For the flesh is lusting against the spirit, yet the spirit is against the flesh. Now these are opposing one another, lest you should be doing whatever you may want
Paul to the Galatians 5: 17, Concordant New Testament
It's a comment that I have received all too often when I mention the truth we find in Jesus that He has delivered us from sin once and for all {Paul to the Romans 6:10}. When faced with this truth, many people are aghast and say something along the lines of, "So I can just do whatever I want?" Pretty much. Well, at least that is what a part of us desires for us. To do whatever it is that we see is good, but not what God might see as good. I was reminded of this internal battle we face by a good friend the other day when he mentioned a life lived in the flesh. The apostle Paul speaks to our conflict between the flesh and the spirit in Galatians. For it is the flesh which is lusting against the spirit, and the spirit is against our flesh {Paul to the Galatians 5:17}. Paul warns us that these two oppose one another "Lest you should be doing whatever you want." There are people who brush off this conflict by simply saying. "The devil made me do it." While I wouldn't put it past the deceiver to derail us in that way, I believe that there is something bigger in play here. That being our struggle between the spirit we are and the flesh we live in. I would be against condemning the flesh outright, seeing as we have been created in the likeness of the Father {Genesis 1:27}. It is also God Who has breathed into us the breath of life, whereby we became a living soul {Genesis 2:7}. So it is that all which we are has been planned and created by the Father. For it is foolish to believe that anything escapes the Fathers notice. He knew beforehand that we would encounter this war between our flesh and spirit. The sides have been chosen long ago, on the one hand are the desires of the Lord while on the other is what makes us feel good. There was a time when I followed that desire of the flesh as I was dabbling in an addiction to pornography. My spirit took a back seat to the desires of the flesh. I was doing what I felt good doing, not what was good for me. Yet this is the battle each one of us faces every day. We know what is right and pleasing the Lord, yet we all too often choose the alternate. Again, Paul speaks wisdom to this truth by proclaiming the struggles he encountered in his life. Paul concedes that "Good is not making its home in me (That is, in my flesh), for to will is lying beside me, yet to be affecting the ideal is not {Paul to the Romans 7:18}.
Indeed, Paul knew all to well the struggle he faced between his spirit and his flesh. It is for this very reason by which many Christians have condemned the flesh as being wicked. I won't go that far. In light that we have been created in the likeness of the Father, I will say that it is our flesh which is highly influenced by the world and the earthly pleasures which surround us. A good friend once related to me that it is our flesh which is neutral, and therefore highly susceptible to the influences of the world around us. I believe this to be true. I would also say that to condemn the flesh is to condemn the Fathers creation, and I'm not prepared to do that. Fortunately, the Father has a way for us to follow what He knows is right for us. For it is His very spirit within us which speaks to what is right and good {Paul to the Galatians 5:16}. We can indeed, as Paul proclaims, walk in the spirit which is within us. Jesus Himself has spoken to our union life within the Father {Johns Account 14:20}. We no longer live within sin, but in the love and mercy of God. He IS our life. Knowing this, we must also recognize that our flesh continues to battle against His spirit within us. This does not diminish the truth that our true identity mirrors Gods spirit identity as well {First Epistle of John 4:13}. For to walk in the spirit is the desire of the Lord {Paul to the Romans 8:5}.
For I am aware that good is not making it's home in me (That is, in my flesh), for to will is lying beside me, yet to be affecting the ideal is not
Paul to the Romans 7: 18, Concordant New Testament
~Scott~
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