We are spiritual beings living in fleshly bodies in this world. Like oil and water, spirit and flesh generally resist integration and are antagonistic toward one another. The breath of the Spirit creates life, while the works of the flesh produce death. When our spirit yields and joins together with the Holy Spirit we desire to walk in his way and to do God’s will; we also long to press on, and increasingly love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, while learning to unconditionally love others, as we love ourselves. On the contrary, the mind of the flesh –our feelings and thoughts apart from the Holy Spirit will hold us back from the spiritual growth and victories we long to obtain while we attend life’s school on earth.
In the Garden of Gethsemane, as Jesus Christ struggled with His flesh, He asked the Father to take the “cup of suffering” from Him. Nevertheless, He overcame the flesh by praying His thoughts and feelings to the heavenly Father. The cries that came out of Jesus’ heart to His Father brought the overcoming victory of “not what I will but Thy will be done”.
What the disciples’ experienced in the garden was quite the opposite. They too were struggling with their flesh manifesting itself through unbelief, confusion, doubt, anger, fear, frustration, sadness, and the desire to run, fight and sleep. Jesus told them several times to watch and pray because the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, but they did not have ears to hear, nor spiritual eyes to see what Jesus was telling them. If they had prayed and shared their thoughts and feelings with the heavenly Father, they would have gained some victory over their flesh and found the grace and freedom to be able to do God’s will. Instead, they slept.
When we struggle with the works of the flesh in our lives (Galatians 5:19-21), let us take into account what Christ taught through power, word, and example. Remember we are spiritual beings connected with God, through Christ, who sent the gift of the Holy Spirit to connect with our spirit, to be our teacher and helper! Because of this redemptive relationship with Lord Yahweh, we can pour our fleshly hearts out to Him, and find the overcoming power, release, and help we need to see us through difficult times of testing and trials. Then we will begin to discover overcoming the weakness of our flesh, and receive the spiritual power to walk in the will of God.
“Keep awake and watch and pray [constantly], that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (mark 14:38)
