OUR BATTLES AGAINST THE FLESH

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 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." Galatians 5:16-17

Understanding the Enemy. Our own flesh is our enemy. The flesh is that inner part of each person that opposes God. When someone believes in Jesus Christ, a new nature is born within that person. However, an old nature is still there ... that is the flesh. The deeds of the flesh include "immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envyings, drunkenness, carousings.” Galatians 5:19-21. Deeds of the flesh come from the heart of man. Jesus said, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders." Matthew 15:19. He said, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." Mark 7:20-23. All of these things can come from the enemy inside us ... from our flesh.

Understanding the enemy's tactics. The flesh is our inner enemy. Our flesh is a traitor in our bodies. It battles against our new nature. The flesh wages "war against the soul." 1 Peter 2:11. It is at war with the Spirit within us. "For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another.” Galatians 5:17. Each of our two natures, the old and the new, seeks to dominate our lives from within us, Romans 7:15-25. Our flesh tempts us to sin. Our new nature urges us to live for God.

Defeating the enemy. Our battle against the flesh is a battle that is already won by Christ. "Our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.” Romans 6:6. That victory is reinforced by our actions as we love and obey God. Our bodies are dead because of sin, Romans 8:10. In a sense, the battle is between the dead and the living ... our dead flesh against our living spirit. In this battle we must sow to the Spirit ... not to the flesh. We have the promise and the warning that we will reap what we sow. "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life." Galatians 6:7-8. We must fight vigorously against this inner enemy. God has given us His battle instructions for daily victory against the flesh.

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IN THE WAR 4    PAGES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15    
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Disciplemaking 1, copyright 2003, is available free from www.MyDisciplemaker.org where you can study online or print free copies. You may copy this course, any any part of it, for free or at-cost distribution ... without change to the content ... and with this copyright policy attached. Published by www.ActsOneEight.org. Bible Quotations are from the NASB unless noted.