True sons of God are led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14). In order to live according to the Spirit, we must set our mind on the things of the Spirit.

The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made me free….
(Rom. 8:2)

Freedom can only be fully understood through experiencing it. Every human being that has ever lived was born with an innate awareness of the existence of this thing called freedom.

It is the hunger for freedom that has charted the course of the entire human race. Untold millions have risked or given their life to obtain freedom – not only for themselves, but also for millions of others. The pages of history are forever marked by the pursuit of freedom, because within every one of us there is a knowing that we were created to be free.

Yet, to hunger for something does not always mean that we understand it or know how to pursue it. Often, we want the freedom but are unwilling to pay the price to obtain it. However, if we really understood just how much difference the freedom would make in our life, no personal cost would be too great to offer in exchange for it.

Romans 8:2 tells us that the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has made us free from the law of sin and death. We need to let the weight of this vital truth sink deep into our heart – The Law of the Spirit of Life has made us free from the tyranny of sin and death! We have been liberated from its bondage. We no longer have to live shackled to the consequences of the law of sin and death – because the Law of the Spirit of Life has made us free.

Do you remember a time when you were in bondage to a particular sin in your life? Do you remember how free you felt after that sin was removed from you?!  When you were in sin, you probably wanted to be free from the bondage you felt under it. But once you really experienced freedom from sin, was the freedom not far greater, far more wonderful than you had previously thought?!  You could only really know freedom through experience.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. 
(Rom. 8:1)

There is no condemnation if we walk according to the Spirit, and not according to the flesh. The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus has already made us free from the law of sin and death. But in order for us to experience that freedom, we must walk according to the Spirit.

Our mind is a major factor in walking according to the Spirit. Romans 8:5-6 explains:

Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

It has often been thought and even taught that our mind is carnal or fleshly, and that in using our mind we are walking in the flesh. But this is not necessarily the case. According to Romans 8:5-6, it is what we set our mind on that determines whether we are walking in the flesh or in the spirit.

Romans 8:7 says that the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

The word “enmity” means the bitter attitude or feelings of an enemy or of mutual enemies. The carnal mind is an enemy to God. It is influenced by the world. We know from James 4:4 that whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

The carnal mind is in opposition to the Word of God. Romans 8:8 concludes that “those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”  We know from Hebrews 11:6 that without faith we cannot please God. Now we are instructed in Romans 8 that without living in the Spirit we cannot please God.

True sons of God are led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14). In order to live according to the Spirit, we must set our mind on the things of the Spirit. As long as we keep our mind focused on the Spirit of God, He will guide and direct us according to Spirit ways. If we walk in the spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. (Gal. 5:16)