No Provision

February 19

Read: Romans 13:1-14

The first seven verses of Romans 13 summarize the believer’s relationship to civil authority. Established after the flood, the civil authorities are the direct representatives of God on earth and we are to obey them. Verses 8-10 remind us of our responsibility to love our neighbors. Verses 11 and 12 are a call to diligence and in verses 13 and 14 we are reminded to keep our walk in Christ at a high standard. The very last half of the last verse of the chapter states, “and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.”

If you’re not paying close attention in your reading, you might pass by this verse without gaining the full import of its teaching. The Word of God here is giving us one of the keys to victorious Christian living, apart from which our lives can become extremely frustrating. We are warned not to make provision for the flesh.

The flesh is that part of us that places its own needs and desires ahead of everything else. It is the combination of all the physical appetites that when kept in proper balance are necessary for life and happiness. When they get out of balance, when we begin to live for the fulfillment of those fleshly desires, our spirit is subdued and we live carnal lives.

I have noticed in my own life that as quickly as I get one element of the flesh properly disciplined, there is another part ready to raise its ugly head in a demand for satisfaction. I concentrate on the second, and the first seems to wiggle loose. This is the same conflict that Paul described in Romans 7 when he wrote, “for I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” It’s a conflict we all deal with, and victory over the flesh tends to come in spurts, especially for the new or less mature believer.

This verse in Romans 13, though, can provide immeasurable help in the battle. It says simply, “make no provision for the flesh.” That is, intentionally and consistently separate yourself from those things that encourage you to lose control. As a simple example, take someone who struggles with overeating. Knowing his own weakness, it is foolish for him to stash chocolate in his desk drawer. He may think he can control his desires, but he has prepared himself to fail. How much wiser would he be to clean out the cupboard, preserving only those things that are healthy, low-calorie and useful to his campaign to subdue the flesh?

There are so many things that fall into this category. We know we struggle with the flesh in a certain area, then we set ourselves up for failure. Take a person who tends to waste time with computer games. How many does he keep a keystroke away? How about a person who has a pornography problem who refuses to put a monitor or filter on his computer? It’s a little hard to believe someone is really serious about living the victorious Christian life when they continuously coddle the enemy.

Today, let’s consider our own weaknesses, and determine where we have made “provision for the flesh”. Let’s clean out our spiritual closets and let God give us the victorious and abundant life He desires for each of us.

Just a servant,

Bro. Tom

“I will set no wicked thing before my eyes” - Psalm 101:3