Your Flesh Gets Used to What You Feed It

Today, I was eating a salad, and I just wasn’t desiring a salad. I mentioned this to my husband, Jim, and he said something really interesting and true. He said, “You are crucifying your flesh. Your flesh gets used to what you feed it.” He’s right. Have you ever noticed that the more often you eat or do a certain thing, the more you want it? That is the basis for most addictions. If our flesh is never introduced to something, it will never crave it. And the more you give your flesh something, the stronger that desire can become. Food is a fine example. If you are like me, and you like sweets and crave them often, you likely have a history of eating too many sweets. If I eat more salads, I will want them more. Your flesh really does get used to what you feed it.

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. Galatians 5:16-17 (New International Version, NIV)

We are three-part beings: spirit, soul, and body. The spirit is the part of us that is saved and in communication and fellowship with God by the Holy Spirit. The soul is our mind, will, and emotions and it is in the process of being saved and is made more and more like Jesus as we diligently follow Him. The body is our physical shell that houses our spirit and soul. It is not going to be saved, but it will be transformed into a new, perfect body at the rapture of the church. The body is aligned with our five senses and has a fleshly “mind” that desires things that please us physically. The problem is that our flesh is our lower nature and the things that please it are in direct opposition to what pleases God. Our spirits and our flesh are always warring against one another. And the quality of our lives depends on which one we allow to have the upper hand.

If we feed ourselves the Word of God and spend time with God in prayer and worship and intimate fellowship, we will see our spirits become dominant and our soul (mind, will, and emotions) will go along with it. And we will desire the things of God more and more. If we feed ourselves the lower things of this world like junk food, television, video games, pornography, alcohol, drugs, etc. those things become what we desire, and the flesh becomes dominant. In that case, our soul will follow after fleshly things instead of spiritual ones.

Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6:8 (New International Version, NIV)

The level of victory we have is largely dependent on us crucifying, or denying, the flesh. If we allow the flesh to control us, we will reap destruction. Catering to the flesh leads us away from God and things of the Spirit. If given enough dominance, it can draw us away to the point where we turn away from God. And it will create problems with our physical, mental, and emotional health. On the other hand, if we crucify the flesh by denying it the things it wants and consuming the Word of God instead, we draw closer to God and we reap eternal life. And that eternal life begins here and now, giving us a better quality of life while we are alive on this earth.

One way to crucify the flesh and bring it into submission to the Spirit is to fast. Fasting most commonly refers to eating no food for a time, or not eating certain foods for a time. However, we can fast anything. We can fast our electronic devices, for example. Try going without your cell phone, television, social media, or the internet for a day. Fasting something will show you how dependent you are on it. It may surprise you. And regular fasting of various kinds will help you to keep your flesh under subjection. Just be sure to spend time in prayer and the Word to build yourself up spiritually while you fast. If you spend time with God, He will strengthen and help you to fast and put the flesh down.

Whatever you consume is what will consume you. If you deny your flesh something long enough, it will stop craving it. It may be tough for a while, but your flesh can be conquered if you stick with it. The key is to determine what really benefits you and and feed on more of that than other things. After all, your flesh gets used to what you feed it.