Joel M Bradshaw

16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. –Galatians 5

1. There are some who believe that desires, emotions, or feelings are not sinful.
2. The claim is made that the heart can desire whatever it wants and as long as a person doesn’t act upon those desires, they haven’t yet sinned.
3. Paul continued his tension between flesh and spirit again here. Desires of the flesh are pit against desires of the Spirit.
4. Fleshly desires naturally lead to the fleshly fruit Paul would list in a few verses in the famous fruits of the Spirit passage.
5. Do you even know what God desires? If not, how would you find out?
6. If you never get an answer to this question, you will just be left with your own desires. These desires never lead to godly living.
7. I recommend a person attack their own selfish desires with biblical thinking. Through discipline and consistency, your thoughts can override or redirect your feelings. You can remind yourself what God desires. I practice this many days by telling myself key Bible verses. If you face an addiction or are in recovery, this is a major weapon to use in the fight.–JMB