Romans 8:13 For if you are living according to the [impulses of the] flesh, you are going to die. But if [you are living] by the [power of the Holy] Spirit you are habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body, you will [really] live forever.
If we are living according to the Holy Spirit, we are automatically putting to death the sinful deeds of the flesh. In this way, we are “dying to our flesh”—because it’s by living to the Spirit that we die to the flesh.
Therefore, what we focus on is important to living in the Spirit. If we focus on our flesh, our sin and trying to overcome all our issues so that we can do life better, we will often fail. Our focus needs to change. Focusing on living according to God’s ways, which results in: walking in step with Him, surrendering to Him, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us, communing with God by spending time each day with Him and being busy with the affairs of God’s Kingdom, eventually, the things of the flesh will lose its grip and fall away. Because when we continually pursue God, we will become more Christ-like than world-like. This is what it means to walk and live according to the Spirit.
When we continually choose the Holy Spirit over the flesh, more of the flesh dies, and as a result, our mindset changes in that we no longer desire the things of the flesh anymore. Our desires change so that what we now desire is more of God.
Is there an area where you struggle to be fully surrendered to God and in line with “living by the Holy Spirit”? God wants to help you with this, and as you continually give your struggles over to Him, making intentional choices to choose the way of the Holy Spirit rather than the way of the flesh, you will see real breakthrough.
But whatever you do, Don’t Give Up!
