity, worldliness, disgraceful impulses, selfishness (Galatians 6:8 & 5:1). We have the capacity to sin in the flesh, but we can, by the Holy Spirit, resist it as we choose to submit to the desires of the Spirit. In v16, it says that the sinful nature responds impulsively, without regard for God and His precepts. When we are living from the flesh, we respond and react in accordance with the flesh—often in ways that do not reflect Christ in us. Our flesh needs to come under the Lordship of Christ. We are body, soul and spirit, which needs to be fully surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus. This way, we won't just respond impulsively without regard for God or His Word.
Temptation to give in to our fleshly weakness seems to be forever before us; Satan tempts us in our weakest, vulnerable areas, but we can resist through the help and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Temptation, in itself, is not a sin (after all, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness), but 'acting' on it is. We need to learn to deny ourselves, choosing instead to live a surrendered life to God and to say 'yes' to the Spirit!
© By M.S.Lowndes
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All the Poetry, Card Verses, Sentiments, Devotionals and Songs are all the 'Copyrighted Work' of M.S.Lowndes. However, permission is granted for others to use them - for non-commercial use.
You may copy & paste the Poetry, Card Verses, Sentiments, Devotionals into any craft project, cards, print them out for yourself or to give away to others, use them on blogs, internet groups, on any other website, recite in church services/meetings and for use in church bulletins/newsletters - keeping my copyright notice with them.
16. So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
Galatians 5:17 reveals that we, as believers, have a 'sinful nature' or 'human nature' that is continually in conflict with the Spirit. But what is the 'sinful nature'? I believe the 'sinful nature' or 'human nature' is 'the weakness of the flesh'. We all have human weaknesses, which aren't always necessarily 'sinful', but can lead to sin if we give in to the weakness and allow it to control our actions. The conflict, I believe, is between the 'resistance' of the weakness (or the evil desire of the flesh) and the 'willingness' to choose instead to surrender ourselves to what the Holy Spirit desires.
When tempted, we have a choice: we can either give in to the temptation (the wrong desires of the flesh) or give in to the Spirit (the desires of the Spirit)—and this is the conflict we have, the resistance or struggle to choose. Our flesh wants it, but the Spirit says no. We so often find ourselves justifying it or telling ourselves it's not really that bad or making some other excuse to satisfy the flesh. When we do that, we're playing into the enemy's hand as he wants us to make the wrong choice. And it really does come down to a matter of choice! I do believe we actually choose to sin or choose not to sin.
The Holy Spirit will always be in direct opposition to the wrong desires of the flesh. The flesh, as the amplified bible puts it, is our sinful capacity, worldliness, disgraceful impulses, selfishness (Galatians 6:8 & 5:1). We have the capacity to sin in the flesh, but we can, by the Holy Spirit, resist it as we choose to submit to the desires of the Spirit. In v16, it says that the sinful nature responds impulsively, without regard for God and His precepts. When we are living from the flesh, we respond and react in accordance with the flesh—often in ways that do not reflect Christ in us. Our flesh needs to come under the Lordship of Christ. We are body, soul and spirit, which needs to be fully surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus. This way, we won't just respond impulsively without regard for God or His Word.
Temptation to give in to our fleshly weakness seems to be forever before us; Satan tempts us in our weakest, vulnerable areas, but we can resist through the help and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Temptation, in itself, is not a sin (after all, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness), but 'acting' on it is. We need to learn to deny ourselves, choosing instead to live a surrendered life to God and to say 'yes' to the Spirit!
© By M.S.Lowndes
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
All the Poetry, Card Verses, Sentiments, Devotionals and Songs are all the 'Copyrighted Work' of M.S.Lowndes. However, permission is granted for others to use them - for non-commercial use.
You may copy & paste the Poetry, Card Verses, Sentiments, Devotionals into any craft project, cards, print them out for yourself or to give away to others, use them on blogs, internet groups, on any other website, recite in church services/meetings and for use in church bulletins/newsletters - keeping my copyright notice with them.