5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:5-8
Paul lays it out: if your mind is set on the flesh, it leads to death. Not just eventual death—spiritual deadness, relational breakdown, moral confusion.
Any of you remember the 90’s Public Service Announcement (PSA) on “This is your brain on drugs?” showing an egg being dropped into a super-hot skillet? In the context of this passage and the way Paul talks about “the mind on”, reminded me of it. It’s like living with your brain in a frying pan, and the frying pan is our fleshly desires…before Christ. The flesh doesn’t just distract, it dominates. It’s hostile to God. It doesn’t submit to His law, and it can’t. That’s the scary part. It’s not just unwilling, it’s unable. And those who live in the flesh can’t please God. No matter how good it looks on the outside, it’s still smoke and sizzle with no substance.
But the flip side? The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. It’s clarity. It’s purpose. It’s freedom. It’s like stepping out of the haze and breathing clean air again. The Spirit doesn’t just change my behavior; He rewires my thinking. He gives me a new operating system. One that’s tuned to God, not hostile to Him.
APPLICATION
Today, I check where my mind is set. Am I letting the flesh fry my brain—feeding it lies, bitterness, self-indulgence? Or am I setting my mind on the Spirit—truth, grace, obedience, peace? I’ve lived with my soul scrambled before. I don’t want to go back. I want the kind of clarity that only comes from walking with the Spirit. Because that’s where life is. That’s where peace is. And that’s where I want to be.
Soooo GOOD!