"Who Are You Feeding?"

                                                                

Text: Galatians 5:16-17

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Introduction

We live daily in an invisible but very real battle: the struggle between the flesh and the spirit.
The Bible teaches us that “the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh; they are in conflict with each other” (Galatians 5:17).
The big question is: who is winning inside of us?
The answer is directly connected to whom we are feeding more — our sinful nature or our spirit.

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1. The Spiritual Principle: We Are Servants of the One We Feed

Romans 6:16 says:

“Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?”

• If we invest our time, attention, and energy into satisfying the desires of the flesh, it will grow and dominate us.

• But if we invest in prayer, the Word, and fellowship with God, the Holy Spirit will have authority over us.

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2. Feeding the Flesh

The flesh feeds on everything that distances us from God:

• Visible sins: immorality, lying, envy, hatred (Galatians 5:19-21).

• Subtle sins: pride, spiritual laziness, excessive love for the world (1 John 2:15-16).

When we give place to the flesh:

• Our spiritual sensitivity decreases.

• We lose the desire for prayer and Bible reading.

• We become more vulnerable to temptation.

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3. Feeding the Spirit

The spirit is strengthened when:

• We meditate on the Word (Matthew 4:4 — “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”).

• We pray constantly (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

• We live in fellowship with other believers (Hebrews 10:25).

• We worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).

Results of a well-fed spirit:

• We produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

• We gain strength to resist sin.

• We live in peace, even in the midst of struggles.

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4. The Danger of Neglecting Spiritual Life

Jesus warned that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).
If we neglect our spiritual life:

• We will make decisions based on emotions rather than God’s direction.

• We will lose the joy of salvation.

• We risk growing cold in the faith.

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5. Decide Whom You Will Feed

The battle is daily, and the choice is ours.
Paul said in Colossians 3:2:

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

If we choose every day to feed the spirit:

• The flesh will lose its strength.

• The Holy Spirit will have freedom to work in us.

• We will become more like Christ.

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Conclusion:

Final question: Today, who is stronger inside you — the flesh or the spirit?
Remember: what you feed grows, and what you stop feeding dies.
Choose to be a servant of the Spirit, not of the flesh.

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Key Scriptures for Meditation:

• Galatians 5:16-17

• Romans 6:16

• Matthew 4:4

• 1 Thessalonians 5:17

• Colossians 3:2

• Galatians 5:19-23

• Matthew 26:41