Daily Devotional: The Ways of the Flesh

Not all of our desires are good desires. If we allowed our instincts to take over, how much hate and bitterness would come out of our mouths? Today, I look at how we can avoid such fleshly impulses.

Romans 3:13

Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips…”

Paul provides a detailed description of human intentions before we are saved. We are unrighteous. We lack understanding. We do not seek after God. Our ways are unprofitable because the end thereof is death in hell. We do not do good because we live contrary to the just will of God. Our words bring death instead of life to those around us, using deceit and harmful words to sting others. Cursing and bitterness are in our thoughts and are reflected in our words. We are quick to destroy and bring misery, instinctively fighting against rather than seeking peace with our adversaries. We do all this because we have no fear of God.

“Am I really that bad?” you might be thinking. Think about the intents of your heart before you were saved. What were your gut responses to situations? If we are all honest, Paul’s description seems accurate; we are terrible, sinful people before we are saved.

Thankfully, God gave us a new heart and new desires when we were saved, bur flesh still calls us to our previous desires. If we are not careful, we will allows these old habits to reappear, filling our hearts with poison; we will become sepulchers.

The closer we draw to Christ, the less these fleshly desires will enter our mind. Just being near Jesus makes it easier to recognize sinful desires and to reject them. God gave us the wonderful ability to override our flesh with our determination. If we truly set our eyes on eternal things, choosing to keep our goal of eternal life always in our minds, then we can reject the beginnings of sin before it ever manifests itself in our lives. Stay focused in Christ. Keep your obedience to God in the forefront of our mind. Draw ever closer to Him. Don’t give your flesh and inch.

​

• Reflection: Are you seeking after the ways of the flesh or of the Spirit? Leave a comment below to share what God is doing in your life.