Return to the Devotionals page.
When we receive Christ as Savior and Lord, He imparts His life to our spirit, which was formerly dead to God in sin. Upon receiving this new life in Christ, we are richly blessed with a restored relationship with God, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the opportunity to live and be used by Him through our spirit. However, our ability to enjoy and utilize these blessings is severely hindered by our flesh, which is comprised of the thoughts, behaviors, and desires of our body and soul. Because the flesh is hostile to the will of God and cannot serve Him (Rom. 8:7-8), we are required at every moment to choose between two lives: a carnal one in the flesh and a spiritual one through the Holy Spirit.
Unfortunately, many believers choose to remain carnal and prioritize the flesh's desires over the Holy Spirit's. While they may believe this lifestyle is more logical or comes with many benefits in this life, choosing it is incredibly foolish because whatever fame, fortune, or other earthly gains it brings are all temporal and will not continue beyond this life. Furthermore, carnal living severely robs believers of potential rewards and responsibilities in the afterlife. In addition, Scripture notes other severe consequences for those who adhere to carnal Christianity during their time on this earth.
These are clearly seen in the life of Samson, recorded in Judges 13-16. Although he was given an incredibly high calling by God to be a Nazarite, Samson spent most of his life blatantly disregarding it to please his flesh. For example, instead of waiting on God's perfect timing and provision, he instead pursued pagan women who never truly loved him and instead took advantage of him. Also, he often gave into his violent and vengeful nature towards the Philistines, forcing him at one point to live in hiding for his safety. In addition, he had no regard for the standards of his Nazarite calling, repeatedly breaking its rules to fulfill the varied desires of his flesh. Although God in His sovereignty used Samson's carnal pursuits and violent nature to judge the wicked Philistines, He allowed him to be severely judged for his unceasing carnality. Specifically, in addition to never satisfying his carnal pursuits, he was ultimately captured, blinded, and brutally enslaved by the Philistines for the rest of his life. As Samson's account demonstrates, living after the flesh causes us to unsuccessfully seek fulfillment outside of God's perfect providence, remain enslaved to our sinful desires, and succumb to the potentially brutal consequences of our ungodly decisions.
Fortunately, Scripture reveals the perfect provision God has for us to overcome the flesh and live our new lives in Christ. Specifically, Galatians 5:16 calls us to live in obedience to the Holy Spirit, who promises to empower us to deny ourselves of the flesh's sinful desires. However, we cannot obey the Holy Spirit naturally, for our soul, which contains our mind, will, and emotions, is by default subservient to the flesh. Fortunately, these three organs of the soul can be renewed to overcome these old patterns through the process of sanctification. As noted in Ephesians 4:22-23, this involves willfully choosing to disassociate ourselves from everything of the flesh while submitting ourselves to the Holy Spirit's work of renewing our minds. When we do this, verse 24 notes that we can daily put on our new life in Christ, where we, through our spirit, live according to Christ's righteousness and holiness. Thus, by choosing to obey the Holy Spirit and relying on His strength and work of renewal, we can overcome the flesh and make ourselves available to be used for His purposes.
Like Samson, we all have a very high calling from God to live apart from this world and bring Him glory in doing so. Unfortunately, many of us fall woefully short because like Samson, we choose to live in the flesh rather than by the Holy Spirit. Thankfully, avoiding the detrimental consequences of this carnal lifestyle is possible through the gracious provision of the Holy Spirit, who promises to empower and sanctify us when we surrender to His will and work of renewal.
Return to the Devotionals page.