There’s a war going on inside every believer.
The flesh and the spirit are constantly at odds, pulling in opposite directions.
Galatians 5:16–17 says it clearly:
“Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.”
They are opposed to each other.
They don’t agree. They don’t cooperate. They don’t even tolerate each other.
When Scripture speaks of the flesh, it’s not just your physical body—it’s the fallen nature, the sinful tendencies, what Romans 7 calls “the body of death.”
It’s that inward pull toward sin and rebellion.
And the Spirit—the Holy Spirit within you—resists it at every turn.
This is why you struggle. This is why you feel torn.
Because two forces are tugging at your soul, each one trying to take the lead.
One says, “Give in.”
The other says, “Stand firm.”
One says, “Please yourself.”
The other says, “Please God.”
And in the middle is you.
This inner war explains the frustration believers often feel:
“So that you do not do what you want.”
It’s the cry of Romans 7—where Paul confesses that though he wants to do good, another power is dragging him the other way.
Victory doesn’t come from denying the struggle.
It comes from choosing which one you’ll walk with—the flesh or the Spirit.
https://youtu.be/m33Gpyv_wvE?si=aXZQxA8k_v0AeEkW
[Published on 29/04/2025]
