Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. —Mark 14:38
We often forget the humanity of Jesus. We are so focused on His divinity we forget that He was both God and man. But He did have a human side, and we see evidence of that in the garden of Gethsemane—where He faced the greatest challenge of His life. And we need to praise Him for what He endured. Jesus took on a body of flesh to gain sympathetic understanding of our weaknesses. Because He struggled with His humanity there in the garden, He understands the struggles we face today.
Our hearts want to do the right thing. Our hearts want to please God, but the flesh is so weak. Are we always doomed to fail? Thank God He has made provision for the weakness of our flesh. Jesus said, “You shall receive power when Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). God’s provision for our weak flesh is the empowering of His Holy Spirit.
The empowering of the Holy Spirit can overcome the flesh.
When you rely on the Holy Spirit, those areas of your greatest weakness can become the areas of your greatest strength. When you rely on your own strength, however, thinking you are fully capable of handling things by yourself, that is when you are in danger.
The flesh is not reliable. God’s Spirit, however, can fill your gaps, strengthen your weaknesses, equip you for work, guide you thru difficulties, and change you into the image of Christ. Which would you rather rely on?
Father, we thank You for the help that is ours thru the power of the Holy Spirit. Lord, help us to rely on You instead of ourselves. In Jesus’ name, Amen.