Vine Devotional - June 9, 2025 | “Crucifying the Flesh!”

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“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” – Galatians 5:24 (NIV)

Crucifying the flesh isn’t about losing who you are. It’s about losing who you were so you can become who you were meant to be in Christ.

In a world that glorifies self-expression and self-gratification, the message of the cross still calls us to do something radical: crucify the flesh.

The word “crucify” is not symbolic or gentle. It speaks of death—painful, decisive, and final. When Paul says that those who belong to Christ “have crucified the flesh,” he isn’t suggesting we simply suppress bad habits or try to behave better. He means we must put to death the sinful nature that wars against the Spirit.

But here’s the tension: the flesh doesn’t stay dead easily. Though we nailed it to the cross, it keeps trying to climb down. That’s why crucifying the flesh is both a once-for-all decision and a daily discipline.

We don’t fight the flesh with willpower alone. We overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit doesn’t just help us resist sin; He replaces sinful desires with godly ones. He fills us with new passions—love, peace, purity, and joy—that are stronger than the pull of the flesh.

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TODAY’S PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for going to the cross so that my old self could die with You. Help me today to crucify the flesh—my selfish desires, my pride, my sin. Fill me with Your Spirit and lead me in Your ways. I surrender again today, trusting that true life comes only when I lay mine down. Amen

TODAY’S CHALLENGE:

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you one area of your life where the flesh is still active. Confess it, surrender it, and commit to walking in the Spirit in that area today.

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