Life in the Flesh versus Life in the Spirit - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - March 4, 2025
“For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8:6
One of my goals for the year was to work on my mindset. The determination to keep my thoughts in check is high, especially after the last few years of my thoughts getting to be too much. Mindset is an interesting thing.
Where we set our mind often directly affects the direction of our day.
It is no wonder that Scripture reminds us multiple times that where we set our thoughts matters. In Romans 8:6, Paul is reminding believers that a mind set on the flesh and things of the flesh is death. However, a mind set on the Spirit and things of God is life and peace.
Mindset is so important that it is vulnerable to the enemy, and what lingers underneath our mindset is spiritual warfare.
Often, we fail to consider that our mindset can be greatly affected by the enemy. He uses fear, doubt, and lack of faith to keep believers trapped in the flesh. But victory for the mind is found in walking by the Spirit.
Paul spends a great deal of time in Romans unpacking a life in the flesh versus a life in the Spirit. It is so important that he elaborates even more in his letter to the church of Galatia.
Galatians 5:19-21 describes the flesh as the carnal nature, ruled by sin, self, and worldly desires. However, continuing in verses 22-23, Paul states that the life in the Spirit is our new nature in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit and the fruit He produces.
The enemy wants nothing more than for our minds to be set on the flesh.
The consequences of a life that is flesh-led are spiritual death, anxiety, and separation from God’s peace. The reward for a life that is spirit-led is peace, faith, and victory over sin.
As followers of Christ, we still wrestle with the Spirit, and the enemy has a strategic game plan.
The enemy's tactics include fear, doubt, and a lack of faith. Fear is one of Satan’s strongest weapons to keep us enslaved. Fear makes us doubt God’s love, power, and provision. Doubt is another weapon the enemy uses. Doubt makes us double-minded and vulnerable to the enemy's deceptions.
Without faith, we cannot please God. The flesh convinces us to rely on human reasoning instead of resting in the promises of God. Unbelief leaves us wandering in the desert like the Israelites, distant and far from God.
How can we walk in the Spirit as believers and guard our minds? It takes work. Romans 12:2 tells us that transformation begins with the renewing of our minds. Where we set our minds matters. We can put into practice meditating on Scripture daily and using it as a weapon to combat fear and doubt.
We continue the mindset work in living by faith, not feelings. Our flesh operates on our emotions; the Spirit operates on faith. Faith is an active choice. When I am in the mindset of a struggle with my anxiety, I can make a conscious effort not to operate out of my emotions but rather my faith in Christ.
We continue to guard our mindset by walking in obedience to Christ. The Spirit leads us to obedience, and this obedience builds our spiritual strength. We cannot use muscles that are left to atrophy. They need to be strengthened to be effective and useful.
Mindset takes work. It takes daily prayer and surrender to the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. It requires us to immerse ourselves in the Word of God, our greatest weapon against the enemy. Our mindset requires us to surround ourselves with influences that speak life and not death.
Protecting our mindset means speaking life to ourselves by declaring God’s truth over our circumstances.
The good news is that God has won the battle for our minds already. We can rest in the finished work that Christ has done for us, walk in faith, and dwell in joy rather than fear. We can hold fast to Paul’s words in Romans 8:6: “the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.”
Let's pray:
Father, you are so kind in your provision for our minds. Thank you for the victory won in Christ over our fears and anxieties. Help us to rest in the work that you have done. Help us to be led by our faith rather than our feelings. Equip us to recognize the work of the enemy and put his attempts to stir up fear in us to an end. Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Krisanapong Detraphiphat
Michelle Rabon is helping women be disciples who make disciples. Michelle has her MDiv in Ministry to Women from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently serving as Women’s Ministry Director in her local church. She is also the author of Holy Mess. When she is not writing or teaching, she enjoys reading, being close to the ocean, and drinking a lot of coffee. You can connect with Michelle at www.michellerabon.com
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