¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Galatians 5:17-18 (NKJV)

Quote of the Day

“Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.”
— John Owen, Of the Mortification of Sin

Reflection

Incremental changes are an underestimated force of change for better or worse. I have thought to myself how one thought, one conversation, one song, one movie, or one action may not mean much. But when I am honest with myself, they carry a collective force that can easily mislead me in a direction I didn’t intend to go.

It’s unrealistic to insulate ourselves from every worldly influence that we encounter, but it’s feasible to become more intentional about what or who we allow to enter our lives (John 17:16-18). Today’s passage addresses this issue through a biblical lens that we are wise to consider.

Are we increasing our proximity and obedience to the Holy Spirit in such a way that His guidance becomes the dominant influence in our lives? Alternatively, are we allowing the lusts of the flesh to captivate us in such a way that they are hindering our walk with God?

Since the Spirit and the flesh are contrary to one another, we must recognize that we don’t have the willpower, self-control, or discipline to obey God in our strength. In fact, it’s only by relying upon the Holy Spirit’s help that we develop the ability, desire, and strength to do what is right in God’s eyes. 

Every step we take is one step closer to God’s desire for us or one step closer to sinful compromises. Many activities are morally permissible and not inherently sinful (1 Corinthians 10:23-24). Yet even good things can crowd out what is spiritually best when they begin to dominate our time and attention, gradually steering us away from the path God desires us to walk.

The more we experience the leading of the Holy Spirit, the more we’ll understand why it’s a superior path to follow (John 14:25-27). When He provides us with His peace and we enjoy His presence as we walk in His ways, we realize that we aren’t entrapped by sin anymore (Romans 6:15-23). 

Jesus Christ’s sacrifice set us free from our iniquities. Through His death, burial, and resurrection, He conquered sin and death. God the Father vindicated His sacrifice by raising Him from the dead. Jesus Christ became the propitiation for our sins, accomplishing an atonement we could never achieve ourselves (1 John 2:2).

In other words, God’s wrath was placed on our sinless and perfect Savior, and it was satisfied and accepted by our Maker. Now you and I can enjoy eternal assurance of our salvation in Jesus Christ, and pursue the Holy Spirit with all our hearts, knowing that in God we find true joy, satisfaction, and peace (Romans 15:13).

Application

Every day we answer a question, whether we realize it or not: What are we feeding? Every choice either cultivates a greater appetite for the things of God or a greater tolerance for the desires of the flesh.

Today’s quote by John Owen makes the battleground a clear reality. The way we fight sin is not to sit in futility until our willpower breaks, and we cave in again. We need to pursue righteousness and rely on the tools God has given us to persevere (Romans 8:13). 

So when we are “killing sin,” what we are doing is worshipping, praying, putting on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20), spending time in fellowship, listening to worship music, studying the Word, and obeying God. If we practice things that are edifying to our walk in the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit becomes a hallmark of obedience to God (Galatians 5:22-23).

Don’t underestimate obedience. It’s how we demonstrate to God in a concrete way that we love Him (John 14:15). The Bible also tells us that obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). Taken together, these two facts make it crystal clear how integral it is for us to avoid compromise and pursue the leading of the Holy Spirit in all we do.

The more we surrender to the Lord, the more we discover His ways are better than our own. On the flip side, the more we indulge the flesh and partake in the patterns of this world, the further away we navigate from God’s best for us and distance ourselves in our relationship with Him. Sin has consequences for every believer, even though those consequences do not nullify God’s grace.

Let’s not allow the devil a stronghold, or even a foothold, in our lives. Instead, we ought to kill that sin before it kills us. We cannot afford to become indifferent to our sins. It may start small and seemingly inconsequential, but in the eyes of a perfect God, even the smallest sin is worth confessing and repenting from. 

If God provides us the strength and tools to persevere, we should do our part to count the cost and proactively crucify our flesh daily (Luke 14:28-30; Luke 9:23). We all know in our hearts that God deserves nothing less, and it’s also in our best interest (Romans 8:28). 

Don’t hide from the win-win scenario God has provided. To live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). Die to your sins, surrender to God, and live in Christ without living in condemnation about the past (Romans 8:1). God already won the war through Jesus Christ on our behalf. Now we have to walk in victory from one battle to the next. The Holy Spirit accompanies us step by step, and we can rest assured that God will never abandon His children (Hebrews 13:5).

Prayer

Dear God,

Thank You, Father, for Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for His presence, guidance, and supernatural provision in my life. Please forgive me for the numerous times I have failed to obey His lead. I appreciate Your patience with me as I pursue a steadfast obedience to Your will.

I am thankful that it’s through reliance on You that I combat the allure of the flesh. The world offers the fool’s gold of fleeting desires, but You offer something eternally greater. You offer me Your presence, provision, and peace. Please help me to conquer the desires of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life daily.

Thank You for forgiving me of my sins when I have fallen short. Please help me not to live in condemnation for my past mistakes. Instead, help me to immerse myself in what I can do for You today. I want to maximize every moment of every day for Your glory. I need to abide in Your Son, Jesus Christ, so that I may kill sin.

Thank You for filling me with Your Holy Spirit. I am so thankful that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know how I would even survive in this life without His help. Please help me not to get discouraged when I stumble and make a mistake, nor open the door to excuse sin by utilizing grace as permission to sin. 

Instead, help me to pursue You wholeheartedly and remember that Your grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness are there for me when I fall short of Your glory. 

Please help me to immerse myself in the Spirit and starve the flesh so that I may better serve You.

I pray in Jesus Christ’s precious, holy, and mighty name.

Amen.