Fighting the Adversary Within

There’s an internal adversary that negatively affects your life called the old man or the flesh. It's a part of the sinful nature you had before you came to Christ. Before we explain what the flesh is, why we need to crucify the flesh, what that looks like, and how to do it, I want to do a quick study on the word flesh.

Various Meanings of the Word Flesh

One problem of speaking about the flesh is there are multiple meanings of the word in Scripture. It's important to know each meaning and to see how the context determines which meaning we should use.

The first meaning of flesh is that of skin and muscles. It's a descriptive term stating the fact that one has flesh. Animals have flesh and people have flesh. It speaks of what we are physically.

The second meaning is for the body itself. We live in the flesh. We are alive and have a body. Throughout the ages, there have been those who considered the flesh to be evil. But the Bible definitely does not consider the body to be evil. God created man with a body and called it good. 

Another point to consider is that Jesus came in the flesh. If flesh itself is evil, then Jesus would have been evil. The body is not considered evil and does not need to be treated harshly.

The third meaning of the word flesh is the one that concerns us in our study today. The flesh is the sinful nature within a person that needs to be crucified. It's the stirring up of lusts and desires that causes one to sin against the Lord.

Galatians chapter five gives one of many Biblical lists of the deeds of the flesh. It shows the destructive nature of the flesh in its rebellion against the ways of God. Paul wrote:

17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:17-21)

The flesh is directly opposed to the things of the Spirit. Each desire is the opposite of what Jesus died to provide for us. We must not listen to the desires of the flesh which lead us to sin against God. There is only one cure for the flesh and that is crucifixion.

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24)

Why Crucify the Flesh?

The Apostle Paul goes to great depth in describing the fight that took place in his life in Romans chapter seven. He talks about doing the very thing that he doesn’t want to do. His life was a constant struggle until he learned about the life that is only available through the power of the Spirit in Christ.

Paul tells us in Romans 6:5-8 four major reasons why we should crucify our flesh. He writes:

5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it's not even able to do so, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 6:5-8)

To Get Rid of a Fleshly Mindset

Those who are of the flesh have not changed their thought processes once they have come to the Lord. They are still believing the same old lies that caused them so much trouble in the past. These fleshly thoughts do not take God or His ways into consideration. They are very short-sighted and seek only to meet their immediate desires.

Their minds are set and unshaped by the spirit of the Lord. They are walking in their own strength and wisdom and are unreceptive to the Lord and His direction for their lives. They want what they think is best for their lives.

To Get Rid of Death in Your Life

Paul clearly tells us of the results of having this type of mindset. It brings death. Death has a lot of aspects to it. The death Paul is talking about here has to do with our day-to-day lives. It speaks of the loss of all the good things that Jesus died to give us.

A mind set on the flesh brings destruction to every part of our lives. It brings confusion, chaos, self-centeredness, envy, strife, and the full list of things mentioned earlier in Galatians chapter five.

Walking in the Spirit produces life and peace. The idea behind the word shalom is a complete wholeness in every aspect of your life. It talks of wholeness in body, soul, and spirit. The flesh ruins all of that by refusing to walk in the ways of the Lord.

To Come Into Subjection to God

The flesh is hostile to God and refuses to submit to Him. It hates the things of God and fights against them. It's a rebellious mindset that constantly pushes against and rejects the things of the Lord.

It's an active hatred against the things of God. It's almost as if anything God says is right the person focused on the flesh rejects and does. It's the classic, “You’re not the boss of me. No one tells me what to do. I will do what I want when I want.”

This mindset refuses to submit to God for a minute. God says do this and they do the opposite. Or God says don’t do that and they stick out their chest and raise their head in defiance and do it just to spite God and show Him they can.

The flesh refuses to submit to God and will cause unimaginable damage in their lives, but they still choose death over life and independence to submission.

To Please God

This kind of rebellious and self-centered thinking could never please God. He is looking for those who will walk in Has ways. God never intends for us to walk the Christian life in our strength and ability. Even the good part of man is unable to please God because of the weakness of the flesh.

We must learn that there is nothing good in our flesh and totally reject it. Remember, the flesh is not our body. It's the portion of our heart and mind that refuses to submit itself to God.

