Battles of the Flesh...

How often do you struggle with your fleshly desires? How often are you overcome by your fleshly desires? Are you winning the battle of the flesh?

I am challenged, encouraged and rebuked when I read verses like these in Galatians 5: 16-26

Walk by the Spirit

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another envying one another."

Thankfully brothers our Great High Priest, Jesus, knows our temptations. He was tempted in every way and yet NEVER succumbed to any of them. Hence our justification, Oh praise His holy name! You see, Jesus did what we cannot do. We are going to fail. We are going to fall yet in the same breath, by His Spirit, we can live by the Spirit, instead of fulfilling the desires of the flesh. However when we fall, quickly run to the cross and find forgiveness there. 1 John 1:9 and Romans 8:1 are powerful verses in helping us biblically deal with sin.

I find it such a good reminder that we are in a battle. In order to win this battle of the flesh I/we need the full armor of God. By putting on the full armor of God - this is a way that we can protect ourselves from the temptations that can lure us to feed our flesh:

In fact, I have a friend who has a picture on his refrigerator at home, and he and his wife stand together, while they are waiting for their morning coffee , and they pray for each other and help each other assemble themselves for the day with these wonderful spiritual garments. You can read about them here in Ephesians 6: 13-18.

What a great way to equip yourself each day for battles of the flesh, but also what a great way to lead your family...