I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But, if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  Galatians 5:16-18  HCSB

One thing God did that I find very interesting is that he made opposites attract. A magnet will draw to and attach to anything that is steel or metal. But, if you try to put two magnets together, you will feel the resistant force. If you are using batteries to power something, you know that you must attach negative ends to positive ends. Same seems to be true for relationships. We want people to be like us. But when they are, we usually can’t get along with them. My parents were two totally opposite people but yet they managed to live through 63 years of marriage before my dad died. My husband and I are opposites in many ways. I sometimes think God did this with relationships to prove He has a sense of humor.

But my title today is about how we are attracted to the opposite of what is good for us. For example if you give me the choice between a brownie and steamed broccoli, the brownie is winning hands down every time. The apostle Paul described this very thing in Romans 7:15 when he said, “For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate.”

What are we to do to resolve this issue? Well, what does the Bible say? Our scripture passage begins by telling us if we walk by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Romans 8:5 tells us that those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. I can’t sit around thinking about brownies all day and hope to eat healthy. I have to set my mind on foods that are good for me. Galatians 6:8 tells us that the one who sows to his flesh reaps corruption but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life. So from these verses we can gather that if we think as we should and do as we should, we are in good shape. This will help us to walk in the Spirit. And, we know that if we walk in the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:24 tells us that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

The devil opposes anything that is godly. He does not want us to walk by the Spirit. He wants us to satisfy the desires of the flesh. He wants us to reap the desires of the flesh. The devil wants you to believe his lies when he tells you that it’s okay to do what you want. It’s not okay. There are false prophets in this world that tell you the same. They masquerade as preachers and teachers of God’s word, but they teach heresy. Heresy opposes God’s word. It will use scripture and twist it to oppose what is meant. We must be very careful with this.

We avoid falling for heretical teaching by studying God’s word. We must get a clear understanding of what is meant in scripture. 1 John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” He goes on to tell us how to test the spirits. In verse 2 he tells us that any spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. In verse 3 he tells us that any spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, but is the antichrist. The opposite of Christ.

Be careful not to be attracted by those things that oppose God’s word. Pray daily for God to give you wisdom to avoid deception. Pray daily for God to fill you with His Holy Spirit to help you walk in the Spirit and therefore avoid the desires of the flesh. When we trust in Him and crucify our flesh, we begin to want what He wants. We want to please Him and bring Him glory and honor and praise. When we do this we have a peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7) and unending joy (Isaiah 51:11). Now that’s attractive.

Have a great day!