Paul knows that there is no way to work out a deal with the flesh. There is no way to tame it and bring it under control. There is no way to redeem the flesh. There is only one way to deal with the flesh and that is to crucify it.

Jesus came and died in our place so that we might experience the life of God. When He was on the cross, He took all of the sin, shame, rebellion, and guilt upon Himself. He took all of that upon Himself to break the power of the law and set us free.

How to Crucify Your Flesh

Recognize That You Are Crucified With Christ

Paul understood his absolute inability to tame the flesh. He wouldn’t even try. He would never attempt to live his life in his own strength or righteousness. He would trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and live by faith in Christ.

20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Galatians 2:20)

Notice that Paul says he was crucified with Christ. Christ went to the cross for us and we died in Him. Jesus paid the price for all of our sin. He died so that the old man, the flesh, would die so that we could be free to live for God.

It's the Spirit of Christ in us that gives us life and the ability to live for God in a way that pleases Him. Paul uses the word flesh again, but this time the word means the body that we are in not the rebellious flesh that was crucified.

The old man is dead with Christ. It no longer has a hold on us as we walk in our body of flesh. We are able to do all that God expects through faith. Once we recognize that the old man is dead then we are able to live for God.

Consider Yourself Dead to Sin But Alive to God

8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:8-11)

Paul understood that he was crucified with Christ. That means that he died with Christ on the cross. So when the flesh arises we should not fight it and try and put it down. We should consider it dead and focus on the resurrection life of Christ that is available for us to walk in.

May people waste much of their time trying to fight the flesh and bring it under control. The idea is to somehow tame the flesh and make it compliant to our will. That will never happen. 

When we are fighting the flesh it consumes our thoughts and our energy. We can fight and fight and fight and fight, but never bring the flesh any closer to submission. The flesh must be crucified. It must be reckoned as dead.

We must stop fighting the flesh and recognize it as dead in Christ. We are alive in Jesus to do His will. We are sons and daughters of the Most High God. We are no longer slaves to sin, but have overcome sin by the blood of the Lamb.

Put Off the Old Man

Paul gives further insight into how we can deal with the flesh. It's a simple concept but must be put into action to experience the freedom of which he speaks.

17 So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. (Ephesians 4:17-24)

Before coming to Christ our minds were warped by sin and we were darkened in our understanding. We walked in ways that brought death and destruction into our lives. Paul tells us to stop walking in such a fashion and then gives us an understanding of how we can do that.

You know it's futile to tell someone who is sinning to just stop doing it. If that worked no one would be in bondage because they would just have to stop doing what was hurting them.

We must have our minds renewed according to the truth of God’s word. We must allow the Word of God to dictate who we are and what we do. We must align our thoughts with His thoughts and our actions with His.

Ungodly thinking hinders us from experiencing life as God intends it to be. If we believe a lie, we cannot walk in the truth. The only way to begin to walk in victory is to have our minds renewed by the word of God.

God will reveal to us who we are in Christ. He proclaims who we are in His word and we are to walk in that truth. Did you notice that we are put off the old man, get our mind right, and then put on the new man?

The new man isn’t something that we fix up and put on. It's 100% created by God and is something that we put on by faith. Do you remember the Scripture that speaks about being a new creation in Christ? When we come to God through Jesus Christ we are a new creation. God does something brand new in us. Our spirits come alive.

Our new man is created in righteousness and holiness of truth. It's not something we strive to become. It's something that we put on and walk out by faith. Jesus has provided for us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

When the old man raises it ugly head in your life it's time to turn to God. Don’t even try to fight the old man. Consider it dead, turn to God for His thoughts on the matter, and remember that the new man is available for you to walk in.

Walk in the Spirit

The final verse we’ll look at in this study is Galatians 5:16. It simply says;

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

The only way of victory over the flesh is the power of the Holy Spirit. Every time the flesh raises its ugly head in your life you have a choice to make. Will you choose to obey the flesh or will you choose to obey God?

Once you have decided to choose God’s way He doesn’t expect you do it in your own strength. He has given you the Holy Spirit for the express purpose of empowering you to live the Christian life.

Walking in the Spirit's to submit to the direction and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. He is available to lead and guide you. He has the power we need to overcome every desire of the flesh. You are not powerless victim. You have the Spirit of God living and active inside of you to help you walk victoriously in Christ.