Galatians 5:17 English Standard Version (ESV) For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

When asked why God does not change our flesh, how do we answer? Not yet. Someday. When we are perfected. That does not answer why, just when.

Look at this from two points of view. The first is resistance training. Muscles get stronger when a load is place upon them. Weights are often used to help build muscle. Those weights must be applied appropriately so as not to tear a muscle. Training is required, skills developed and a conscious desire to exercise.

Flesh opposes the spirit and the spirit opposes the flesh. It is resistance training. Which grows stronger? If you walk in the spirit your ability to walk grows stronger. Walk in the flesh and the flesh grows stronger. As our spiritual walk develops our flesh grows more resistant. It is like adding weights.

The second issue is choice. A conscious decision on our part to love the Lord more than loving the flesh is required to train our souls and develop the skills to make sure that the flesh is subject to our desire to love God. This is one reason encouraged us to fast when faced with strong resistance.

Matthew 6:17-18 English Standard Version

¹⁷ But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Fasting shows the flesh who is stronger and that is the soul that walks in the spirit.

Isaiah 1:18 English Standard Version

¹⁸ “Come now, let us reason^[a] together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

Footnotes ^a Or dispute

The footnote makes reasoning sound like a singular verb. Looking to the hew brew we will find yakah which is defined as “let us reason together.” It is not a thing to be done alone. How God makes that possible is contained in the rest of the verse. He will change our circumstances.

If we look to the Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon we find the initial meaning to indicate a face to face encounter, being in the forefront, and then to appear in the sunshine, to be clear, manifest, to appear.

John 8:12 English Standard Version

¹² Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Another way of looking at it is standing in truth.

Psalm 43:3 English Standard Version (ESV) Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!

We can stop thinking of reasoning as a singular action that is the function of our mind alone. We can now allow our reasoning to be exposed to the light and be compared to the truth. We want to be found to be truthful. No one chooses to be a liar. If our reasoning is not sound, we should want to know the truth.

Yesterday the issue of our base nature was put into play. Can the Lord change our base nature? We consider that God can do all things. Can does not mean He does. He changes our hearts and changes our minds but our base nature is flesh.

Galatians 5:17 English Standard Version (ESV) For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.