Spirit Vs. Flelsh

Galatians 5:13
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather serve one another in love.

God's desire is to occupy the center place in my heart, my thoughts, my emotions....in my life.
It's easy to make such statements.
To parrot the words...
Give a "book" answer .
But to actually place God at the center of my will is hard.

There is the ongoing struggle between Spirit and flesh.
Between His ways and my old ways that seem to rise up from time to time.
Rise up to try and take control again.
It's begins with a subtle thought of exercising my own will over that of God's.

I am assured by the Holy Spirit of my salvation. IN fact, my salvation is an ongoing process.
I was saved back in 1961...
I am being saved today, here in 2018.
And I will be saved at some future point.
Maybe that is why ol' Paul wrote in Philippians 2:12 that we were to "Continue to work out our salvation iwth fear and trembling."

Such is why I must be vigilant in this journey of daily life.
To be aware of my need for a POWER greater than myself who can guide me and help me to make the right decisions.
Such a POWER has paid the penalty for my sins....
Such a POWER has broken the power of sin in my life...
And such a POWER fills me to help me stand against the presence of sin.
That is why the turning of will over to His care is so important. So that I won't lay hold of my thoughts and decided what I will and will not do. 

maybe I think about such things too much.
I look at others and they seem to be blissfully unaware of the battle between Spirit and flesh. What I have learned over the years about my own walk with Christ, is that the closer I get to Him...the more I grow in Him, the more my heart is uncovered. I discover new things about myself that I wish I didn't have to. But isn't this only an example of the incredible love that God has for you and me? That He loves us so much that His heart is that we grow in Him to move beyond the influence of the flesh....that old sin nature?
I think maybe yes, it is.

God on you..
mbb