“But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.”
— 1 Timothy 6:11

To deny the flesh is a hard thing. That is why the apostle Paul told his protégé Timothy to flee from unrighteousness. You cannot play with fire and not get burned, so Paul told Timothy to not even get close but instead to run from the danger.

There is wisdom in not putting yourself in a position where you will be tempted to compromise. First Timothy 6:11 is saying that if you are struggling in your life, perhaps attracted to something you shouldn’t be drawn to, you need to flee that thing. Don’t say, “Well, I’m going to use moderation.” Flee from it and instead pursue the things of God—righteousness, love, faith, and godliness.

We transform our own souls by denying ourselves the things of the flesh and choosing instead the things of the Spirit. You see, Galatians 5:17 reveals a spiritual law: “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (KJV). The Bible says if we yield to the flesh, we’re going to reap destruction. But if we overcome the flesh and pursue instead the spirit of love, gentleness, peace, joy, etc., we are going to reap eternal life. (See Galatians 6:8.)

I want to charge you today to remember you are in a fight and you cannot yield to the flesh. You have to flee the things of the flesh and pursue the fruit of the Spirit. We can’t put ourselves in positions where we are likely to compromise. For example, if you have a problem with alcohol, don’t even consider having a drink. If you struggle with sexual temptation, run from situations where you could be entangled.

When you practice this principle of denying the flesh, you are going to reap life, and as you age, your life will be filled with contentment and peace. God said, “I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live” (Deut. 30:19). Choose life. Flee the temptations of the flesh.

Father God, thank You for making a way of escape for me when I am tempted. Help me to run from danger and not entertain it. Help me to pursue Your will instead of the lust of the flesh, and let the fruit of Your Spirit be made manifest in my life.

Rabbi Kirt A. Schneider, Rivers of Revelation (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2020), Used by permission.