The Bible’s View: The Flesh vs. Spirit
The Bible is remarkably clear: every believer lives in a state of internal war. This is the greatest challenge to a life of obedience. It is not an external problem; it is a battle inside the heart. The Scripture states that we are composed of two opposing forces: the new, regenerated spirit that seeks God, and the “flesh” that resists Him.
Defining the Internal Enemy
The term “flesh” (sarx in the Greek) describes the corrupted human nature. It is the self-centered orientation—the part of us inherited from Adam that remains active even after we come to faith. This is the unredeemed part of us; it is the seat of our pride and our constant desire for autonomy. The flesh constantly resists God’s perfect plan.
The Unceasing Conflict
The challenge of living an obedient life is deeply rooted in this internal war. Apostle Paul powerfully confessed this struggle in his own life, revealing that the conflict is universal for the believer:
“For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19).
This struggle confirms you are engaged in a constant spiritual battle. Paul explains the nature of this fight in Galatian 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”.
Our daily life becomes the proving ground for this war:
- Obedience to God is the Spirit achieving victory.
- Disobedience is the temporary triumph of the flesh.
This profound conflict clarifies the mission ahead of us. To live obediently, we must first understand how the flesh works to sabotage our faith, and then, we must grasp the divine strategy for overcoming it.
How Our Flesh Distracts Our Obedience
The flesh simply disagree with God’s commands.It actively works to distract us from the path of obedience by exploiting our weaknesses.
The Power of Self-Will and Pride
The flesh feeds on pride and the instinct toward self-will. God’s call to obedience demands humility—the continuous surrender of our intelligence, ambitions, and timing.obedience requires us to trust a divine authority we cannot fully comprehend
Our flesh, however, pushes us to prioritize our own comfort, safety, and plans above God’s known will. The flesh insists that we are the masters of our own destiny. Every time we delay prayer, refuse to forgive, or rationalize a selfish choice, our flesh is prioritizing the temporary satisfaction of our ego over the eternal truth of God’s Word.This is a fundamental clash.
The Lure of the Flesh
This chart will help us identify the flesh perspective and the spirit perspective. What flesh pushes us for and what it resists. It also provides the focus of the spirit.This conflict shows that obedience is often a simple choice between the temporary gratification the flesh offers and the eternal harvest promised by the Spirit.
| No. | The Flesh | The Spirit |
| 1 | Short Sighted | Eternal |
| 2 | Want immediately (now) | Waits for God’s promise |
| 3 | Focuses on Earthly Pleasures | Focuses on Eternal Blessings |
| 4 | Demand instant rewards | Embraces patient Endurance |
| 5 | Leads to self indulgence | Leads to Sanctification |
| 6 | Resists discipline | Calls for season of waiting |
The Divine Solution: Overcoming the Flesh by the Spirit
The Bible diagnoses the problem and it gives us a powerful solution. We cannot defeat the flesh with sheer willpower. We cannot fix it with resolutions. We defeat it by relying on divine power. God already gave us this power in the Holy Spirit.
The strategy for victory involves three daily actions. These actions bring us spiritual triumph:
1. Crucify the Flesh Daily: Surrender Your Will
First, surrender must be a daily, decisive act. Jesus gave the ultimate instruction: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
- You must consciously choose to deny yourself.
- Say “No” to the flesh’s desire the moment it appears.
- Taking up the cross puts the old nature to death.
- This is a non-negotiable spiritual discipline.
- You must choose Christ’s path over your own path.
This is a daily commitment. You choose the Spirit’s priority over the flesh’s demand.
2. Walk in the Power of the Spirit: Rely on God
Once you surrender the flesh, you must actively rely on the Holy Spirit. Paul commands us: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Walking by the Spirit changes your focus.
- Shift your mindset. Set your minds on things above, not things on earth (Colossians 3:2). Earthly lures lose their power.
- Saturate yourself with the Word. Let the Scriptures renew your mind (Romans 12:2). The Bible is the Spirit’s weapon against lies.
- Pray continuously. Ask the Spirit for strength. He gives you power to obey in temptation.
3. Yield to the Fruit of the Spirit: Embrace Transformation
When you walk by the Spirit, He produces His fruit in your life. This fruit replaces the works of the flesh.
- The Spirit helps you stop bad actions.
- He empowers you to start good actions.
- Where the flesh had anger, the Spirit gives love and patience (Galatians 5:22-23).
- Where the flesh had anxiety, the Spirit gives peace and joy.
In conclusion it is important for us to know and understand that the battle is constant. You win the victory not by striving hard. You win by yielding to the Spirit. The defeat of the flesh happens by trusting and submitting to the Holy Spirit.
Thankyou for walking in this journey of obedience to God. Please come again. Be blessed.
