The Raging Battle

I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 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 the things that you please. – Galatians 5:16-17

The very Spirit of God has taken up residence in our lives if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior. God wants to express His mind, His thoughts, His desires, and His will through our mortal bodies. But for that to happen, we need to surrender to the Holy Spirit’s control. While this is taking place, we are going to experience conflict within ourselves. God says the flesh and the Spirit are opposites; they’re not going to get along with each other at all.

How do we know the difference between the flesh and the Holy Spirit within us? The Spirit will want to please God, and the flesh will want to please ourselves. When we submit to the Spirit’s presence in our lives—meditating on the Word of God and offering praise and worship in spite of what we’re feeling or experiencing—the Spirit wins out over our flesh and influences our actions.

Surrender to His power in your life, and you will live in the victory that is promised to you in Him.