Matthew 26:41
Our Flesh is Weak
41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
1 John 2:16 (KJV)
The Flesh Seeks Pleasures and Lust
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Galatians 5:17
Our Sinful Nature and Desires
17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
2 Peter 2:11
Our Sinful Nature and Desires
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Romans 7:15
Our Sinful Nature
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
Romans 7:19
Our Sinful Nature
19 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Romans 7:22-23
The Holy Spirit is Working in You
22 For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.
John 16:13-15
Work of the Holy Spirit
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.
Galatians 5:16
Live By the Spirit
16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Ephesians 4:13-16
Truth and Love
13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love,we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Revelation 21:5 (NKJV)
Jesus Makes All Things New
5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
Jesus teaches us the eternities..He tells us that our Spirit is so willing and trying, but our flesh is weak...The flesh seeks out different things than our Holy Spirit...The flesh wants to satisfy a desire, the things of today and right now...The Holy Spirit wants God's Kingdom and the things in it -things that last forever...
Our Saints Peter, Paul and John write about the struggles of the Holy Spirit and our fleshy ways...The flesh, our flesh seeks out things that it wants, what it desires...The flesh seeks out things of this world, and not those of heaven and the Kingdom of God...The flesh and the Holy Spirit conflict in our lives...The Holy Spirit is always working in us, searching for Truth and Love...While the flesh is working on what it wants next in this world, whether that be of a lustful nature or just some pleasure or desire it wants fulfilled...That desire could be a new house, a new car, a better job, more money, more material possessions -things of this world...The desires of the flesh are short term and do not last...The newness of a desire wears off and by quickly...Our fleshy desires are here today, and then gone tomorrow -being replaced by what is next...That is the next desire and then another desire...We wonder how can I get this feeling of newness again in the next thing I desire or get...These ever changing desires toss us back and forth like the waves on a windy day...And these things of the flesh make us restless...
The work of the Holy Spirit helps us in this war that is waged in our minds...St. Paul tells us we need to reach a unity in our faith, a mature grown faith, that helps in our struggle...The Holy Spirit knows the Truth, and therefore, knows what is right and what we need...Thank the Father and Son that we have the Holy Spirit...It is best that we live by the Spirit and when we do, we do not gratify the desires of our sinful nature...When our minds are focused on Jesus, the mind is not tossed around by every wind (and desire) that blows by us...By focusing on Jesus the mind we can grow, our faith can grow...He is the only One and only Thing that can make us feel this newness -we search for in our desires...He makes all things new...By loving God and loving each of our neighbors, we are less focused on the flesh and the desires of the moment...Then with a strong mature faith, the mind is more focused on not only the Truth, but on Love...Truth and Love are eternal...We then can stay more focused on the eternal things...The things that make us feel fresh, feel alive, and feel new...