The Mind Set Against God
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Rev. Charles Oppong-Poku | Friday, September 4, 2026 | Romans 8:5–8
KEY VERSE: “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” — Romans 8:7–8
MESSAGE:
Paul continues the contrast between the flesh and the Spirit. In verse 6, he explains that the mind governed by the flesh is death, while the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Verses 7–8 reveal why the flesh leads away from God: fallen human nature resists God’s authority and refuses to submit to His law. Therefore, a life governed by the flesh cannot please Him.
The mind set on the flesh is “hostile to God.” This hostility runs deeper than a mere difference in preference; it reflects the human desire for self-rule. The problem is not that God’s commands are unclear or unreasonable. Sin turns the heart towards its own desires and makes it unwilling to surrender to Him. The Christian life therefore requires more than outward improvement. We need the inward transformation that comes through new life in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit.
A life that pleases God flows from faith, surrender and dependence upon Him. Religious activity, human effort and outward morality cannot replace a heart submitted to Christ. As the Holy Spirit renews our minds, He enables us to bring our thoughts, desires, relationships, ambitions and conduct under Christ’s authority. God’s will then becomes the direction we willingly follow, and our obedience becomes the expression of a life transformed by His grace.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
Place any area of self-rule under Christ’s authority today. Ask the Holy Spirit to expose desires that resist God’s will, then respond with one concrete act of surrender and obedience.
PRAYER:
Father, forgive me for the ways my desires and self-interest resist Your rule. Search my heart and renew my mind by Your Spirit. Bring my thoughts, ambitions, relationships, and conduct under the authority of Christ. Give me a willing heart that submits to Your Word and a life that pleases You through faith, surrender, and obedience. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING
Day 247 Isaiah 63–66 — The Lord Comes in Judgment and Makes All Things New
DAILY word study: SUBMIT
In Romans 8:7, “submit” is translated from the Greek verb hypotassō, meaning “to place or arrange under authority.”
Paul says the fleshly mind refuses to place itself under God’s law. It wants to determine its own direction instead of receiving God’s rightful rule. Submission, therefore, involves bringing our thoughts, desires and decisions under God’s authority and responding obediently to His Word.
Reflect on this:
Where is self-rule resisting God’s direction in your life? Place that area under His authority today.
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