Notes from Dr. Ed Young:
Your soul and body are trying to line up with your spirit. God gave us GRACE to war against the flesh because there is a BATTLE going on. The flesh wants to be to you what the Spirit of God is to you. It envy’s the Spirit and wants to be your source as the Spirit of God is your source. The flesh wants to govern your life. We should be growing closer to God through Christ and the Power of the Holy Spirit, not through our intellect.
TRUST IN GOD! We should be getting what we need by our DEPENDENCE on Christ, not by steps we have created to get it. Dependence on Him puts the mind in line with the Spirit of God and then the body will line up with the Holy Spirit also. You have God’s nature in you.
“He who began a good work in you will continue…” I am so free; I need not worry at all. Instead, JUST TRUST HIM! The flesh is bad thinking, which leads to bad behavior. The flesh goes against the Word of God, which goes against the Spirit. When you are not walking the way of the God’s Word, you are walking in the flesh. The flesh encourages self-effort. This is a choice you make. I have the nature of God. The flesh inherently goes against God. Am I being motivated by the FLESH or am I LISTENING to GOD?
Am I RELYING on Him (SURRENDER, TRUST) and RESTING in Him (PRAISING in PEACE?)
Am I listening to the flesh or to God?’