Romans 12.9,17 Righteousness

Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. ...Respect what is right in the sight of all men.Romans 12:9‭,17 NASB

 The simple - and obvious - definition of righteousness is doing what is right. Even more simply - and obviously - God wants us to be good.

But, what does it mean to be good? Is it obeying the law? Following the rules? No. Any attempt to be righteous by following the rules is an act of the flesh, which is to say, an act of your own will. It has been firmly established in the book of Romans that no one is able to be good by their own will (See Romans 7).

So what then? We follow the teaching of Romans 8 to walk in the spirit. Galatians 5.16 says, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh."

What about temptations? The devil is real, and he "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8). But, "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." (1 John 4:4)

Yes, temptations can be strong and hard to overcome. Many a Christian has sat on the couch with fists clenched, and knuckles white in a effort to resist the temptation to sin. But, again, this is an act of the flesh. The more you fight, the more power you give to your flesh for sin.

But, what does the Bible say? "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." (James 4:7-8). You resist the devil by drawing near to God.

And not all temptation is from the devil. James 1:14,15 says, "But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death."

When you give in to temptation, you have to mentally turn your back towards God, and pretend that He doesn't see what you are doing. You make the choice to not think about Him, but to think instead about the lust, or hate, or fear, or desire that is tempting you.

Try this: when you are tempted, don't even try to resist. Acknowledge the temptation, and pray. Let God know that you are being tempted, and ask for His strength. Worship Him. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.

Turn the focus of your mind on Jesus. Experience His presence. He lives within you, so He is with you always, even in temptation. If you are in the Spirit, you will not give in to the flesh.

With practice, you can keep your focus on Jesus throughout the day, even when you are involved in other activities. You can experience His presence all day long, every day. This is called walking in the Spirit. And it is in the Spirit that you overcome the flesh.