Desires of the Flesh
ICS Daily Devotions
Ephesians 2:2-3 (NKJV) in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
In this Scripture, the Apostle Paul is encouraging us not to walk in our old way of life. We were once slaves to sin, under the bondage and influence of the prince of the power of the air, but now we are children in the Kingdom of God. Therefore, we should put on the “new man” in the new creation and walk differently—that’s walking in the Spirit. It is an empowered life to break away from the world’s corruption through lust.
Everything that we see, read, and watch influences us either for good or evil. We are bombarded by the values and principles of the world daily. In fact, we have been indoctrinated by the world’s ways ever since we reached the age of understanding. Social media is a powerful tool that influences all of us today but not everything posted there is good. We are a product of what we are feeding our minds with through all these different platforms. It plays into our senses, and these senses will send signals to our emotions and desires. All these are in the realm of the soul.
Passions and desires will be stirred up in the realm of the soul and the body, but we need to know that we are free from the dictations of these passions and desires because we can walk in the Spirt. We have identified ourselves with Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection so we live in the newness of life.
Once our mind is renewed that we can walk in the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus which has set us free from the law of sin and death, the devil ceases to be a strong influence in our lives. This is because we can now make the decision to walk in the Spirit and do the right thing from the inside out. We live in the Spirit because the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts, and we can walk in the Spirit by yielding to His prompting to do what is right. Once we decide to walk in the Spirit daily, we will begin to walk victoriously and live in the abundant life. It is a blessed life but it is also a matter of choice.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
The key to victorious Christian living is through the renewal of the mind with the Word of God, especially with regards to who we are, what we have, and what we can do in Christ!
Sermon Series: The Make-up of Man
