If left to my own devices, I would masterfully orchestrate my own demise, and in many ways, I have worked hard at doing just that. There is the standard sin of fallen man that results in our bodies not lasting forever while here on Earth. We can’t do much about that. As we age, we break down; some faster than others. There is also the sin that we commit that leads to Spiritual death. That is what I want to discuss here.
Romans 8:5-6 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
To put this all in perspective, Paul is referencing flesh as to what the law has done, and the Spirit to what provides life and peace.
Things of Flesh = Man
Things of the Spirit = God
When my flesh is in control, it desires to sin. If God is not at the center of my mind, my flesh is at the center. That leads to death. Sin produces death. My flesh will eventually kill me. Our bodies will die. I know my body is most certainly working its way toward death and when my flesh is in control, my mind is dead as well.
So we are called to set our mind on the Spirit because without God at the helm, we are, and we kind of suck. Just prior to making this statement Paul discussed frustration in his own life over the battle between his flesh and the Spirit (Romans 7:15-20). I relate to Paul’s struggle so well. He has the Spirit in him and desires to dwell in the Spirit of God, but continues to sin nevertheless. It’s a vicious cycle that we find ourselves in. The battle between flesh and Spirit.
I have tried everything short of getting the face of Christ tattooed on my hands to prevent my flesh from having total control, but even that is putting my strength in my flesh. No combination of reminders will help me because my flesh wants what it wants. If I allow my mind to focus on what my flesh wants, I will sin. Only when I put my mind on the Spirit of God, will Life and Peace indwell in me. Anything else is literally blocking the Holy Spirit from accomplishing God’s work in my life because it is me trying to experience His promise through my own works. God’s promise is only experienced through faith in Jesus Christ. The mind is powerful, which is why Paul is calling us to “set our minds on the Spirit.”
This is a battle we can not win on our own. We will continue sinning and rather than experiencing deliverance, those sins will continue progressing in our lives. Only when we put our minds on the Spirit of God can we experience life and peace which is the result of the deliverance from our sins.
Flesh = Sin/Death
Spirit = Life and Peace
A mind set on sin experiences death. This means that we will not experience life and peace here on Earth or eternally.
A mind set on the Spirit experiences life and peace. We can experience that here on Earth and most definitely in eternity.
The world is littered with things created to draw us toward our fleshly desires. My flesh desires the things of this world. Without them present, my flesh mourns the loss of them. Every part of my body desires to sin, this is why Jesus suggests we cut off what causes us to sin.
If we are not desiring Christ, we are desiring death. As Paul stated in Romans 7:15, “I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate.” I have never found myself desiring death. When my flesh is in control, I don’t want to die, but I do allow myself to do things that lead to death. We are sick.
Draw close to God by directing your mind to the Spirit. If you find a way to do this without falter, please share it with me.
