Sometimes when I pray, I ask God to please listen to what my soul is saying, and not my flesh— that is, my natural body, mental capacity, and emotions. Because, as Jesus reminds us in Matthew 26:41, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Don’t I know it. Even as I write this, my soul longing to be focused and to convey a poignant and inspired message, I am distracted by a serious hankering for ice cream. I’ll be back in a minute.
I Really Want To
I am one of the weakest people I know. My soul longs for Jesus. It desires to go to the ends of the earth for him. It wants to devour scripture, share the gospel with everybody it encounters, and spend every waking moment in prayer. But my flesh wants nothing to do with any of that. Left to my natural self, I’m lazy, self-conscious, and distracted. I can certainly relate to Paul, who complained:
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For 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. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. (Romans 7:15-24)
This passage is a great encouragement to me. If Paul, super Apostle and writer of virtually half of the New Testament, wrestles with his flesh, then I’m in good company.
The disciples knew something about this too. In Gethsemane, when Jesus asked them to stay and pray with him before his arrest, they fell asleep. Three times! Thus the warning in Matthew 26. And when Jesus was arrested, despite their boastful vows to stick with him until death, every single disciple ran. And Peter not only ran, he also denied knowing Jesus. Three times. Yes, the flesh is weak, indeed.
Watch and Pray
1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” John 6:63 tells us, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.”
So what’s a body to do? How can we weak humans align our flesh with the desires of our redeemed souls? Jesus’ admonition in Matthew 26:41 begins with two words: Watch and pray. Because it is in focusing on Scripture and persisting in prayer that our souls are refreshed and renewed.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
He restores my soul. (Psalm 23:3)
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. (Psalm 19:7)
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. (Psalm 62:1)
For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being. (Romans 7:22)
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope. (Psalm 130:5)
But I say to you, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
O My Soul
Psalm 103 tells our souls to bless God:
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. (Verses 1 and 2)
Only our souls can bless the Lord, and then only under the ascendancy of the Holy Spirit. We are helpless to accomplish anything for God without his loving intervention. Yes, our flesh is weak, but he knows that. And that is very good news.
Jesus knew all about Peter’s impending failure to uphold his bold promise to follow Jesus “to prison and to death.” That’s why, in Luke 22:31-32, he preempted Peter’s promise with this assurance: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Jesus did not condemn Peter. He encouraged him. Jesus knew that in a little while the Holy Spirit would be coming to restore and empower Peter’s soul. Notice, Jesus did not say, “if you have turned,” but rather, “when you have turned.” Jesus knows all about our shortcomings and loves us even still.
Psalm 103 continues:
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. (Verses 8-14)
We never need to feel condemned or discouraged because of our weakness. God knows all about our frailty. It’s why he sent Jesus to take on the sin that weakens and corrupts our flesh. It is Christ who enables our soul to desire him, even as our body and mind are sluggish, feeble, and impotent. It is Christ who intercedes, who helps, who strengthens, and renews. It is Christ who carries our burdens so our souls are free to love and enjoy him. It is Christ who made a way for our thirsty souls to be refreshed. Forever.
Psalm 103 ends in glorious exultation:
Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul! (Verses 21-22)