Overcoming the War Within You | Galatians 5:17

Do you sense the war that's raging within you?

Our call out today goes to all the men from Texas I spent time with this weekend at Rough Creek Lodge & Resort. I love you guys. Thanks for hosting me at this incredible location.

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. — Galatians 5:17

This verse describes one of the harsh realities that often rudely awakens many new believers. We learn that Jesus's free gift of eternal life doesn't free us from our temporal struggles. Within us continues to rage an ongoing war.

The war within is a specific battle, one of the desires. One is a longing to fulfill our human desires, and the other is the longing of the Spirit and his desires. It's important to clarify that this is not a war between our flesh and our spirit. Rather, this is a war between our flesh and His Spirit, which by nature infers victory is within our reach.

You see, at the moment of our salvation, our eternal address was changed, but we were also given a divine gift, the Holy Spirit, who now resides within us. The Holy Spirit is the person of God who possesses the power of God. He equips us to combat the desires of our flesh as we await our ultimate salvation. Without the Holy Spirit, we would lead a life of daily defeat. But with the Spirit, we can engage in a daily battle. By learning to walk by the Spirit (as Paul mentioned in the previous verse), we can discover a path that leads to satisfaction in God, not in the flesh. This means that we can experience day-to-day victory when we obey the Spirit's will and desires.

So today, if you feel like a war is raging inside you. You are right. There is one. It's a battle between your fleshly desires and God's will for you. To overcome this, you are going to have to do some things differently, which Paul is going to make clear in the coming verses.

But for now, do this. Start by recognizing your will and the Spirit's will. Differentiating and discerning between these two wills is the first step to waging and winning the war within.

#WarWithin
#SpiritualBattle
#FleshvsSpirit

ASK THIS:

1. How can you actively discern between your own desires and the prompting of the Holy Spirit in your daily decisions and actions?
2. What practical steps can you take today to align your will with God's will, thus gaining victory in the ongoing battle within your soul?

DO THIS: Start discerning the Spirit's will.

PRAY THIS: Father, grant me the wisdom and strength to discern and overcome the desires of my flesh, as I surrender to the leading of Your Holy Spirit within me. Guide me in walking faithfully on the path of victory over the internal battles that wage within my soul.

PLAY THIS: Whatever Your Plan Is.