This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Gal. 5:15

A Christian that is currently in love with Jesus Christ doesn’t want to sin, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t sin. Actually, our flesh still really wants to sin, and that’s where we spend all our time… in our flesh. As a result, we’re constantly drawn by our flesh into sin, even when we don’t want to.

Lots of people have tried and suggested ways to keep from sinning. I’ve heard people say that you should spend lots of time outside. I’ve heard them say that you should get an accountability partner. Some talk about punishing yourself when you sin and rewarding yourself when you don’t. Still others make a list of standards that will keep you from sin, like not going to certain places or watching TV.

The list is long, but none of these things will keep you from sin! Why? Because they are all being done in the flesh, by the flesh, and the flesh loves sin! No matter how much you try in your flesh to stop sinning, ultimately your flesh will outsmart itself and get what it really wants!

The verse above, however, tells us how to keep from sin. It says that if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Walking in the Spirit means we’re living our lives filled with the Holy Spirit that we received when we got saved. It means walking around throughout the day listening to the Holy Spirit and spiritual things, and not listening to the flesh.

One way to do this is to feed the Spirit more than the flesh. Whoever you’re feeding more will win, so keep the Spirit fed with spiritual food. God’s words, prayer, spiritual music, spiritual talk; these are the things that feed the Spirit and keep you walking in the Spirit instead of the flesh.

Try starting your day by praying and telling God that you want to crucify your flesh and walk in the Spirit that day. Keep on praying, talking to God. Then open God’s words and listen as he talks to you. Keep up the conversation throughout the day. Carve out the things you don’t need that are feeding your flesh - worldly music, entertainments, people- whatever God shows you that’s pulling you back into the flesh. Replace them with things that feed the Spirit. At the end of the day, you might realize that you sinned much less simply because your flesh wasn’t controlling you- the Holy Spirit was. That’s a great day!

I’m not saying you’ll live a sinless life. That’s impossible as long as we’re living in the flesh. Something will happen that will pull you out of the spiritual frame of mind and get you walking in the flesh, and that’s when you’ll sin. However, as long as we’re walking in the Spirit, the Bible says, we won’t be fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. It’s the way God intended for us to avoid sin. Not by beating the flesh into submission, but by crucifying the flesh and feeding and walking in the Spirit.