Paul makes it sound so simple. Like an insensitive friend throwing the word “just” around.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
It almost reads like he’s saying, “So you don’t want to keep on sinning, well just walk by the Spirit!”. Easier said that done. But he goes on to explain his position.
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
The desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit are against one another and we have to take sides. Paul, in a way, is saying that if you want to see yourself sanctified, we must choose sides rightly.
I got together with some friends this morning to study. Before getting started, on friend was reading from Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost For His Highest and came across something that throws interesting light on this very idea.
Chamber’s asks the question, “Do you long to be sanctified?”. The answer must be a resounding “no”. Because in this fight between flesh and Spirit, it is our failure to take sides that hinders our sanctification. Could I whole heartedly say, “yes! I long, with all that I am, to be sanctified and delivered from this body of death!”, then there would be none of me left to side with my flesh and I would be sanctified.
But, instead, there is a conflict of nature in all of us. We continue to do the things we please, simply because they are the things we please. Among our many failures, there is our failure to side rightly with the Spirit in this spiritual battle, and so we sin.
I pray that my desire to walk in the Spirit would increase and so my sanctification progress.
