Flesh vs. Spirit
Our problems are not caused by something outside of us, but by our flesh, sinful nature, and selfish fear-based human instincts, which are all essentially the same thing.
They were put there by God so all of us would physically survive.
However, our task is to evolve spiritually, which means overcoming our flesh, sinful nature, and selfish fear-based instincts.
We overcome our flesh by allowing God’s spirit of love into our lives by surrendering our will to His.
But to allow this union with God’s loving spirit, we must first remove the blocks in the way.
The number one block is unforgiveness.
We must unconditionally forgive those we dislike, hate, or resent in order to unconditionally love all other people.
If we harbor dislike, hatred, and resentment in our hearts, that blocks us from channeling God’s spirit of unconditional love.
Read my essay “Forgiveness Unlocks Love” to learn more about removing the eight blocks in the way of channeling God’s spirit.
Our battle is between our flesh and God’s loving spirit, which oppose each other.
That is the classic battle between evil and good.
Galatians 5:16-26 states:
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. The two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under the obligation to the law of Moses.
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.
Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life with not inherit the Kingdom of God.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
There is no law against these things!
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another (NLT).
Galatians 6:8-10 states:
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith (NLT).
Here is an excerpt from my favorite meditation book, Anonymous, Twenty-Four Hours a Day (Center City, MN: Hazelden, 1954):
February 25, Meditation of the Day: The spiritual and moral will eventually overcome the material and unmoral. This is the purpose and destiny of the human race. Gradually the spiritual is overcoming the material in our minds. Gradually the moral is overcoming the unmoral. Faith, fellowship, and service are cures for most of the ills of the world. There is nothing in the field of personal relationships that they cannot do. Prayer for the Day: I pray that I may do my share in making a better world. I pray that I may be part of the cure for the ills of the world.