So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. Galatians 5:16-17 NLT
You’ve seen cartoons or memes that show a person trying to decide. On one shoulder there’s an angelic figure whispering one set of directions and on the other shoulder a grinning devilish figure persuasively saying the opposite. That’s more than a humorous meme. It’s real, only they aren’t outside you. Our flesh or sinful nature and our spiritual nature are very much alive and real, and they are inside us. They are not figments of our overactive imaginations, and they are not simply behaviors. They are influences that compete for our attention and loyalty.
There is a real battle within you. As Paul says, these two forces are constantly fighting each other. You can feel it. The flesh and the Spirit want two vastly different things, and the tension between them is part of our spiritual growth and directs outcomes of our daily lives.
How do you know the difference between your flesh and the Spirit; between your sinful nature and your spiritual nature?
- The desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit are so different that there can be no compromise between them. The flesh is impulsive, self-focused, and driven by immediate gratification. The Spirit is patient, God-centered, and oriented toward eternal values, the things that will last.
- The flesh produces urges like anger, jealousy, lust, and pride. The Spirit produces direction, like love, peace, and self-control.
- The flesh is not timid and subtle. It always shows itself in attitudes and actions. The Spirit is not flashy but full of grace.
- When the voice of the flesh is followed, the result is always quick but momentary pleasure, then regret and distance from God and people.
- When the voice of the Spirit is followed, there is discipline, leading to lasting peace.
So, when I make choices, I need to ask and answer significant questions: What voice am I listening to most? Is this choice feeding my flesh or my Spirit? Am I letting my own desires lead me, or am I letting the Spirit direct my desires?
- Where am I feeling the conflict most right now? “God, help me recognize the battle within. Give me awareness and strength to choose the voice of the Spirit.”