Description
How to Overcome Temptation: Walking by the Spirit – Galatians 5:16
In this episode, we delve into Galatians 5:16 and di… (visit YouTube for more)
Transcript
Do you want to know what your first port of call should be if you’re struggling with temptation? Here it is, Galatians 5 verse 16. But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
When I reach for that extra piece of chocolate that I don’t need, I have stopped walking by the Spirit. It sounds silly, but there’s this struggle sometimes. I am saying to myself, no, I must limit my intake. I’m 50 now. I can’t eat whatever I want like I used to be able to. And then something inside goes, Oh, but the chocolate’s so nice and you’ll feel so good and it will comfort you.
And this is just one small silly example of the battles that we face every day. We are drawn to fulfil the desires of our flesh. And Paul says, what you need to do is walk by the Spirit, and then this won’t happen.
Are we saying first thing in the morning when we wake up, it’s the first thing that we do not to reach for our phones or the newspaper, but to reach out to God and say, God be with me today and help me to walk with you, help me to walk by the Spirit.
And if you are struggling with something stronger than temptation, say addiction, this is still your first port of call. The first piece of medicine that we need in our lives for absolutely every ailment is the Spirit of God.
And then in wisdom, we don’t stop there. If we are struggling with addiction, we seek help for that. If we are struggling physically, we go to our doctors. If we are struggling mentally, we go to our counsellors and our psychotherapists, all of whom have been given gifts by God for our benefit.
But first and foremost, my friends, walk by the Spirit. And in this way, we are able to resist. We are able to avoid gratifying the desires of our flesh. God bless you.
