Make Not Provision for the Flesh

Romans 13:14, “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.”

According to this verse, the fulfillment of our lusts requires provision for the flesh. If we do not make provision for the flesh, we will not fulfill our lusts. Number 6:3-4 helps explain this thought. “He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.” They were supposed to stay away from strong drink. The way to stay away from strong drink was to not even go as far as eating the grapes that the drink was made from.

It is amazing how many Christians will make the decision to give up something worldly, but they don’t do anything to take away the provision for the flesh. If one is truly serious about their decision, they will take away all provision and be accountable to someone else. The way to give up wrong music would not be to continue to use headphones in a room by yourself. Play the music out loud in an area where someone to keep you accountable. The way to stop cussing would not be to continue to hang out with people that cuss. Get around a good crowd. I enjoy hearing of people making a decision for Christ, but what thrills me more is months and years down the road when I find out that they kept it. There must come a time when we stop making provision for the flesh. We must not make provision so we can avoid feeding our lusts.