Flesh or Spirit

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:24-25
Fasting helps me to realise some of the desires of my flesh and hopefully to reinforce the Spirit-desires that God has put in my heart. As I've been feasting on the Word in this time of fasting God has started to speak to me and challenge me about the flesh and the Spirit. I have noticed that Paul had a lot to say about the topic, and that there is much to learn from the life of David.

Paul made it clear that the distinction and indeed the conflict between flesh and Spirit is of great importance in the life of a believer. The flesh, writes Paul in Romans 8, is hostile to God, cannot please God and leads to death - the Spirit brings life! Paul encourages us to live according to the Spirit, the kind of life that is the opposite of the flesh-life. He warns us not to use our freedom to indulge the flesh (Galatians 5).

Paul said that he put no confidence whatsoever in the flesh (Philippians 3). He listed all the wonderful reasons he had for backing himself - his intellect, his breeding, his passion and his accomplishments; but made it clear that in Christ and in truth that his flesh could still not be trusted. Rather we should look to the Spirit for motivation, guidance, and strength.

I have been impressed as I read again about the life of David, the man after God's heart, the man full of the Spirit of God. Like Paul, he could have reasonably acted according to his flesh but rather chose to honour God. David prayed about going to war, when he could have gone ahead according to the power of his army or a desire to crush his enemies. When he had a chance to take his enemy, King Saul's life, he chose to spare him in order to honour God. David didn't put confidence in his flesh which had claim to revenge, self-preservation, anger, rights and even calling. David walked according to the Spirit and trusted Father God.

I have often thought of the influence of the flesh of course as the kind of nasties listed in Galatians 5:19-21. But this has left me off the hook for so many times that I am self-directed, self-indulgent or full of self-pity. Follow the flesh and it will lead to death. Walk with the Spirit and He will give you life. There is no basis for having any confidence in our flesh, rather we should trust our heavenly Father with everything and in every way.