Living a Life of BalanceSample

Key #3 – Discipline Your Flesh

Nobody really likes to hear about disciplining their flesh, but it’s a huge key to living a life of balance. People who let their flesh do “whatever feels good” end up as slaves to their base impulses. 

When we get born again, our spirits are made new, but our flesh is not. Our flesh is never going to want to obey God. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (ESV). 

Matthew 26:41 tells us that “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” and in Romans 7:18  the Apostle Paul says, “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” 

First Corinthians 9:27 tells us what to do with this flesh: “I discipline my [flesh] like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified” (NLT). We don’t want to be disqualified! How does an athlete discipline his flesh and train his body? Over and over and over again, one exercise at a time. Every day. And that’s how we do it too. 

Disciplining the flesh means saying no, one thing at a time -- not letting flesh do everything it wants. I’m sure you’ve found that if you give the flesh an inch, it will take a mile. For example, the flesh doesn’t want to turn off the TV after one show, it wants to sit and watch for hours – but discipling the flesh means turning it off and walking away. The flesh wants to blurt out every hurtful, rude or crude thing that comes to mind – disciplining the flesh means controlling the tongue. 

The flesh wants to eat 5 pieces of cake – discipling the flesh means eating just one. The flesh wants to buy everything it sees (or charge it!), but discipling the flesh means setting a budget and sticking to it. The flesh wants to sleep in, but disciplining the flesh means getting up a half hour early and reading the Bible every day. 

These are all things under your control. You can do them! Ask God for help. The more consistent you are with telling the flesh “no” the easier it will get. The flesh can be trained. You want to be spirit-dominated, not flesh-dominated. That’s a huge key to balancing your life.