Galatians 5:17, 20–21, 24 NIV For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want…Idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

The modern message of Christianity is upside down.
We tell men to invite Jesus into their lives — but that’s not the gospel Jesus preached.

Jesus doesn’t join our story; He calls us to join His.

When we invite Jesus into our life, we’re still in charge. We simply add Him to our schedule, our goals, our priorities — hoping He’ll bless what we’ve already decided to do.

That’s not surrender. That’s management.

But Jesus said, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.”

When we follow Jesus into His life, we die to our own. We surrender our ambitions, our comfort, and our control. We stop asking God to serve our dreams and start serving His mission — to make disciples, love people, and obey His Word.

Paul says the flesh and Spirit are in constant conflict. That’s the daily war inside every man — my will versus God’s will.

Most of us lose that battle because we’ve never truly surrendered.
We keep trying to live for Jesus without dying to self. We still do what we want, when we want, how we want — and then wonder why we’re not changing.

That’s why there’s so little transformation in the Church.
We claim Jesus as Savior but ignore Him as Lord.
We tolerate our anger, lust, pride, and selfish ambition — all the things Scripture warns will keep us from the kingdom of God.

Let that sink in:
Not inherit means not enter.
If we refuse to crucify our flesh, we show we don’t belong to Christ.

But when a man finally surrenders — really surrenders — everything changes.

He discovers that dying to self is not loss; it’s life.
Because Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

A surrendered man lives free. His priorities are God’s priorities. His strength is Spirit-powered, not self-driven. His peace is rooted in obedience, not outcome.

This is the man the world needs — one dead to himself but alive in Christ, living by the Spirit, doing the will of the Father.

As Paul wrote, “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”
That’s not religious poetry. That’s reality for every man who has truly surrendered to the King.

Run Today’s Play Stop trying to fit Jesus into your life.
Lay your life down and step fully into His.

Pray this simple prayer of surrender:

“Jesus, I don’t want You to be part of my life. I want You to be my life. Take my will, my work, my wants — and make them Yours.”

Then act on it.
Crucify what’s holding you back — the habit, the pride, the resentment, the comfort.
Walk in the Spirit today, obey His Word, and watch transformation happen from the inside out.

Because the only man who wins with God is the one who surrenders.