In Romans 6:9, Paul clearly sets this goal for Christians: Sin and the flesh are not to rule over us. Paul doesn’t leave us to try and figure out how to
attain this goal. He gives us the answer in Romans chapter 8:
“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors — not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but
if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:12-13).
I like the way The Twentieth Century New Testament states it: “…put an end to the evil habits of the body.” Our flesh operates from habit patterns
that have been established in our lives for many years. The way to begin developing new habits it through fellowship with God.
Now read Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities…” (KJV). We can see from the context of this verse that the infirmities
mentioned here have often been misunderstood. “Infirmities” mean our weaknesses and our inabilities to produce results. The Holy Spirit is prepared to help us in overcoming the areas of weakness that we have tolerated for so long.
To understand how the Holy Spirit does this, we must examine the word “helpeth.” It means to take hold together with someone against something.
The Spirit of God takes hold together with us against the weakness in our lives. But we must be against that area of weakness first, otherwise the
Holy Spirit has nothing to take hold of. He cannot do it for us.
When someone says they don’t have the strength to overcome a weakness, they have said one of two things. “I don’t know God well enough to know if He would
help me.” Or, “I am not yet willing to turn my back on that area of compromise and take hold of God’s strength.” God will take hold with us, but we
must initiate it.
In Galatians 5:22-25, we have a description of the forces that will flow in a person who is walking in the Spirit:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
These nine fruit are a revelation of the nature of God. He is all of these. He has deposited His nature in us through the new birth; yet many Christians
have neglected developing these fruit in their lives. However, through our fellowship with Him and His Word, our inner man (the spirit) gains ascendancy
in our lives. We begin to take on the nature of our Father. The spirit begins to manifest to a greater degree. This fruit is only indirectly the fruit
of the Holy Spirit. When we model our lives after Jesus, this fruit begins to flow out of our human spirit.
