We all mess up from time to time. We will say things that are insensitive. Our actions will be selfish. It is during these times we produce the fruit of living by the flesh. Romans 8 describes what life looks like when we as Spirit-filled Christians choose to walk in the flesh rather than walk in the Spirit.  

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:5-8‬ (‭ESV‬‬)

Fruit Of Walking In The Flesh

We have a choice every minute of every day to walk either in the flesh or in the Spirit. The fruit of the flesh is death. Death may come in the form of literal physical death. It can also come in the form of death of a dream, relationship, or clear direction. Have you ever experienced any of those sorts of deaths? I know I have.

When I was younger I struggled with censoring my mouth. I would say whatever was on my mind, never stopping to think about how it might come across to others. I know I have said things that satisfied the flesh and hurt others. Of course, when I realized I had hurt someone, I apologized. It was never my intention to hurt anyone. When I fail to walk in the Spirit and walk instead in the flesh, I will hurt others and myself in turn. 

Good News

Here’s the good news! Just as we choose to walk in the flesh, we can choose to walk in the Spirit. We do this by keeping our ears open to the voice of the Holy Spirit, our mind focused on the words of Jesus, and our eyes on our Heavenly Father who knows what is best for each of us in any given situation. Remember Jesus did the work on the cross so we can have the power to walk in the Spirit. 

“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:3-4, 9-11, 13‬ ‭(ESV)‬‬

How To Kill The Flesh

We have the power, through the Spirit, to kill the deeds of the flesh and live a life filled with the deeds of the Spirit. Does that mean we will never run off our mouths, behave selfishly, or do any other actions that are led by our flesh? No, probably not. It does mean we have the power to recognize when we are acting out of the flesh and kill it on the spot. We have the power to turn from that fleshly act and run toward Spirit-filled acts instead. 

The Best News

Now the best news of all! Romans 8:1 (ESV) says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” When we mess up, God doesn’t condemn us. God will lovingly correct us and show us the way to walk in the Spirit. He will never ever say anything that puts us down, belittles us, or shames us. That means if/when someone starts to put you down, belittle you, or shame you, they are not speaking in the power of God. Even if that someone is you! Those words and thoughts come from your enemy, never from God. 

What do we do when someone comes to us and starts to condemn us? What if they are genuinely hurt by something we did? They may be stating the truth about what you did, but in a way that shames you, belittles you, or puts you down. Do you need to listen to those words? Yes, and no. I would say get to the root of what you may have done, take responsibility, apologize, and then surrender to God and turn from doing those things again.

Just don’t take to heart the condemnation. Let that go if/when those words come back to your mind. Take those thoughts captive and make them obedient to the Lord. What does God say about you? Just remember Romans 8:1 (ESV), “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” You are in Christ and therefore have no condemnation no matter what you may have done. 

How Did Jesus Respond To Accusations

Think about how Jesus responded to accusations. The night he was arrested, he was taken to the religious leaders. These leaders then proceeded to accuse Jesus of all sorts of things. They even brought other people in to help them accuse Jesus. This went on all night long. Hours and hours and hours. Jesus stood there listening to false accusations. Yet he never once responded to any of them until they attacked his identity. 

“Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”” Matthew‬ ‭26:59-64‬ ‭(ESV) (emphasis added)‬‬

What Should We Do

What do we do when accusations come our way? We choose to not respond to them. The only time we respond to any accusations is when the person is attacking our identity. Then we declare who we are, who Jesus says we are. 

Recently a close friend of ours started falsely accusing us of outrageous things. While my flesh wanted to speak out and defend myself, I chose to stay silent. Guess what happens to people who want to accuse you of things when you refuse to respond? They shut up! They find out it isn’t worth their time and breath to keep on accusing you of things because they don’t get the reaction they are looking for.

This friend sent us a voice message with all sorts of crazy accusations. At the end there was a declaration that a part 2 was coming. Since Brett and I choose not to reply to anything this person sent, part 2 has never come our way. Even if they do choose to send part 2, we have decided to never to listen to it. Why even waste our time and energy on hearing false accusations, when we already know:

1. They are lies this person has chosen to believe about us. And

2. We aren’t going to respond to them anyway. 

Above all, remember to show love and grace to the one you hurt. This is walking in the Spirit when dealing with conflict. Remember what 1 Corinthians 13 says about love: love is patient, kind, is not rude, is humble, and does not insist on its own way. Show the attributes of love while throwing out any condemnation thrown at you. Then you will be walking in the Spirit even during a time of conflict and repentance.