“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.“
— Romans 8:13-14 KJV
Reflection on Today's Verse
The flesh always promises comfort, but it’s a liar. It tells you, “Just one more indulgence, you deserve it,” and then quietly robs you blind. The Spirit doesn’t make those cheap offers. He leads you into life—real life—but first, He kills the poison. And that’s the part nobody likes.
Mortifying the deeds of the body isn’t about self-help, willpower, or moral polish. It’s about letting the Spirit drag sin out into the open and gut it. That hurts. Pride kicks and screams. Old habits claw at the door. Sometimes you feel like you’re dying—because you are. And that’s the point.
Being led by the Spirit isn’t a one-time nod to heaven; it’s daily surrender to Someone who refuses to let you rot in your own grave clothes. Sons of God aren’t those who have it all together—they’re the ones who follow even when their flesh says, “Stop, it’s too much.”
If you’ve ever felt the sharp edge of conviction, thank God. That’s proof you’re not abandoned to your own devices. He loves you enough to kill what’s killing you. And the more you let Him lead, the more you’ll realize—life doesn’t come from feeding the flesh. It comes from starving it.
Personal Prayer
Father, I don’t want to live for what’s dying. Kill in me what refuses to bow to You. Strip away the cravings that keep me blind. Let Your Spirit lead me even when I resist, even when I think I know better.
Call me into life—into the kind only You can give. And make me quick to follow when You say, “This way.” Amen.