The Spirit is Willing

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

Matthew 26:41


There is no temptation but that which is common to man. We all deal with the fragility of our flesh and are all tempted according to our own unique weaknesses. 


Jesus has made a way for us to overcome every temptation through our own intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit.  It was better that Jesus left us so the Holy Spirit could come.  Now He lives within us forever.  We have been given supernatural power that meets and enables us in every situation, by and through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  


Because we are so focused on behavior and doings, most of the time we think right doing makes us righteous.  Doing, in our own strength and self efforts, simply feeds self righteousness and pride.  Colossians tells us the promoting of self made religion, asceticism, and severity to the body has an appearance of wisdom but has no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.  Self discipline apart from the Holy Spirit simply strengthens the flesh.  Where there is no dependency on the work of grace by the Holy Spirit, we are just magnifying our human strength.  It is only by the Holy Spirit that we are able to mortify, kill, deaden, the desires and deeds of the body, Romans 8:13. The flesh works against the Spirit but the Spirit works against the flesh.  


The best way to have abundant life is through the Spirit of Life.  A successful marriage, home, family or career is by the Spirit.  The best way to govern our body is by the Spirit.  The best way to control our thought life is by the Spirit.  The best way to handle any appetite of the flesh is by the Spirit.  The biblical admonition is “be being filled”.  That is, to live in a place of continual communion and fellowship with the Holy Spirit.


The Spirit is willing.  Paul wrote where sin abounds grace does much more abound.  Regardless of circumstances, there is an abounding grace which gives all sufficiency, enabling one to abound to every good work.  Whatever is needed in the moment to overcome, the Holy Spirit is willing to provide.  He leads and guides into all truth, filling us with wisdom and strength to know, and then to do.  A successful spiritual life is about living life from the fulness of the Holy Spirit. 


A fruit the Holy Spirit works within us is self control. The Spirit is willing.  It’s not by my might, it's not by my power, but it’s by the Spirit that we are able to overcome our flesh and its weaknesses.  My dependence on myself only strengthens my pride. I get the glory for what I’ve accomplished.  Humility depends entirely on the working of the Spirit, for when I am weak then am I strong. I don’t overcome in my sufficiency, but in His. 


The Spirit is willing.  The Holy Spirit lives to serve the purposes of the Father.  We aren’t talking about more self discipline but rather Spirit led and Spirit enabled obedience. A life consumed by the presence and fellowship of Holy Spirit.