The Christian life is not merely a journey of external obedience—it’s a spiritual war between two natures. Paul writes in Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other…” This internal contradiction is not symbolic—it’s real, daily, and often painful. The flesh doesn’t passively resist the Spirit; it actively hates what the Spirit does.
The flesh—our fallen human nature—cannot discern or welcome the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). It recoils at spiritual submission, it craves independence, and it seeks comfort apart from holiness. When the Spirit prompts us toward worship, surrender, forgiveness, or purity, the flesh immediately objects. It questions. It justifies. It resists. This is why Paul says that those who live according to the flesh “cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). The flesh isn’t neutral—it’s hostile to God’s purposes.
This is why true spiritual growth often feels like death to the self. When God begins to move in your life—prompting you to forgive someone, walk in humility, fast, give sacrificially, or stay silent—the flesh screams. It discerns what the Spirit is doing, and it wages war. But this conflict is actually a sign of life. If there’s no resistance, there’s no transformation.
The solution is not to “tame” the flesh but to crucify it. “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).
This isn’t a one-time event—it’s a daily death. Each time we obey the Spirit, we put the flesh in its place. And each time we say no to the Spirit, we feed the very thing trying to destroy us.
So if you feel the war within—rejoice. That’s the Spirit doing what only He can do: confront, convict, and transform. Don’t fear the contradiction. Fight through it with worship, with truth, and with surrender. The flesh will always hate what the Spirit does—but the Spirit will always finish what He starts.
