Scripture Reading: Romans 7:14–8:13
Memory Verse: Romans 8:13
The Special Verse (KJV)
"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." — Romans 8:13
It's important for every believer to understand that in our flesh — meaning our five senses — the devil works. We can't trust our flesh to obey God on its own. That's exactly where Satan wants to gain control. We have to decide to subdue its appetites and desires by yielding them to God as instruments of righteousness.
The battlefield is our senses. Through them, Satan tries to cause us to sin — telling our bodies what to yield to, and feeding our minds with information that's contrary to the Word of God.
But here's the good news: when we get born again, our spirit is created after God, in true righteousness and holiness. That's the real you. Your spirit delights in God and wants you to do the right thing — this is what Romans 7:22 calls "the inward man." Through Jesus' death and resurrection, we are delivered — set free — from the hold of this body of death. He gives us power over the appetites, and sin shall not have dominion over us (Romans 6:14).
The grace made available through Jesus empowers us to say no to the flesh and its desires. We tap into this grace through the knowledge of Jesus and His finished work. The more we continue in His Word, the more we will experience freedom from the sinful appetites that rise up in our flesh.
**Reflection Questions**
1. What senses or appetites have you been allowing to lead you, instead of yielding them to God?
2. Do you find it easier to believe your flesh's cravings than to believe what God's Word says about who you really are in your spirit?
3. What is one practical way you can "feed" your mind on truth this week instead of information contrary to God's Word?
**Prayer**
Father, thank You for the freedom I have through Jesus' death and resurrection. I choose today to yield my body as an instrument of righteousness, not sin. Help me subdue the appetites and desires of my flesh and walk after the Spirit. Guide me to renew my mind with Your Word, so my life reflects the true, born-again spirit You created in me. I declare that sin shall not have dominion over me — I am free indeed, in Jesus' name. Amen.