The battle

It has been such a long week for me. Tonight I realized that somewhere along the way this week I fell away from seeking God first. I have been so busy, and choosing to get stuff done rather than seeking God first and allowing Him to lead me into accomplishing it all. It only takes one little slip, and before I know it I have gone way off the path. Where I found myself as a result was worn out, exhausted and completely overwhelmed.
My friend called tonight, and I knew right away when she called that I needed prayer. As we prayed, I realized once again that I had fallen back into the flesh rather than walking in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit is something my friend and I have been discussing for some time. What it means to walk in the Spirit, how we walk in the Spirit, why sometimes we do and sometimes we don't. What I realized tonight, is that everything that I struggle with, fear, anxiety, anger, frustration, parenting obstacles, they are all results of not walking in the Spirit. My biggest problem, is that I can walk in the Spirit for a while, and then all the sudden I find myself back in the flesh again. (like this week!) So what triggers it??
For some, I think walking in the Spirit constantly comes a little easier. I think when we learned it and lived it early on, or had it lived before us as a child through our parents, it might make it easier. I'm not sure. I realized tonight that it is a transformation. Not something I can do over night. For me, walking int he Spirit is going to take practice. I am going to have to work at it and fight the battle of the flesh everyday. I am going to have to make the choice to walk in the Spirit every day, and recognize when my flesh is trying to take hold so that I can stop it before it gets in the way. The Bible says what walking in the Spirit will produce: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Galatians 5:22-23 all of which I struggle with and my children struggle with as well. If I am not producing these attitudes, then I know that I am in the flesh and not the Spirit.
Here are the deeds of the flesh: ( like the New Century version of this verse)
sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfishness, divisions, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Galatians 5:20-21

My answer to what triggers the fall from Spirit to the flesh I found in Galatians 5:16-18 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
It is a battle between the flesh and the Spirit. I have to keep my eyes on Christ constantly to keep from letting the enemy and his sly ways creep in and lead me back to the flesh.

I am so glad my friend called tonight. The Lord led us to pray together, because He knew we both needed to be moved back into walking in the Spirit and not the flesh.