Tuesday
02-03-2026
By: Brenda
“Flesh vs Spirit”
The battle between our flesh and our Spirit is one of the most important and most daily realities of our Christian life.
Scripture never hides this tension.
Instead, it teaches us how to recognize it, how to fight wisely, and how to walk in victory through the Spirit that lives in us.
Paul describes this conflict with painful honesty in Galatians.
Galatians 5:17
“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
The “flesh” in Scripture does not mean our physical body. It means our old nature,
our self‑centered desires, and our impulses that resist God’s will in our lives.
The Spirit, by contrast, is God’s own life within us. Our new nature given at our salvation. The power to desire and do what pleases God.
These two voices speak to us every day one pulling downward and the other upward.
The voice of our flesh often sounds like this.
“I deserve this.”
“No one will know.”
“I’ll deal with the consequences later.”
“I’m too tired to do what is right.”
“I want what I want.”
Scripture describes the works of the flesh plainly in Galatians- anger, jealousy, impurity, selfish ambition, envy, outbursts, and anything that feeds self over God.
Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissinsions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The flesh always seeks immediate gratification. The flesh avoids sacrifice.
And the flesh justifies sin and focuses on itself.
The voice of the Spirit is different.
It is gentle, it is steady, it is convicting, and it is life‑giving.
The voice of our Spirit often sounds like this.
“This will not honor God.”
“Walk away.”
“Choose peace.”
“Forgive.”
“Be patient.”
“Trust Me.”
The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians is the evidence of God leading us with
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self‑control.
Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such there is no law.
The Spirit always leads towards holiness.
It produces peace, not chaos. It points to Christ examples. It strengthens obedience and aligns with Scripture.
Paul teaches that the real war happens internally.
Romans 12:2
“ And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
2 Corinthians 10:5
“casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
Colossians 3:2
“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Our mind is where temptation begins.
Where lies take root. Where truth must be planted. And where our decisions are made.
The heart is where our desires form.
Our loyalties are revealed and our worship is directed.
When our mind is renewed and our heart is surrendered, our flesh loses its power.
Here’s an example of choosing Spirit over flesh.
Imagine someone speaks harshly to you. Your flesh rises immediately. You, “Snap back. You defend yourself. You say they deserve it.”
But the Spirit whispers to you.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath.
Show Christ. Let Me handle this.”
You pause. You breathe. You choose the Spirit’s voice. You respond with calmness instead of anger.
And this is what happens. The situation diffuses. Your heart stays at peace. God is honored and your witness shines.
This is what Jesus meant when He said at
Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Every time we deny our flesh and choose the Spirit, we shine.
We do not overcome by willpower but by surrender.
We feed the Spirit by prayer, scripture, worship and obedience and we starve the flesh by avoiding what triggers our temptation and we do not entertain thoughts that lead to sin.
We walk moment by moment.
Paul says at Galatians 5:16
I say then: “Walk in the Spirit, and you should not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
Our walk is continuous, not occasional.
The flesh is temporary. The Spirit is eternal.
Choosing the Spirit is choosing the Kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Oh, how God loves us ❤️
Dear Father in heaven,
I come before You acknowledging the war within me, within all of us.
Our flesh pulls us toward what is temporary, selfish, and destructive, but Your Spirit calls us into life, peace, and holiness.
Father, teach us to recognize the difference.
Give us discernment in our thoughts, purity in our desires, and strength in our choices.
Renew our minds daily. Guard our hearts from deception, and help us deny the things of this world and fix our eyes on what is eternal.
Let Your Spirit lead our every step, our every word, our every response.
May our lives shine so brightly that others see You living in us and are drawn to Your Truth.
In Your Son’s precious name, Amen.
Have a blessed day
God loves you ❤️
and so do I ❤️