Ready for Battle

For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5)

A powerful verse that is part of a larger passage:

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:5-11)

I love how Paul is describing the different levels we get to aspire to live to, encouraging us to live at the highest level we can. We know that because we live in a sinful world we will always be battling with our flesh, the bent of our life should be different.

We should be striving to live for things of the Spirit.

The root of sin is selfishness: “I will”, not “Thy will.” That is where the battle really is – to put aside our selfish desires and aim for a higher goal of not pleasing ourselves but pleasing God.

Children aim to please their father, and as children of God we also should be seeking to please our Father.