“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Matthew 26:41

Jesus says this to Peter, James and John in the Garden of Gethsemane when he finds them sleeping after he has asked them to watch while he prays. What caught my attention is the idea that the flesh is weak, but I often tend to think of the flesh as being too strong.

I remember a teaching on Romans 8 that likened the Spirit and the flesh to two powers that are trying to control us.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6

The key question was “Which one is going to win out in this competition?” Answer “the one that you feed the most.” That is the one that will be stronger because we are feeding it and therefore it will end up controlling us. So the teaching was to pay attention to which one you are feeding and to engage in thoughts and activities that feed our spirit and not our flesh. This seemed like a sound and practical teaching to me. But here the problem with the flesh is when it is too strong, not weak.

It may be that I am reading too much into this passage. It might be very context-specific. The call to watch is appropriate to this setting when Jesus knows that soldiers are coming for him and he wants them to watch out for when they are coming. The word translated “flesh” can sometimes refer to our sin nature but can also refer to being human. The flesh that is weak could be their human bodies, which have had several glasses of wine, being tired at night. So there might not be any deeper meaning about the importance of watching in our lives connected to a presentation of our flesh being weak. It may only apply to these specific disciples in this situation.

Then again, people gravitate to this passage when they are struggling with temptation or repenting of a recent sin. They see in it an explanation for their failure or struggle. Perhaps the flesh is weak in relation to temptation. Our flesh is susceptible to temptation and is therefore weak in its ability to resist. Given that vulnerability, that we will have as long as we have our flesh, it is important to watch out for temptation. If we are unaware of the areas where we are being tempted, we will fall. If we are aware of them, we will be on the alert and will pray for the strength not to enter into temptation.

Therefore, it is important to be aware of the areas of temptation that exist at our places of work. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Here we see the same call to watch.

These areas of temptation can be part of the corporate culture, seeking to influence and control every employee. And they can also be very personal and specific to the personal baggage that you bring to your work. And you can be sure that they exist. Watching and paying attention involves studying your workplace culture and yourself, asking the Holy Spirit to help you see what you need to see.

I would love to connect with you about these posts if they have stirred any thoughts or questions. Take a minute, shoot me an email at bo@leavenedlives.org, and let’s see where that takes us.