Walk by the Spirit

These thoughts were incited by a John Piper sermon called “The War Within: Flesh Versus Spirit”

As we continue moving towards marriage (12 days now), we are realizing how present that desires of the flesh are. 

We’ve heard lots of marriage advice, but the general consensus seems to be that marriage is a huge means of sanctification. This means that a LOT of dying to self and your own preferences happens. As Hunter and I spend more time together, we’ve been realizing just how selfish we really are. Anyone who knows us would probably stop me there and say, “Oh, don’t be so hard on yourselves! You’re doing alright.” But the truth is, the subtle sin that has been covered becomes quickly exposed. Marriage, and even engagement for that matter, is a catalyst for uncovering sin.

The selfishness that I’m referring to isn’t overt. It starts to manifest itself in inconspicuous ways… through gentle nudges to get our way, making sure our own needs are met first, hinting at what we want the other person to do for us, even “innocently” justifying our own preferences.

In order to identify the solution, the first step is identifying the problem. What is it that makes me unable to love the man I love most the way I want to love him? Well, we know the problem. We are both sinners. As much as we want to do what we know is right, we just can’t.

I think Paul explains it best in Romans 7: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do… As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that it, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do –this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body, that is subject to death? Thanks be to God who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Paul helps us clearly identify the problem, that is, we are still fighting a war against our flesh. Yes, we are regenerated (regeneration) and no longer slaves to sin because of the cross of Christ! We are made alive! But we are still being sanctified (Sanctification) and made new, which means we are still living in bodies that desire the flesh. And until we get to glory (glorification), that battle will be very present.

I know the outlook of this war between spirit and flesh isn’t looking good, but there’s more. Chapter 8 of Romans goes on to identify the solution, that is, the life believers have through the Spirit.

So where does that John Piper sermon that I mentioned way back in the beginning come into all of this? To be completely honest, I only listened to about the first 5 minutes of it. BUT those few minutes were rich, particularly the part about being “walking with” or in other words “led by” the spirit. Piper compares it to being led by a locomotive. If you think about it, all of the train cars behind really don’t have any power without the locomotive. Heck, they don’t even have engines! They’re really just wheels and axels. They’re good at following and that’s what they were intended to do. 

Could you imagine how ridiculous it would be for one of those train cars to try to deliver their cargo without being attached to the locomotive? SPOILER ALERT: Nothing would happen. The engine-less car has no power or momentum on its own. I know it’s more plain to see the futility of relying on our own efforts through the analogy of these train cars, but really let it sink in. No locomotive; No power. No Spirit; No power.

If we are not drawing from the power of the Holy Spirit to complete even the most simple of tasks, we are making a futile and power-less effort. It is so very essential for the Christian to be “attached” to the spirit if we are ever to begin to do the work of the Lord. Hear this and tell it to your soul: It is impossible to live the Christian life on our own. It is impossible. There is no back door to living the life God calls us to without God.

But hear this very very good news. God gives us Himself. God gave us Himself in Jesus, God incarnate, to reconcile His people to Himself through Himself. And God is presently giving us Himself in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is God. He is God -- with all the attributes of deity. He is the third person of the Trinity -- co-equal with God the Father and God the Son.

Thanks be to God who delivers us through Christ Jesus our Lord!

Lord, help us to be more bendable to your leading. Just as a rigid train car will have a difficult time following, our rigid hearts will make it difficult for us to be led by you. Keep us humble and teachable, forsaking our own wills to pick up yours instead. Help us delight in following you and give us hearts that desire to attach onto you.