Fighting the Flesh: Practical Steps to Crucify Sin Daily
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”
— Galatians 5:24, ESV
We live in a culture obsessed with self-gratification, comfort, and the pursuit of pleasure. But the life of a disciple is a call to war — not with the world, but with our own flesh. This battle isn’t a one-time event; it’s a daily crucifixion. It’s the bloody, exhausting, and necessary fight to deny ourselves and follow Christ.
It’s not about behavior management. It’s about surrender.
It’s not about perfection. It’s about putting sin to death before it kills our joy, peace, and obedience.
The Flesh: What Are We Fighting?
Scripture doesn’t mince words about the flesh.
“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh…”
— Galatians 5:17
The flesh is the sinful nature we inherited — the part of us that wants to rebel, justify sin, and live like we’re our own god. It's the voice that says:
"Just one more time..."
"No one will know..."
"God understands your struggle..."
The flesh is cunning. It doesn’t shout. It whispers. And if we’re not vigilant, we’ll begin to believe those whispers.
So how do we fight? How do we crucify the flesh — not just on Sundays or during emotional highs — but every day?
1. Start with the Cross, Not Willpower
You don’t crucify the flesh through sheer grit. You begin by remembering what Christ already accomplished.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me…”
— Galatians 2:20
The flesh died at the cross, but it still tries to breathe. You fight it by anchoring your identity in what Christ has done — not in how strong or spiritual you feel.
Practical Step: Start every morning with the gospel. Preach it to yourself before the world does. Write out Galatians 2:20 and put it where you’ll see it first thing.
2. Confess, Don’t Conceal
Sin thrives in the dark. The longer you hide it, the stronger its hold. Confession is where crucifixion begins.
“Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.”
— James 5:16
Men fall not because they struggle, but because they isolate. Sin is crucified through community, not secrecy.
Practical Step: Get brutally honest with a brother in Christ. Confess specifically. Confess consistently. Don’t just say, “I messed up.” Say, “I watched porn three nights in a row and justified it because I felt lonely and angry.”
3. Starve the Flesh, Feed the Spirit
“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
— Romans 13:14
You can’t crucify what you keep feeding. If you’re constantly entertained, scrolling, compromising, or neglecting time with God — don’t be surprised when the flesh dominates.
You need to STARVE what weakens you and feed what strengthens you.
Practical Step: Audit your habits. Cut out what fuels sin. Add what forms your spirit:
Replace 30 minutes of social media with 30 minutes in Scripture.
Trade Netflix for prayer walks.
Replace lust triggers with locked-down boundaries.
4. Fast for Focus and Freedom
Fasting isn’t about impressing God — it’s about silencing the flesh and sharpening your spirit.
“When you fast…” (not if)
— Matthew 6:16
When your stomach growls or your desires flare, you have a choice: feed the flesh or feed your dependence on Christ. Fasting trains you to say “no” to your urges so you can say “yes” to God.
Practical Step: Choose one day a week to fast — from food, entertainment, or something that regularly steals your focus. Use that time to pray specifically for God to crucify pride, lust, laziness, or whatever sin is fighting hardest.
5. Saturate Yourself in the Word
“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word.”
— Psalm 119:9
The flesh will always feed you lies. You fight lies with truth. Not generic truth — Scripture-soaked, sword-drawn truth.
Practical Step: Memorize one verse a week that directly counters the sin you’re fighting. Write it, recite it, pray it, use it. Make it your weapon. (Start with Romans 8:13.)
6. Kill It Early
“If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out… If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off…”
— Matthew 5:29–30
Jesus wasn’t advocating self-mutilation. He was making a point: Deal with sin drastically, quickly, and completely. The longer you flirt with temptation, the harder it is to crucify.
Practical Step: Don’t wait until you’re on the brink of falling. Set boundaries before temptation shows up. That might mean:
No phone in bed.
No alone time with your laptop.
No justifying small compromises.
If something keeps making you stumble, cut it off.
7. Walk in the Spirit, Not Just Against the Flesh
Fighting the flesh isn’t just about what you say “no” to. It’s about walking closely with the Spirit and saying “yes” to life in Christ.
“Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
— Galatians 5:16
When you’re filled with God, the cravings of the flesh lose their grip.
Practical Step: Every morning, pray this:
“Holy Spirit, lead me. Guide my words, my thoughts, my habits. Crucify my flesh, and help me walk in You today.”
Final Thoughts: The Cross Was Bloody. So Is the Fight.
You will not drift into holiness. You must fight for it.
Crucifying the flesh is daily. It’s messy. It’s war. But it’s the path to peace and power.
You don’t fight to earn God's love — you fight because you've already been loved at the Cross.
You don’t crucify the flesh to become a son — you crucify it because you are one.
