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There is a force within each one of us that pushes us away from God. The Bible calls it “the sinful nature” (in older translations, “the flesh”).
Galatians 5:17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.
The Sinful Nature Drives a Person’s Desires
It wants to do evil. That word means to crave, to have a strong desire. When the sinful nature is at work, you will have strong cravings and desires to do evil. Your sinful nature wants things strongly. Not every desire you experience as a human being is from the sinful nature. But the sinful nature will drive many of your inner desires. Verses 19-21 give a long list of the kind of things the sinful nature produces.
There Are 2 Opposing Forces within You
Set against the sinful nature is the Spirit. It is God the Holy Spirit who produces healthy desires within your human spirit. The Spirit also creates strong desires and cravings, but they are opposed to the cravings created by the sinful nature. You can see the kind of qualities the Spirit produces in verses 22-23.
When You Follow the Desires of Your Sinful Nature, the Result Is Inner Conflict
The two forces struggle against each other so that you do not live up to your good intentions. You truly want one thing, but when you follow the cravings of the sinful nature, what you get is something else. It might be what you desire in the short term, but never what you truly intend or hope for in the long run.
- What is your initial reaction to this topic? What jumped out at you?
- How can you tell if your desires are sinful?
- Have you ever let your sinful nature take hold of you? Describe the outcome of that situation.
- How do you typically respond to your sin?
- How do you overcome your sinful nature?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
This topic is adapted from the Chapter a Day Bible Reading Plan.
