Flesh or Spirit?

Saul was angry. But this was a special kind of anger, inspired by God, for His Spirit “came upon Saul mightily.” This was righteous anger, the anger of the Spirit.

But later Saul displayed a different kind of anger. Jealous and insecure, he lashed out against David, treating him as a rival to be eliminated. Then, inflamed by anger, Saul “burned” against his own son, Jonathan, violently striking out against him (1 Samuel 20:30).

Saul was demonstrating various ways anger can be expressed negatively. But God sometimes works within us to inspire emotions, like the anger Jesus displayed when He overturned the money tables in the temple (Matthew 21:12).

We, too, can experience Spirit-inspired emotions as we are sensitive to and controlled by the Spirit. We need to be vessels for the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). We need to be in intimate fellowship with God and surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus.

But if we are not careful, we can find ourselves expressing emotions with their roots in our flesh. Controlled by our flesh, we can be vessels for “outbursts of anger” (Galatians 5:20). We can allow feelings to dominate our lives. We can become vulnerable and leave ourselves open to satanic influence.

Ask God to fill you anew with His Spirit, so your life will overflow with the fruit of the Spirit. Fill your life with His Word, and make it your guide.