THE SPIRIT IS WILLING, BUT…

Matt 26:40-41  40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
NIV

Yes, you read the title correctly - “the spirit is willing, but…”.  Many Christians say this, mostly in our hearts.  Yes our spirit is willing to follow the Lord, to walk in His ways, to obey.  “But”.  That’s the sad word.  It is many times followed by a “but”.  And it is what follows after the word “but” that causes us to disobey what God has been speaking to our spirit, prompting us to obey.  My spirit wants to walk in righteousness with you, Lord, but…my friends want me with them, doing the same things.  My spirit knows I should not compromise in my business, Lord, but…I need the money, and that’s what everyone else is doing.  My spirit knows that I should be praying for someone in my life who walks in the Spirit and loves you, but…he/she is just so cute, and we’re so “bagay” together (with the Kris A accent please, hehe).

All these “buts” (yes, I know it sounds funny, just keep reading!) hindering the willingness of our spirit to walk with the Holy Spirit.  How do we overcome this?

Most of the time, if not all the time, Jesus taught His disciples through His example.  The story in Matthew 26:36-46 is one of those stories where both the Lord’s example and teaching were meant to teach His disciples an important lesson.

Our Lord knew that the time had come where He was to be crucified, put to death in what was the most painful and horrible way of death during the time of the Roman Empire – crucifixion.  A death reserved only for the worst of criminals.  And by this time the humanity of our Lord started coming out.

Matt 26:36-38  36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."  37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."

First, His emotions started taking over - “he began to be sorrowful and troubled”.  And we all know how our emotions will take over our logic and actions.  Jesus Himself said “my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow…”.   And then He started praying:

Matt 26:39  39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

This is probably the strongest proof of the humanity of our Lord – He wanted out!  “If it is possible, may this cup be taken from me”.  Translated loosely - “if possible, can we change our mind about this?”.  The reality of the pain, the sorrow, started eating Him up.  He started thinking of the possibility of not doing what He was called to do.

But He was in Gethsemane.  And He was there to pray.  As Jesus faced the hardest trial of his human life, He went to a garden to come face to face with His Father.  He opened His heart as to how He was feeling, but His heart was also open to what His Father had for Him.  And this is where He got His strength.

Yet not as I will, but as you will.  Your will Father, not mine.

How many times do we find ourselves in the same situation.  All of a sudden the force of temptation stands before us;  the hardship of the trial becomes real;  the pressure of persecution gets to us.  And we want to quit.  We want to stop.  The example of Jesus stands for us to follow.

Matt 26:40-41 40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. 41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

The command of the Lord was clear:  “Stay here and keep watch with me”.  But when Jesus returned to where they were they were asleep.  They were not doing as He asked them.  I’m sure they wanted to.  But this was not acceptable to the Lord.  (This should change our minds the next time we say “but Lord I really wanted to, but…)

And the Lord’s teaching was clear – watch and pray…  Yes, our spirit is always willing, but the flesh is indeed weak.  From the human point of view our flesh is strong.  Have you noticed that, when it comes to sin, our bodies are so alive and eager to do what sin asks it to do?  That’s how strong it is.  But from the spiritual point of view the body is weak – why?  Because it just follows what it feels, what it wants to do.  And it is weak because it seeks to do what is opposite God’s will.

This is also when a Christian is weak – when he just follows what his body wants to do.  Whether it’s temptation to sin, or losing our faith in trials, or giving in to compromise – we are weak when we allow the flesh to take over.  Yes, our spirit is strong in the sense that it knows what our Father’s will is, and strongly desires to obey it, to do it.  You know that “fire”, the zeal and eagerness in our hearts to walk with the Lord, and to love Him with all our heart?  That’s what makes the spirit strong.  But it easily falls into weakness because of the pull of the flesh.  Our flesh fights it, goes against it.  The weakness of the flesh pulls down our spirit, wanting it to fall into the same weakness it is in. 

When this happens, what should we do?  Jesus said it clearly - WATCH AND PRAY.

WATCH.  Be aware of the strength and influence of your emotions.  The moment fear comes in, begin to watch!  The moment self-confidence comes in, begin to watch!  The moment pressure from friends, colleagues, or society comes in, begin to watch!  Be aware of the power and influence of love, of hate, of pleasure.  Be alert with regards to everything that is happening around you, and in your heart.  And then fight it.  Stay spiritually awake!  How?

PRAY.  The battle is fought and won in prayer.  Not while we confront sin.  Many Christians fall because they confront sin, but they have lost the battle because they have not prayed.  Many Christians think that because they have perfect attendance on Sunday, or serve the Lord 24/7, or even know every important doctrine there is to know, that when confronted by the flesh they shall win.  But it is not in these things that we are strong – we are strong when we pray, when we spend times of prayer with our Lord.

Come before your Heavenly Father.  Pour out your heart to Him, just as Jesus did.  And submit, just as Jesus did.  Yet not my will, but Yours be done, Lord!  Be filled with the knowledge of His will.  God wants you walking in righteousness, enjoying the peace and joy of holy living.  He wants you trusting totally in Him, and not in yourself.  He wants you enjoying Him, and not just your friends.

You may feel like giving up.  But look for your “Gethsemane”, and pour out your heart to the Lord.  Allow Him to fill your heart with His will, knowing that it is the best for you.  And just as our Lord was refreshed and revived spiritually, and eventually went to bear our sins on the cross, we, too, will be able to say “Our spirit was willing, AND WE DID IT!”.  No “buts”.  No excuses.

Only in His presence, only by His grace and strength, as we watch and pray, shall we have His victory.  WATCH AND PRAY.