The Battle Within: Flesh vs. Spirit

Understanding the Conflict Between the Sinful Nature and the Holy Spirit

💙Do you ever feel like there’s a wrestling match going on inside your head and heart?

💙Do you ask yourself, “What is wrong with me?” when you don’t do what you want to do—only to find yourself doing exactly what you said you wouldn’t do?

Please tell me I’m not alone!

The Bible addresses this inner battle between our sinful nature (the flesh) and the Spirit of God. The apostle Paul—one of Christianity’s greatest preachers—honestly admitted his struggle to live in alignment with God’s will.

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do… For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out… Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.”
Romans 7:15–21 NIV

The Modern Christian Woman

Modern Christian women feel this tug-of-war deeply. We want to please God, yet our actions sometimes deliver different outcomes. We’re bombarded by cultural messages that make it harder to hear the clear voice of truth.

Some messages promote only the love of God and a worldly view of kindness while diminishing reverence for His holiness and Word. Yes, God loves us unconditionally, but He is also holy. 

And that holiness calls us to live differently.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:24-25

More Than a Set of Rules

There was a time I almost gave up on ever being “good enough” for God.

Even though I had accepted Jesus at a young age and believed I was saved, I feared I had sinned too badly for Him to love me again.

I grew up hearing sermons that sounded like:

 “You’d better stop doing this and start doing that—or God’s going to get you!”

I just wanted to be a “good girl,” but it felt like my best efforts were never enough.

It wasn’t until my teenage years, when my family switched churches, that I began to hear a new message: God’s love is real. And it’s not based on our performance.

💙Have you ever struggled with performance-based religion?

The Battle Within: The Old Nature vs. The New

When Paul writes about “the flesh,” he’s talking about our natural, human responses to life—our emotions, thoughts, and desires apart from God’s Spirit.

And before you think biblical people had it easier—think again.

Paul specifically lists the “obvious” sins of the flesh in Galatians 5:19–21 ([link to “The Beauty and Power of Spiritual Fruit” post]).

He categorizes them as:

• Sensual sins
• Religious sins
• People-related sins
• Social sins

We all have an old nature (sin and death) and a new nature (truth and life).

Which one wins depends on who we allow to lead: our old nature or our new nature.

It’s not a devil on our left shoulder and an angel on our right.

 It’s our sinful self versus our Spirit-led self. The battle within our emotions, thoughts, and actions is spiritual. 

The battle to believe God’s Word is real. And Statan’s age-old question hasn’t changed, “Did God really say…” (Genesis 3)

We Can’t Pretend

Paul reminds the Galatians-and US!-  that we cannot fool God.

If we live to please ourselves, we will reap a life of destruction.  But if we live to please the Spirit, we will reap life, peace, and purpose. (Galatians 6:7–8)

How to Win the Battle of the Flesh vs. the Spirit

I’ve tried being a “good person” on my own—and failed every time.

On my own, I’m not that bad, but I’m also not that godly. I’ve learned there’s no use pretending that I’m a good person. Without Jesus, I am nothing. 

Jesus never intended for us to be “a good person”;
He invited us to follow Him.

So, how do we live in a way that pleases the Spirit?

Here are eight practical ways to choose the Spirit over the flesh:

1. Read your Bible daily and spend time in prayer.
2. Memorize Scripture so the truth is ready when you need it.
3. Choose self-discipline over instant gratification.
4. Practice gratitude instead of comparison and envy.
5. Put the phone down—turn off endless scrolling.
6. Unplug from streaming—intentionally manage your free time.
7. Stop comparing your life to someone else’s.
8. Celebrate your season—God has placed you there for a reason.

Encouragement for Christian Women:

Lovely One, you are not alone in the struggle.

➡️The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you (Romans 8:11).

➡️He is your Helper, your Counselor, your Strength (Psalm 54:4).

➡️Through Him, you have everything you need to live a Spirit-led, fruitful life (2 Peter 1:3).

Let’s Talk About It:

💬Leave a comment or send a message—

What part of the flesh do you find hardest to overcome? 

What helps you stay Spirit-led?

Share this post with a friend who needs a reminder: the struggle is real, but so is our victory in Christ!