THE SPIRIT IS WILLING BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK

TEXT: ROMANS 7: 19-23

¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.

After we have given our lives to God, we vowed and promised to do His will and obey all His commandments. The day we made that call to salvation, we sanctified ourselves unto God, meaning that we separated ourselves from the world unto God.

Consequently, as time goes on, we tend to find ourselves going back to our old way of life unknowingly. This is not because we want to disobey God deliberately, but because we are flesh created from the dust, therefore we are prone to attract dirt.

Apostle Paul lamented in our text that as much as he desired to do good, the evil that he does not want to do anymore was what he kept doing. This shows our level of weakness without the help of the Holy Spirit “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26: 41). Many are struggling to live a life that is pleasing to God, yet they find themselves falling into sin again and again, even against their wish. They kept going in and out of sin.

The only way we can live above sin is when our flesh is put to subjection. This can be achieved only by the help of the Holy Spirit; the scripture says without God we can do nothing. To live above sin, ask for the grace and invite the Holy Spirit to take His dwelling in you. Galatians 5:16-17 says “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.
The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.” Living in the Spirit purifies you and guards you against falling into sin, your human strength, wisdom and knowledge cannot guard you against sin, only the Spirit of God can do that. In Matthew 26:31-33 Peter swore heaven and earth that he would never deny Jesus, even if he had to die. That was his desire, he desired to be loyal to Jesus to the end, but his flesh took over and he denied Jesus despite all his promises and vows. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in all truth, so that you will be able to live above sin at all times.

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