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Romans 8:7–11 “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you."

Think

When your phone is on one percent battery, you start moving differently. You close apps. You dim the screen. You turn off notifications. You search for the nearest charger like your life depends on it. Because in that moment, it kind of does.

In a similar way, we live spiritually drained when we’re disconnected from the true source of life. We try to get through the day on willpower, personality, and caffeine. But under the surface, we’re running low. We feel the weight. We know we’re not okay. And the worst part is, we think that’s normal.

Paul speaks into that exhaustion with clarity and power. He says that when your mind is governed by the flesh, not only are you out of sync with God, but you can’t actually please him. That’s not a motivational statement. It’s a diagnosis. Life in the flesh, life without the Spirit, leads to frustration and futility. No matter how good you try to be, it won’t produce the righteousness God desires.

But Paul shifts the tone with a bold reminder. “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.” This is not a distant truth. It’s a present reality. The Spirit of God lives in you. Not occasionally visits. Not comes and goes based on your behavior. Lives.

This is the defining mark of a believer. Paul is not drawing a line between super Christians and regular ones. He’s making a clear statement: if you belong to Christ, you have the Spirit. There’s no version of the Christian life where the Spirit is optional. He is the presence and power of God alive in you.

And that changes everything.

Paul goes on to say that even though your body is subject to death because of sin—meaning we still age, still ache, still feel the limitations of a fallen world—the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. That righteousness isn’t your own. It’s the righteousness of Christ, credited to you and now actively at work in you.

This is not abstract theology. It’s deeply personal. Because it means that even in your weakness, even in your pain, even in your most human moments, the Spirit is doing something supernatural. He is giving life to what feels lifeless. He is restoring what feels empty. He is empowering what feels exhausted.

And just in case we missed the power of this promise, Paul adds one more layer: the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now lives in you. Let that settle in for a second.

The same power that breathed life into a dead, crucified body. The same Spirit that rolled the stone away. The same Spirit that overcame death itself is now residing in your mortal body. Not just your future, resurrected body. Your current one.

That doesn’t mean you’ll never feel tired or discouraged. It means you’re never powerless. You’re never alone. You’re never cut off from the supply of real, sustaining life. The Spirit doesn’t just fix things from the outside. He works from within. Breathing, renewing, empowering.

We often underestimate what this means. We treat the Spirit like a background presence. A theological footnote. But Paul says the Spirit is the one who changes everything. The difference between frustration and freedom. Between religion and relationship. Between death and life.

This life is not always dramatic or visible. Sometimes the Spirit’s work is quiet. Like breath in your lungs. Like roots under the soil. But it’s happening. The Spirit is applying what Jesus accomplished. He’s turning justification into transformation. He’s producing fruit in barren places. He’s reviving parts of you that you thought were dead.

And it’s not just for one area of your life. Paul says the Spirit will give life to your mortal body. Not just your Sunday life. Not just your spiritual vocabulary. Your body. Your whole self. That includes your thoughts, your choices, your rhythms, your relationships, your habits. Everything is being renewed.

So the next time you feel weak, don’t reach first for control. Don’t panic. Don’t spiral. Pause and remember: the Spirit of God is in you. Resurrection power lives in you. You are not trying to live for God on low battery. You are being fueled by the very presence of the living God. You don’t need more strength. You need more surrender. The power is already available.

Apply

Pay attention today to moments where you feel spiritually drained. When that feeling hits, stop and whisper, “The Spirit of God lives in me.” Let that truth interrupt your anxiety and remind you that you are not powerless. Write it down. Say it out loud. Choose surrender over striving.

Pray

God, I feel the weight of weakness more often than I want to admit. But you have placed your Spirit in me. Not as a visitor, but as a source of life. Help me believe that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is working in me today. I surrender to your life-giving presence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.