Galatians 5:16-17

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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.

Whether you know it or not…whether you like it or not…there is a battle going on inside every single Christian. Sometimes the battle is subtle and quiet, almost stealthy, while at other times it is loud and aggressive and even frightening. If you are near my age, you will likely remember the children’s game “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.” You press the two buttons to throw punches at your opponent boxer, hoping for the knock-out blow that will cause his robot’s head to pop-up. Unfortunately, this can be an accurate representation of the battle between our flesh and The Spirit.

But sometimes it isn’t—which can be either good or bad.

If you never feel the battle raging inside of you, I hope it is because you are walking in the Spirit and have gained the upper hand over your “old self” (Rom 6:6). The temptations of the flesh no longer have much of a hold on you…which is where we should all want to be! Yes, you are tempted to sin, but the allure of sin has faded. You have walked long enough in the sunshine of God’s blessings and your own sanctification to know there is no pot of gold at the end of sin’s alleged rainbow…only guilt and shame. The world, the flesh, and the devil place certain “delicacies” in front of you, but you know the truth: they are poison in disguise.

Unfortunately, if you don’t often feel this battle raging inside of you, it could be because you have hardened your heart towards your own sin. Even worse, it could mean you are not even saved. That’s not for me or anyone else to judge fully, but it should serve as a stark warning to check your own salvation. When Christian brothers confide in me that they are struggling with some sin, my first thought is usually, “Praise the Lord!” because at least they are struggling with it. Are YOU struggling with any sins that you just can’t seem to break free from? There is hope! The Spirit wants to help you fight and win but the flesh is weak (Mt 26:41). Pray for the Spirit’s help and exercise your blood-bought freedom to say NO.

This is one of the most important and helpful verses on Christian living in the bible. Pastor and author Francis Chan recently wrote, “If I were Satan and my ultimate goal was to thwart God’s kingdom and purposes, one of my main strategies would be to get churchgoers to ignore the Holy Spirit.” Sadly, in far too many cases, we have all but forgotten the person of the Holy Spirit in much of Western Christianity. His power is always with you and he is always ready to join you in the battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Listen to his promptings, yes, but also call him into your battle! Speak His Name! Jesus himself was full of the Holy Spirt and led by the Holy Spirit (Luke 4).

WE ARE TOO AND MUST DO LIKEWISE.