For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. – Romans 8:5-7
If our minds are set on the wrong things then our feet will follow and go the wrong way. Setting your mind is like selecting a radio frequency to listen to. You can rather listen to AM or FM but not both at the same time. Our minds need to be set to the spirit that will lead us to life and peace with God. When our minds are set on the flesh, it will lead us to separation from God and death.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. – Galatians 5:16
When the scriptures talk about “walk” it means how we conduct our lives. When we conduct our lives in line with the Spirit of God then we will not give into the desires of the flesh. Remember this daily if you struggle with overcoming temptations.
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. – Galatians 5:19-21
This verse is in line with the pervious verse I just read and gives some examples if anyone didn’t know what activities were freshly, Paul summarizes some of those activities that the Galatians were participating in. Use this verse and see if you are walking in the flesh in any of these areas. This passage of scripture also gives us a warning that if anyone participates in these activities that they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. So we can take this as a warning for ourselves as well.
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13
This verse gives us an amazing promise from God concerning overcoming temptations. He is ALWAYS faithful not to allow us to be tempted more than we can withstand and He always gives us a way to escape the temptation. We just need to see the escape and choose to take it.
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:24
Since we belong to Jesus we have to put to death the fleshless desires and passions. This means that those fleshly desires and passions are dead to you. They have no power to dictate what you do. From time to time you may get a thought but since they are dead to you, you do not act on them.
For 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 5:17
This kid one of the main reasons we need to keep the flesh quite. If we constantly listen and do what our flesh what’s is to do, we will not be able to do what Hod wants us to do. As Christians, doing Gods will is the top of our priority list. It should be our number one focus every day. The flesh wants to you to do the opposite.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. – Romans 8:8
This verse works with the previous verse that I just read. Since the things of the flesh are opposing the things of the spirit then if we are in the flesh we will not be doing the spiritual things that God wants us to do which would not please God.
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. – John 6:63
The Holy Sprit gives spiritual life and without the holy spirits work, we cannot even see our need for new life. All spiritual renewal begins and ends with God. He reveals his truth to us, lives within us, and then enables us to respond. Living in the flesh will cause us to be blinded to the truth and cause us to live in ignorance.
For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. – 1 John 2:16
The best way to keep the flesh quite is to be careful what you let into your mind. You feed your mind through what your eyes see, what your ears hear and how you think about those things. If you are giving yourself a steady diet of worldly things and not taking time to meditate on the Word of God, then your flesh will run wild and cause you to do the things that are against the spirit. Feed your mind thee Word of God and meditate on it. That will help you live a spirit lead life and not a fleshly life.