Experiencing the Spirit as conflict

If you were at the Bible study last night, this will be old news to you, but I'm still mulling over the fact that, in Galatians 5, Paul shows that the normal experience of the Holy Spirit is one of conflict.

This is so unlike the experience that is peddled by so many preachers and authors today. They talk of power, tears of joy, overwhelming sense of the love of God, speaking in tongues and so on. Now these things may happen to some people, but Galatians 5 tells us what all of us who are filled with the Spirit experience:

 ¹⁶So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

It's similar to Romans 7 - the idea that deep down we want to live God's way, but regularly fail. But this is the experience of the Holy Spirit - desiring to please God, to live to honour Christ is to live in step with the Spirit.

So if you struggle with sin, and desire to please Jesus, be encouraged! It's a sure sign that God is at work in you by his Spirit.