Feeding the wolf

Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. – Romans 13:14

There’s a story about an old Cherokee chief sitting before a flickering fire with his grandson. The boy had broken a tribal taboo, and his grandpa wanted to help him understand what made him do it. "It’s like we have two wolves inside us," said the chief. "One is good, the other is bad. Both demand our obedience."

"Which one wins?" asked the boy.

"The one we feed!" said the wise old chief.

Every follower of Jesus Christ can identify with that struggle. We fight an ongoing battle with selfish and sinful desires. They rise up within us and put incredible pressure on us to satisfy them. They are like ravenous hungers and unquenchable thirsts. First they are small "harmless" desires, but they grow stronger and can ultimately control us (Romans 6:16).

To resist we must believe what the Bible tells us about temptation’s power. We must also believe that the Holy Spirit will help us to resist or to break free from its power.

But then comes the hard part. When an evil desire demands to be fed, we must say no – perhaps again and again and again. Paul said, "Make no provision for the flesh" (13:14).

Remember, what we feed will control us. – Dave Egner

Lord, grant me strength from day to day –

How prone I am to go astray!

The passions of my flesh are strong;

O God, please shield me from all wrong. – D. De Haan

READ: Romans 6:15-23

It is easier to resist the first evil desire than to satisfy all the ones that follow.