Every single day we have the Spirit of God and our Flesh both warring within us and we choose which we are going allow to work in and through us.

Romans 7:15-20 For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I want to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate [and yielding to my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. Now if I habitually do what I do not want to do, [that means] I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good (morally excellent). So now [if that is the case, then] it is no longer I who do it [the disobedient thing which I despise], but the sin [nature] which lives in me. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh [my human nature, my worldliness—my sinful capacity]. For the willingness [to do good] is present in me, but the doing of good is not. For the good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. ²⁰ But if I am doing the very thing I do not want to do, I am no longer the one doing it [that is, it is not me that acts], but the sin [nature] which lives in me.

Galatians 5:17 For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do.

Through every situation, conversation, choice, and interaction we decide which one we are going to allow to be the outworking of our actions either our flesh or the Spirit.

Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Flesh

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the practices of the sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Sometimes we may feel like we cannot change and that we are out of control in our actions but that is not true. The truth is we decide every word that comes out of our mouth, every action we make, and our behaviors.  

Steps to Walking in the Spirit Daily

Crucify the Flesh: We do this through prayer, fasting, praise and worship, and a firm dedication to laying down our own personal desires, especially the ones that are contrary to the Word of God. It is a daily conscience choice to lay ourselves down and pick up our cross and follow Jesus.

Luke 9:23And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests] and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].

Galatians 5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature together with its passions and appetites. 

Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts].

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Prayer. We must be people of prayer if we want to be people of kingdom purpose. We cannot operate in kingdom purposes if we are not people of prayer first.

John 10:27 The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.

We must take the time to sit really sit with Him and not only talk to Him, but also listen to what He wants to say to us as well.

Luke 10:39-42 “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered and anxious about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part [that which is to her advantage], which will not be taken away from her.”

Holy Spirit. We must learn to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and ask for His leading, teaching, correction, and guidance.

John 16:13But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father—the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future].

We must also be careful to avoid quenching and grieving the Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:19Do not quench [subdue or be unresponsive to the working and guidance of] the [Holy] Spirit.

Acts 7:51“You stiff-necked and stubborn people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always actively resisting the Holy Spirit. You are doing just as your fathers did.

Surrender/Obedience: We must seek His will, purpose, and plans-not ours. Jesus was our example in all things, and He exemplified surrender to the Father. The Son of God was fully surrendered to God and that shows us we must fully submit to Him in all our ways. When we accept Jesus as our Savior our lives are no longer ours. We have been bought with a price (Jesus dying on the cross) and now our lives belong to Him. The disciples understood this. When He called them, they laid down everything and followed Him (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John).

Reading His Word (Bible)

Hebrews 4:12For the word of God is living and active and full of power [making it operative, energizing, and effective]. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating as far as the division of the soul and spirit [the completeness of a person], and of both joints and marrow [the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and judging the very thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Matthew 4:4 But Jesus replied, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”

Be imitators of God. We must seek to look and act more like Him. We must learn to be selfless, love like He loves, see others as He sees them, and have compassion like He has compassion. We should be praying daily to be more like Him. Our prayer should always be to have less of us and more of Him. We must also point to Him in all we do and accomplish.

Ephesians 5:1 Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father];

1 Peter 2:21 For [as a believer] you have been called for this purpose, since Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in His footsteps.

Be selfless and not selfish. We must point to Him in all things and understand any good in us comes from Him. We cannot be consumed with self.

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit [through factional motives, or strife], but with [an attitude of] humility [being neither arrogant nor self-righteous], regard others as more important than yourselves. ⁴ Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

2 Timothy 3:1-5 3 But understand this, that in the last days dangerous times [of great stress and trouble] will come [difficult days that will be hard to bear]. ² For people will be lovers of self [narcissistic, self-focused], lovers of money [impelled by greed], boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy and profane, ³ [and they will be] unloving [devoid of natural human affection, calloused and inhumane], irreconcilable, malicious gossips, devoid of self-control [intemperate, immoral], brutal, haters of good, ⁴ traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of [sensual] pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ holding to a form of [outward] godliness (religion), although they have denied its power [for their conduct nullifies their claim of faith]. Avoid such people and keep far away from them.

The opposite of this scripture is operating in humility and with a servant’s heart.

Put Him first. In all things He must be first. He will not accept second place in our lives. If we really want to walk in His fullness, He must be first. We must spend time doing self-evaluations to make sure we are not putting anything or anyone above God.

Matthew 22:37 And Jesus replied to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

Repentance means to have a change of heart mind, and direction. We must be quick to repent and keep our hearts soft. Letting a little sin in here and there will lead to a hard heart and we must always avoid letting that happen. We can get so desensitized to sin that we no longer even call it for what it is.

Ezekiel 36:26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Hebrews 3:7-11 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “Today if you hear His voice, ⁸ Do not harden your hearts as [your fathers did] in the rebellion [of Israel at Meribah], On the day of testing in the wilderness, ⁹ Where your fathers tried Me by testing [My forbearance and tolerance],
And saw My works for forty years [And found I stood their test]. ¹⁰ “Therefore I was angered with this generation, And I said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they did not know My ways [nor become progressively better and more intimately acquainted with them]’; ¹¹ So I swore [an oath] in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest [the promised land].’”

1 John 1:9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises] and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].

The bottom line is we have the choice to either walk in the Spirit our to walk in our flesh.

Link to Teaching Video: https://youtu.be/UyBTSo4bJuU?si=Bv7JrfLQobChzQzJ

Blessings,

Nichole Henson, Fullness of Joy Ministry