Spirit vs Sinful nature

The Holy Spirit is a gift to us by Jesus who has come to finish His work in us, to guide us and helps us to understand what God's plans are for us. Jesus promises the Holy Spirit in John 14 and explains the Holy Spirit's work in John 16. The Apostles received the Holy Spirit on the day of the Pentecost.

In Galatians 5:16-25, we understand the constant fight between the Spirit and our sinful nature or the world. Paul urges us to follow the Spirit thereby putting aside our sinful nature. The Spirit wants us to what is right and has good intentions for us. The Spirit encourages us to follow God, build our relationship with Him and read His word. The sinful nature makes us do the opposite and leads us to sin and straining our relationship with God. Therefore there is this constant battle that we have all felt. The turmoil to do the right thing that the Spirit encourages us to do but our sinful nature tempts us to do the opposite of what needs to be done.

Galatians 5:19-21

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures

20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,

21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

These are the traits of our sinful nature that will prevent us from inheriting the kingdom of God if we decide to follow the desires of the flesh.

What is the answer then. I think the struggle and the answer are aptly described in Romans 7:14-25 and Romans 8:1-17. I hope you all will take the time to read these chapters and gain an understanding

Paul says that although we want to do right and follow God's commandments, we are slaves to sin because of our sinful nature. In vs 25, He thanks God that Jesus Christ is the answer. He died on the cross for our sins so that we will no longer be slaves to sin but follow the Spirit (Romans 8:3,4)

In Romans 8:1.2

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

2 And because you belong to him, the power[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you[b] from the power of sin that leads to death.

- Because of Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, we are free. If you choose to live by the Spirit, you put to death your sinful nature as described in Galatians 5:24 and Romans 8:13. The Spirit gives us life and we become children of God and if we follow our sinful nature, it will lead to death and make you hostile to God. Romans 8:12 says we have no obligation to follow what sinful nature urges us to do.

The power of the Holy Spirit cannot be undermined. This verse is immensely popular which is Romas 8:11

11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

- That same Spirit lives in us.

Romans 8:15-17

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.[h] Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”[i]For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ, we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

- The Spirit makes us heirs to the Kingdom of God and we share in God's glory along with Christ. We, therefore, call Him our Father.

Galatians 5:22-23

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentlenesses, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

- Let us not forget the fruit of the Holy Spirit

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

- In John 16 we get an extensive idea about the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our advocate and in vs 13 -15, tells us that He will guide us into the truth and tell us about your future. Whatever the Holy Spirit says is what He receives from Jesus, we can trust that the Spirit is the truth.

Matthew 10:19,20

19 When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time.20 For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

- The Spirit will help us say the right words in situations where it may feel like we may never know what to say. This is seen in Acts 4 where Peter is arrested and he was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to preach in front of the rulers, elders, and teachers of the Law.

Therefore let us choose to live by the Spirit and let Him guide every area in our life

Galatians 5:25 -Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

The journey is not going to be easy as described in Romans 7 but Jesus who is the answer to it all has given us the Spirit and hence we need not be fearful. 2 Timothy 1:7, For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.