A while back, listening to a sermon by my presiding elder on the flesh versus the Spirit, my thoughts started racing. These were reflections I had already been battling with all week, as the church I attend joins the global movement in fasting and prayer. The flesh and the Spirit. What a weighty subject.
I do have a lot of thoughts on this—perhaps too many for one sitting. But I’ll unravel this series bit by bit as the Spirit of the Lord leads me. For now, let’s start where many of us often find ourselves: deep in our emotions, asking ourselves hard, sometimes painful questions.
The Silent Accusations We Whisper to Ourselves
There are moments when we sit quietly; maybe after scrolling through social media or attending another wedding, baby dedication, or housewarming and start tagging ourselves as failures:
“I don’t have a car… I’m not married… I don’t have a house… No child yet… At my age?”
Time feels like it’s passing you by. God seems silent. You pray, you fast, you sow, you obey, but it feels like you’re stuck. And in your weariness, a subtle accusation forms in your spirit: “Maybe God has failed me.”
Now, this is not coming from laziness or rebellion. Let’s assume you’re hardworking. You love God. You’re trying your best to walk in obedience. But even that understanding might be slightly flawed. Because sometimes, our perception of God’s mercy gets entangled with a sense of legalism.
We think, “I’m doing all the right things, so God should reward me, right?” We wouldn’t say it out loud, but we live like we’re trying to bribe God into blessing us. And when that expected blessing delays or doesn’t come, we spiral into disillusionment.
But What Should a Christian Actually Focus On?
The Apostle Paul draws a sharp contrast between the flesh and the Spirit in Romans 8:5:
“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, the things of the Spirit.”
This doesn’t mean material things like cars and houses are evil. It’s not a sin to desire them. The issue is about what rules your life i.e, what shapes your identity, what governs your decisions, what anchors your joy.
Let’s dig deeper.
The Flesh vs. The Spirit: Understanding the Conflict
Romans 8:5 says:
“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, the things of the Spirit.”
And Galatians 5:17:
“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.”
Paul is not simply talking only about physical things (like a house or car) as “flesh.” He’s also talking about a mindset—a life orientation, where we become ruled by selfish desires, worldly ambitions, pride, status-seeking, and self-sufficiency apart from God.
In Galatians 5:17, Paul writes:
“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.”
The flesh here represents our earthly mindset, often driven by pride, fear, lust, ambition, self-glory, or even anxiety. When we’re dominated by these desires, we become spiritually distracted, and our sense of fulfillment becomes tied to temporary things.
Jesus never condemned wealth or possessions, but He constantly warned that they can choke spiritual life (Mark 4:19). Why? Because what we crave tends to form us.
Is It Wrong to Desire Good Things?
Let’s be clear: It is not sinful to want a comfortable life. In fact:
- Proverbs 13:22 says a good man leaves an inheritance.
- Ecclesiastes 5:19 says God gives wealth as a gift.
- 1 Timothy 6:17 tells us that “God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”
However, the danger comes when these things become ultimate; when our joy or identity becomes attached to them. These things become ultimate desires rather than tools. We begin to measure our worth by them. Our contentment, identity, or joy becomes tied to possessions. We pursue them apart from God’s will, or at the cost of spiritual intimacy.
Jesus’ Example
Jesus had no home (Luke 9:58), not because homes are evil, but because He was totally surrendered to the Father’s mission. His comfort wasn’t His focus. Obedience was.
He told us to “seek first the kingdom” (Matthew 6:33), and He modeled what that looked like—living unattached to worldly comforts.
He warned that riches can choke the Word (Mark 4:19), not because money itself is evil, but because it can slowly seduce us into self-dependence, pride, and idolatry.
So What Does “Set Your Mind on the Spirit” Mean?
- Live with eternity in view – Colossians 3:2: “Set your minds on things above.”
- Let your identity be in Christ, not things – Philippians 3:7–8: Paul calls everything else “loss” compared to knowing Christ.
- Desire to be used by God more than to be admired by men – This reorders ambition.
- Use earthly blessings as tools, not idols – Houses, cars, and money can all be used for the Kingdom, not just for comfort.
What About Anxiety, Envy, and Feeling “Behind”?
This is real. Culture tells us:
“If you’re not wealthy or comfortable by 35, you’re failing.”
But God says:
“A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
Anxiety and jealousy come when we compare lives. But our assignments, timelines, and seasons are all different.
- Psalm 37:7 – “Do not fret when others succeed… trust in the Lord and do good.”
- 1 Timothy 6:6 – “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”
Lets be clear here;
Galatians 5:17 makes it clear that the battle between the flesh and the Spirit is not just about what we desire, but how and why we desire it. The flesh represents a posture of life where self becomes central, where ambition, pride, and even our spiritual expressions become veiled versions of self-promotion. Sometimes, we begin with sincere faith, and we share testimonies of what the Lord has done; breakthroughs in jobs, marriages, finances. But if we’re honest, many of these testimonies are oriented more around the joy of getting what we wanted, than the joy of becoming more like Christ. Like the rich young ruler, we may celebrate the blessings, but when the Lord asks us to surrender them or reveals that our security is wrapped in them, we’re confronted with the painful truth: our sufficiency was never fully in God. The flesh disguises itself not only in sin but in self-sufficiency dressed in spiritual language. That’s why the Spirit constantly calls us beyond outcomes to inward transformation—into a life that says, “Christ is enough, even if nothing else comes.”
The flesh here represents our earthly mindset, often driven by pride, fear, lust, ambition, self-glory, or even anxiety. When we’re dominated by these desires, we become spiritually distracted, and our sense of fulfillment becomes tied to temporary things.
Practical Applications
You can own a house and still walk humbly with God. You can have a successful business and still seek to build His Kingdom. You can invest wisely without being consumed by greed. The key is to ensure your heart is never owned by what your hands possess.
Shifting Perspective: The True Metrics of Success
You’re not behind in life because you don’t have what others have. You’re not forgotten because your timeline looks different. What matters most is:
Are you becoming more like Christ? Are you faithfully stewarding what you already have? Are you content while you wait?
What Should You Desire Most?
Paul in Philippians 3:7–8 said:
“Whatever was gain to me, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ… I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.”
He’s not saying wealth is garbage, but that compared to Christ, everything else fades in value.
Our deepest hunger must be intimacy with Jesus. Everything else: riches, promotions, comfort, should be add-ons, not the main dish.
Final Encouragement
You’re not forgotten.
God hasn’t failed you.
You’re not too late.
Your story is still unfolding.
Keep walking by the Spirit. Keep obeying. Keep sowing. But do so from a place of rest, not striving—from identity, not anxiety.
Let God define your success. Let the Spirit form your desires. Remember God is sovereign over the acts of men.
Prayer for Realignment:
Lord, help me to desire what You desire. Teach me to hold loosely what the world holds tightly. Let my heart not be driven by anxiety, envy, or fear of missing out, but anchored in the security of knowing You. Shape my dreams and my decisions. I don’t want to gain the whole world and lose my soul. Let Your Spirit lead me in every area; finances, future, and purpose. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
We do have more to share on this topic with several perspectives and dimensions. Keep reading. God bless you for staying tuned.
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