Galatians 5:17: Failures of our Flesh, Victory in our Spirit

Galatians 5:17 “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.”

How many of us, like Paul, have cried out “I want to do right, I cannot. Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong.” (Rom 7:18b-19 CEV) I know that I have. We all have to face ourselves and see what we are really like. It always seems that the more we know of Christ the worse we truly are.  Certainly a non-believer would have trouble seeing our point of view on this, but  what others would see as being venial sins – small, unimportant, and having little consequence in the grand scheme of things – we find ourselves seeing as being the entirety of sin. No longer is that little white lie unimportant, no more is that gossip shared over a cup of coffee or at the water cooler something to be ignored. We know that all sin is the same in the eyes of God, that breaking one is like breaking them all (James 2:10) and that Jesus equated the thought with the action as being of equal value (Matthew 5).

Our flesh, our worldly self full of selfish desires and wants is continuously bothering us, whispering in our heart trying to convince us to ignore the desires of the Spirit. Our spiritual man is locked in mortal combat with our physical, fleshly, worldly man. Often times we find ourselves giving in to our worldly self and ignoring our spiritual self.  We are the same as Paul! Despite our faults though, we still walk in the newness of life! (Romans 6:4) This is why we are told to put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11) This is why we are told to be constantly in the Word (John 8:31-32). When we are fully walking in the word of God, when we walk according to God's Holy Spirit, listening, learning, experiencing and practicing the very presence of God, then and only then does our flesh retreat and we no longer gratify the flesh. (Galatians 5:16) In fact, Paul writes that we must put to death whatever is earthly, fleshly, and worldly in ourselves. (Colossians 3:5)

But despite our propensity for walking in the flesh, we are set free in Christ, who's blood covers the multitude of our sins, thus we are cleansed of all unrighteousness (Romans 3:25, 1 John 1:7-9,1 John 2:2).  Despite our failures, we have Christ as our intercessor, constantly representing us before God at all times, despite ourselves. (Hebrews 7:25).  So take heart! Just because we make a mistake, just because we have problems controlling ourselves and putting to death our fleshly self, just because we are unable to do the good we want to do, instead we do the evil we do not wish to do, we are still His precious children, learning mistake by mistake, failure by failure, and we love Him all the more for it.  Just because we fall does not mean we stay down, we get up and try again. Eventually we will get there. Proverbs 24:16 reminds us of this as well.  Again, take heart. Christ has the victory! Christ has overcome the world and that includes that worldly self of ours that tries to stand against the Spirit!

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.