And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. - Galatians 5:24 (KJV)
The word “crucified” stops us in our tracks. It’s violent, final, deliberate. Paul doesn’t say we’ve simply suppressed our flesh or managed our desires—he says we’ve crucified them. This isn’t about improvement; it’s about execution.
But what exactly are these “passions and desires” that compete for our hearts? Often, they’re not the obvious sins we might expect. The flesh is far more subtle than that.
Consider the passion for recognition that whispers, “You deserve more credit for your work.” Or the desire for comfort that suggests, “You’ve earned the right to avoid difficult conversations.” What about the affection for control that insists, “If you don’t manage this situation, no one will”? These seem reasonable, even admirable at first glance.
The flesh is cunning because it offers us good things in wrong ways, or right things at wrong times. It promises fulfillment through our own strength, wisdom, and effort. It captivates our attention with urgent needs that only we can meet, important goals that only we can achieve, and deserved pleasures that only we can enjoy.
These desires don’t announce themselves as enemies of Christ. They simply redirect our gaze—away from His sufficiency and toward our own capabilities, away from His timing and toward our own agenda, away from His glory and toward our own satisfaction.
The crucifixion Paul describes is both a past reality and a present choice. When we trusted Christ, our old nature was decisively dealt with at the cross. Yet each day, we must choose to live in light of that reality, saying “no” to the flesh’s appeals and “yes” to the Spirit’s leading.
Where might your affections be drifting today? What seemingly innocent desire might be competing with your devotion to Christ? The answer isn’t to feel guilty, but to return to the cross—both Christ’s and your own.
Prayer: Lord, search my heart and reveal the subtle ways my flesh seeks to captivate my affections. Help me to see where I’m trusting in my own strength rather than resting in Yours. Give me the courage to crucify these competing desires daily, that Christ alone might have my whole heart. Amen.
Reflection: I know when I get caught up in something I can easily think that it will meet a certain need. But thinking more deeply about the investment of time and/or resources needed quickly brings the affection back in line. Some times even thinking what the end will be like helps to also put affections into perspective. For example I could practice shooting hoops all day, but at the age of 47 I’m not likely to get a gig playing in the NBA!