There is a major battle going on. The fights of all fights. It’s been publicized for centuries. This is bigger than the Sugar Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns. It’s bigger than Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier. It’s even bigger than Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather. This is bigger than any World Cup event. Even bigger than any derby in the world. Bigger than the biggest football rivalry. Oh, yes, it is!
This is the event of all events. Imagine yourself as a Spectator at one of these events. The event of a lifetime. What event? I am so glad that you asked me that question. But, you are not the spectator. You are the main event and the war is in you.
The main event is the “Acts of the Flesh” VS the “Fruit of the Spirit”. It is a fight like none other. Over here on the right is Team Good, “Fruit of the Spirit”. Over there on the left, is Team Bad, “Acts of the Flesh”.
Let me introduce to you the players for Team Good, representing the “Fruit of the Spirit”, we have LOVE, JOY, PEACE, FORBEARANCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF CONTROL.
Introducing the players for Team Bad, “Acts of the Flesh”, we have IMMORALITY, IMPURITY, DEBAUCHERY, IDOLATRY, WITCHCRAFT, HATRED, DISCORD, JEALOUSY, FITS OF RAGE, SELFISH AMBITION, DISSENSIONS, FACTIONS, ENVY, DRUNKENNESS, AND ORGIES.
As the players line us to take their positions, they are aware of the rules. There will be no ties, no draws, and no scores taken. The fight is won, by a TKO, A Total Knock-out. Whoever is knocked-out, loses. The players standing will be the winner.
Please line up and come out fighting.
Paul describes the two forces at work within us as, the Holy Spirit verses our evil inclinations. We all have natural evil desires and we can’t ignore them. In order for us to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance we must deal with them. The Holy Spirit produces character traits, but He doesn’t control our actions. If we want to be like Jesus, we must die to the flesh and grow in Him. We must learn to know Jesus. We must recognize who He is and desire to imitate Him. We must nail those “flesh” things to the cross.
There is a constant battle going on with our flesh and the “spirit of God”. We are in a wrestling match against our human nature and God’s spirit. My Bible says, “for the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh” Romans 7:15.
I am saying is, let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of human nature. For what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants.
These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do.
What human nature does is quite plain and simple. It shows itself as immoral, filthy and doing indecent actions. People become enemies and they fight; they become jealous, angry, and ambitious. These things are not of God. The bible says that those who do these things will not possess the kingdom of God. Somebody needs to tell them “they are not getting in”. But the spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. Those who truly belong to Jesus have put to death their human nature with all its passions and desires.
The Spirit has given us life. He must also control our lives. When we fully allow Jesus to come into our lives and use us as his vessel, those things will die and our newness will bloom like a fruit.