God exists and wants us to love Him and to love others. He also wants our moral choices to be meaningful, and therefore gives us free choice to either love or not love. Why did He make it so hard for everyone to love everyone else? Why did he make it so hard to consistently make good moral choices? God’s motivation for this is a mystery, but the struggle to make good moral choices is often described in the Bible as the conflict between desires of the flesh and desires of the spirit. Our earthly selves (flesh) are selfish and follow the law of the jungle. Our heavenly selves (spirit) are selfless and follow the law of God. Paul describes contrast between flesh and spirit as follows: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the desire of the flesh is against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, in order to keep you from doing whatever you want” (Gal 5:16-17).
Peter describes the situation as a war between opposing forces: “Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul” (1 Pt 2:11). In Christianity, the earthly world is a battleground between good and evil. Evil desires are constantly at battle with our efforts to become better people. Each day we are soldiers fighting against earthly temptations. We are not just thoughtful individuals trying to become better people. Paul advises us to prepare for battle by donning the metaphorical battle gear of God:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Eph 6:10-17)
Paul’s arsenal for us to fight against the spiritual forces of evil include truth (evil is rooted in lies), righteousness (God is on your side), faith (God is with you in difficult times), salvation (God will help you fight), and the Word of God (rely on Scripture for strength and reassurance).
In the battle of flesh versus spirit, it is of critical importance for us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, our moral choices obey our animal instincts, which often violates God’s moral standards. The more we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the more we will want to act morally and avoid the desires of the flesh. The more we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the more likely it is that the desires of the Spirit will prevail over the desires of the flesh when battling over a moral choice. Paul explains, “[T]he love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom 5:5).
The NT is filled with stories about people being filled with the Holy Spirit. The best example is Jesus himself. Mark describes what happens to Jesus after being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan river:
[John the Baptist] proclaimed, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to bend down and untie the straps of His sandals. I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him; and a voice came from the heavens: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” (Mk 1:7-11)
Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not limited to Jesus, although Christians believe happened to Jesus perfectly. The Apostles are described as being filled with the Holy Spirit: “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). The Apostles then help others to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This starts with the Samaritans: “Then they began laying their hands on [the Samaritan people], and they were receiving the Holy Spirit” (Acts 4:31). This continues with the Gentiles: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had also been poured out on the Gentiles” (Acts 10:44-45).
According to John the Baptist, Jesus has the power to “baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Jesus first shows this to be true with his disciples: “So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be to you; just as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (Jn 20:21-22). The power of God to fill us with the Holy Spirit is another core aspect of Christian morality. We have a sinful nature and cannot satisfy the will of God no matter how hard we try. However, Christianity teaches that if you have sincere faith, God will fill you with the Holy Spirit, directly enlisting His love in the battle to make good moral choices. We surrender to our weakness and God makes us strong.
The Holy Spirit of Christianity does not just fill us with love and help us to love others. It helps us battle specific desires of the flesh. On several occasions Paul provides us detailed list of what our minds are battling against:
“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.” (Rom 1:28-32)
Most of the items on Paul’s list are clear impediments to making good moral choices. There are some, however, that many do not typically associate with immorality. Examples include envy (similar to the earlier discussion of “covet”), gossip, arrogance, untrustworthiness, and unfeeling. Paul is saying that the absence of these things are not just traits of a nice person, but moral imperatives. Those who practice the opposite are “worthy of death.” Paul provides a similar list in Galatians:
“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior, idolatry, witchcraft, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal 5:19-21)
Do these lists make sense as part of a moral standard? In Christianity, morality is more about who you are than what you do. If a moral system instructs you to be good rather than to act good, then these lists make perfect sense. If a moral system is only concerned about actions, many items on these lists would not be necessary. Peter presents a short but interesting list of his own: “Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler” (1 Pt 4:15). Woe to those troublesome meddlers!
Just as there are specific examples of desires of the flesh, there are specific benefits that come from being filled with the Holy Spirit (often called “fruit of the Spirit”). If we fill ourselves fully with the Holy Spirit, Paul explains what will happen to us: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). Paul lists love as the first fruit of the Spirit, but also assures us that the Holy Spirit is the way to true joy and peace in our lives. If your spiritual battles are with patience, kindness, or self-control, Christianity teaches that the Holy Spirit is the answer. “To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble” (1 Pt 3:8).
The simplest way to describe an ethical Christian is a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit, loves God with all their heart, is mostly filled with good thoughts, and tries to live their life through acts of love. Good moral choices naturally result from this love and this state of mind since the Holy Spirit is strong enough in them to win most moral struggles. The result is a joyful and peaceful life that is pleasing to God. These people still face moral battles on a regular basis but rely on the Holy Spirit within them to do the fighting rather than their own willpower.
Does this make sense? From a Darwinian perspective perhaps not. If all there is to biology are “selfish genes” that will do anything to reproduce as much as possible, the law of the jungle seems reasonable. However, there is much established science that excessive material things do not lead to a happy life. Human happiness is closely associated with loving relationships, acts of generosity, and active involvement in religious communities. If one is interested in a happy and fulfilling life, Christian ethics makes perfect rational sense.
Since Christian ethics is so concerned with Love, this section will end with two famous Bible passages about love. The first is from 1 Corinthians and is a wedding favorite. The second is from Jesus, who raises the moral bar to very high level when it comes to loving others (emphasis added).
- If I speak with the tongues of mankind and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give away all my possessions to charity, and if I surrender my body so that I may glory, but do not have love, it does me no good … But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love (1 Cor 13:1-13); and
- Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends (Jn 15:9-13).
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