Mistake: Carnality

Carnality is walking in the flesh.  If you live a flesh-dominated life, your flesh will call the shots when natural “sense knowledge” contradicts the Word.  If you are used to following the flesh in other matters, you will naturally follow the flesh when symptoms and circumstances disagree with what God has said.

God has given us great tools to defeat the flesh.  One of them is fasting.  I don’t recommend long fasts, but if you fast even a day or two, it’s amazing how quickly your flesh will start to get in line.  (There may be medical reasons why you can’t fast; if you are taking medicine that MUST be taken on a full stomach, don’t start a fast while taking it!  It’s better to fast when you’re not sick – it can help you avoid getting into the situation above in the first place.)

Also, Galatians 5:16 tells us that if we’ll walk in the Spirit, we won’t fulfill the lusts of the flesh.  Thus, praying and studying the Word will help keep your flesh under.

Praying that God will do something about your flesh will NEVER work.  God isn’t going to do anything about your flesh because He told YOU to do something about it.  He told YOU to mortify the deeds of the body through the Spirit (Romans 8:13).  Even Paul, who wrote about these things, had to keep his own flesh under (1 Corinthians 9:27).  But the good news is, Paul did it – and so you can you!  You are not a debtor to the flesh to live after the flesh (Romans 8:12).  You have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts (Galatians 5:24).