Romans 8:5-7
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Daily Devotion
By: Sarah Seagraves
When studying a portion of scripture, I often read it in a couple of translations. We have the KJV above, but check out these two.
Romans 8:5-7 (Contemporary English Version)
5 People who are ruled by their desires think only of themselves. Everyone who is ruled by the Holy Spirit thinks about spiritual things. 6 If our minds are ruled by our desires, we will die. But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace. 7 Our desires fight against God, because they do not and cannot obey God’s laws.
Romans 8:5-7 (Amplified Bible)
5 For those who are living according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh [which gratify the body], but those who are living according to the Spirit, [set their minds on] the things of the Spirit [His will and purpose]. 6 Now the mind of the flesh is death [both now and forever—because it pursues sin]; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace [the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God—both now and forever]; 7 the mind of the flesh [with its sinful pursuits] is actively hostile to God. It does not submit itself to God’s law, since it cannot,
I strive to live a peaceful life. I do my best to live as “stress free” as possible. Life itself is stressful, but we can make decisions that LOWER our stress load. WHY? High stress has a negative impact on our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Romans 5:6 says that to be spiritually minded leads to life and peace. I love the detailed description the AMP version provides. Life and peace is “the spiritual well-being that comes from walking with God–both now and forever”! When I follow my carnal, fleshly desires, making decisions that are self-focused, usually it is based on the here and now. The motto of this world, “If it feels good, do it” doesn’t take into consideration the long term affects of a wrong decision. Not only can these fleshly desires greatly harm our physical well-being while we are here on earth, selfish pursuits can lead to eternal separation from God.
I want to live a peaceful life now, but most importantly, I want my eternity to be a peaceful one! This means I can’t fight against or be hostile towards God. I need to submit myself to God’s laws. It amazes me how relevant the Word of God is still today. The principles God put in place when He created this world the writers of the Bible wrote down for us to follow. If we live in the Spirit and stay spiritually minded then the promise of life and peace will be the end result. I want to pursue an obedient, God centered life.