Setting the table.

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CCO Daily Devotional

Setting the Table

Today’s Passage

Romans 13:11-14

Highlighted Verse

Romans 13:14

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

Have you ever asked God to help you overcome something, only to realize you’re still feeding the very thing you’re asking Him to help you overcome?

Paul addresses that problem with a simple but powerful command:

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

Those words, “make no provision for the flesh,” are worth slowing down and thinking about.

Paul isn’t just telling us not to give in to sinful desires.

He’s telling us not to keep setting the table for them.

In other words, don’t feed them.

Don’t nurture them.

Don’t keep giving them room to grow.

The battle is usually lost when temptation is welcomed, entertained, and given a place to grow.

That’s because the flesh is always trying to convince us that we can keep feeding certain desires without consequences.

It tells us we can hold onto them while still growing closer to Christ.

But the Spirit begins to change the way we think.

He teaches us to ask:

“Is this helping me follow Christ more faithfully, or feeding my flesh?”

As we grow in our walk with Christ, we sometimes discover that certain places, influences, habits, or situations are pulling us in a direction we no longer want to go. Those decisions are not always easy. Sometimes they involve things we enjoy, people we care about, or situations that have been part of our lives for years.

Yet as our love for Christ grows, we begin choosing what helps us follow Him more faithfully.

Paul’s command begins with:

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Before Paul tells us what to put off, he tells us what to put on.

The Christian life is not merely about avoiding sin.

It is about pursuing Christ.

And the more we love Him, the less we want to keep feeding the things that pull our hearts away from Him.

Let’s Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace, mercy, and patience toward us. Thank You for loving us even when we are often tempted to feed the very things that pull our hearts away from You.

Give us wisdom to recognize temptation before it takes root and courage to walk away from anything that hinders our fellowship with You. Help us not to make provision for the flesh, but to pursue the things that honor You.

Teach us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ each day. As our love for You grows, help us desire Christ more and sin less. May our lives reflect gratitude for all You have done for us and a growing desire to follow You faithfully. In Jesus’ name, Amen.