I couldn’t help but picture a little devil and a little angel sitting on my shoulder, like the familiar meme. Especially when I read, “these two forces are constantly fighting each other.” It’s true. We are constantly fighting the battle of sin in our lives. Evil can often disguise itself as good, or we can try to explain away our sinfulness.
I hope you’re happy, too, to know that we have a helper in the Holy Spirit. We can be assured that when follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in our life, we will be less likely to stumble into the traps of the evil one.
We read in this passage about how the spirit manifests itself in us. The fruits of the spirit are, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Look in the mirror and see which of these “fruits” you’d like to see more of. We are all a “work-in-progress” and we can ask the Spirit to bring us more of love or gentleness. Or perhaps you’re like me and are working on your patience!
The fruits of the spirit are such good attributes to help us stand firm against the sinful behavior Paul also warns us of. There may be some behaviors in that list that strike a chord with you. I certainly wouldn’t want to miss out on the kingdom for being part of that kind of behavior without repentance.
What passions of the flesh do you struggle most with? I’m not talking about your “good” passions, those things you are passionate about, like achieving world peace, family harmony, or no more poverty. Paul gave us a list of passions of the flesh that will keep us stuck in sin. It’s helpful to imagine nailing those sinful thoughts directly to the cross of Christ. He took all those sins for us. We don’t have to be shackled in sin anymore.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean we won’t sin. We will. But with the Spirit in control, we will be much more likely to avoid many of the lures to sin that we would otherwise have been tempted by. How does it make you feel to be loved so much that God would send his Spirit to empower you with goodness?
Let’s pray. Father, you have given me such amazing gifts. Thank you for how your Spirit fills me, guides me, and keeps me from going in the wrong direction. Help me to be mindful of your Spirit, always listening for your guidance. Help me with my patience and in exhibiting all your gracious blessings. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
