The battle against the flesh is one that every believer must confront. It is not a matter of lacking the strength to resist temptation but rather a failure to yield to the strength that has already been provided through Christ. Many times, when we fall into sin, we excuse our actions by claiming weakness or helplessness. But the truth, rooted in Scripture, is that the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in us (Romans 8:11). This means that we have access to divine power, that is more than sufficient to overcome the desires of the flesh. Giving in to sin, therefore, is not due to an absence of strength but a refusal to draw from the well of spiritual endurance available in Christ. A fitting analogy is that of a marathon runner. When a runner hits what is known as "the wall"—that point where the body screams in protest, begging for relief, it often seems impossible to continue. Yet seasoned runners know that if they can relax into the discomfort and press on just a little longer, a new wave of strength often rises within them. This second wind enables them to continue the race and sometimes even finish stronger than they started. In the same way, spiritual temptation often brings us to a point where we feel like we cannot go on, that resistance is futile, and the pressure unbearable. But this is the critical moment, the intersection between our weakness and God’s strength. At the very point where our flesh cries out the loudest, when our mind tells us we cannot stand the temptation any longer, that is when we are closest to true spiritual breakthrough. It is not in our self-sufficiency but in our surrender that we find strength. When we stop striving in our own efforts and rest in Christ—acknowledging that He has already overcome sin on our behalf, we experience a divine enablement. This is what the apostle Paul meant in 2 Corinthians 12:9, where the Lord told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” God’s power doesn't merely accompany our weakness; it is perfected in it. It reaches its full expression when we finally admit our limitations and lean completely on Him. This principle runs counter to the world’s logic, which says strength is the absence of weakness. But in the kingdom of God, strength is found in weakness surrendered. As long as we rely on our willpower alone, we will fall short. But when we abide in Christ, when we rest not in passivity but in trust, we allow His Spirit to empower us beyond our human limitations. Thus, resisting sin becomes less about how strong we are and more about how fully we are yielded to the One who is our strength. In essence, the Christian life is not just a call to fight but a call to trust. Our success over the flesh is not found in gritting our teeth but in gazing upon the One who has already won the victory. We must train ourselves, like the runner, to recognize that breakthrough is often just beyond the point of apparent collapse. And in those moments, if we will pause and rest in Christ, we will find ourselves carried by a strength not our own, one that is holy, sufficient, and eternal. Bidemi Emmanuel