Just when you think you’re doing alright, your spiritual walk is going well, something happens. You want something, really badly. You don’t understand what’s going on? Maybe it’s ice cream, maybe it’s something off amazon. You’d do anything to get it. Why is the urge so strong?
This is your flesh. Your flesh instinctively wants things that are bad for you. The flesh was introduced through Adam’s disobedience. Because he sinned, we were born sinful. It is our nature to do evil. Apart from Jesus we can do no good thing.
What did Paul have to say about this? The great church father wrestled with this issue, too, as we can see from Romans. All of Romans Chapter 7 explains this in detail, and is a good read. ((I always suggest you check out the bible to see if what I’m saying is right. I try to link you to it so you can see it. If you prefer to look it up in your bible, even better! I’ll try to put the reference to the right book, chapter, and verse.))
Romans 7:21-25
“So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+7%3A21-25&version=NIV
When we believe in Christ, we are baptized into His death. Through a spiritual regeneration, we are freed from the law of flesh. However, flesh is devious, deceitful, and cunning, and will occasionally defeat us. Jesus is still our answer and our hope. He intercedes with the Father on our behalf. He continues to forgive, and we will need his forgiveness as long as we are in our earthly bodies, where sin dwells. The Spirit is opposed to the flesh and vice versa. Don’t hear me say that your body is evil. Flesh is more like a pattern in the brain, like bad programming you had before you became a Christ follower. Hopefully as we become more Christlike by walking in the Spirit, the Spirit, the reading of the bible, replaces those patterns with better ones. We can pray,” God fill me with Your Spirit. Lead me, and help me to walk in Him,” every day. We can yield to the Spirit and submit to Him. Or we can yield to flesh and rebel. Sin always leads to death in some form. If you yield to it too much, God may take your life to prevent you from doing greater harm. Or he may allow something bad in your life to chasten you. Not that everything bad that happens is our fault.
What I’m trying to say is that when you find flesh cropping up, turn to Jesus. Before, during, and after, whether you gave in or not. If you gave in, confess it, that it is wrong. He will forgive you. If you are tempted, you should pray, too ,although it’s much better to pray in advance. I’m not sure why that is, but it works better for some reason. If you know you’re going to the grocery store, and will walk down the candy aisle, you should pray before you enter the store. Praying while staring at the candy will not be as effective.
Jesus is our High Priest, and he intercedes for us. His Spirit gives us the power to live righteously. This is good news. Don’t let flesh get you down, but don’t let it dominate your life. Turn to Jesus. He both rescues and saves.
I’m not sure if I’ve said this before in these little sermons, but God loves you.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He sent His only Son, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”
God sent Jesus to die an agonizing death, to pay the price for your sin, for my sin, and the sin of the whole world. He rose to intercede for You. If you know Him, praise Him. If you would like to know Him, pray from your heard. Express, in your own words, preferably, that you are a sinner. That you need His forgiveness. That you repent of your sins (turn from them to Him). That you accept Him, His death on the cross to pay the price for your sins. Ask His forgiveness and for Him to save You. Ask Him to be Lord of your life today. Ask Him to come into your heart. Tell Him that You will try not to sin, but that when you do, you will repent (turn from them), and turn to Him for forgiveness.
Go to a church that loves you and whose members love each other, preferably one that teaches God’s Word. Get baptized (immersed), and grow in Christ. Learn more and more, give more and more of your life to Him. You have begun a journey that has a heavenly destiny.