My parents first took me to Disneyland as a kid in the late 1950s. And I was enamored with, of all things, the shooting gallery. My three brothers and I took turns shooting at the little figures that would pop up. And I noticed pretty quickly that you don’t aim for the ones that are moving fast. You aim for the ones that are standing still or moving slowly because that way, you get more points.
People who are not making progress in their spiritual walk are much easier for Satan to pick off. You’re an easy target, like the stationary ones in the shooting gallery. But if you’re making strides spiritually, he’ll have a hard time bringing you down.
Paul writes, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:16-17).
To “walk in the spirit” means to live your life making intentional spiritual progress. Let your lifestyle, your manner of living, and your conduct be in the Spirit. If you’re busy cultivating your spiritual life, you’ll be moving forward.
But now you realize: This is a struggleโa civil war. Your spiritual life needs to be cultivated. Your spirit says, “I’m going to get up and pray.” But your flesh says, “Sleep in a little longer.” And your spirit says, “Go help your wife with that project.” But your flesh says, “Relax.” Your spirit says, “Go to church.” But your flesh says, “Why? Is there a crisis in the world? Is it Easter?”
The flesh and the spirit are always fighting. So you have to chooseโwalk in the Spirit or surrender to the flesh. The desires of the flesh come naturally. The desires of the Spirit come supernaturally.
When Paul listed the “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5:19-21, he warned: “Of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (v. 21).
He called these works obvious. In Romans 7:15-24, Paul said, I’m at war with myself. There are certain things I don’t want to do, but I find myself doing them. There are certain things I want to do, but I don’t do them. “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (v. 24).
So, walk. Make progress. Cover groundโdon’t lay around in the spirit, don’t lounge about in the spirit, don’t veg in the spirit. Walk in the Spirit. Make that continual lifestyle progress, and you won’t fulfill the desires of the flesh.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:22-24).
