Crucified living

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. – Galatians 5.24-25 

Those who are truly Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

Okay, that sounds great. But what does to it mean? What does it mean that those who are saved have crucified the flesh? Paul writes about this in Romans 6-7. Basically the teaching is that when we got saved the old man was crucified with Christ and therefore the flesh has no power over us. 

But that's not how it seems to play out, is it? My flesh certainly dos not seem dead. It seems real and alive and I always have to fight with it. How can we be told that the flesh wars against the spirit, and then read that the flesh is crucified? 

The key is the next few words - with its passions and desires. We can't escape the flesh. That is where we have to live. But it's power was destroyed at the cross. From the grave it's passions and desires and wants and lusts and greed and selfishness cries out. That is what I must constantly put to death. 

We all know the experience. We are coasting along and seemingly doing fine when that little voice calls us back some particular passion or desire and the next thing we know we have slipped up and fallen prey. 

It doesn't make any sense, but we know it happens. 

But God's children choose to crucify or mortify those things. Obviously we aren't perfect, but as a rule we kick this things in the ditch though the power of the Holy Spirit and we more on in. 

I have to examine what I do when my flesh calls out from the grace. Do I yield to its powerless call, or do kill off those passions and desires?