Unmasking and subduing the traitor within part 1

Description

UNMASKING AND SUBDUING THE ENNEMY WITHIN. Part 1

Definition:

The word “flesh” is basar in Hebrew and sarx in Greek. Often in the Bible, it is used in various ways:

First , “flesh” as applied to the soft part of the human body. Flesh is that part of the body through which we sense the world around us. Therefore a fleshly person is one who follows the world, who walks after the sense of his flesh.

Second, “flesh” as applied to the human body. Broadly speaking, flesh means the human body whether living or dead. 

Third, “flesh” as applied to the totality of mankind.

Man is a spirit, with soul and body. The soul is the site of man’s personality and consciousness; it is connected to the spiritual world through man’s spirit and to the physical world through the flesh. The soul must decide whether it is to obey the spirit and hence be united with God and His will or is to yield to the body and all the temptations of the material world.


How Does Man Become Flesh?

The Lord Jesus told Nicodemus long ago “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” (John 3.6).

What is flesh? : “That which is born of the flesh is flesh."

What is born of the flesh? Man; therefore man is flesh; and everything a man naturally inherits from his parents belongs to the flesh.

How does man become flesh? : “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” By birth, man does not become fleshly by learning to be bad through gradual sinning.

What is the nature of flesh? - “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” No amount of education, improvement, cultivation, morality or religion can turn man from being fleshly. The Lord Jesus said “is” ; with that the matter was forever decided. 


The Consequences Of Man Being Flesh :

The Lord Jesus has stated that any person born but once (i.e., born only of man), is flesh and is therefore living in the realm of the flesh. During this period such a man (known as unregenerated) _“lives in the passions of his flesh, following the desires of his body and mind, and so is by nature a child of wrath, like the rest of mankind”_ because _“it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God” (Eph. 2.3; Rom. 9.8 Paraphrased).

Because God appreciates the actual condition of the flesh He declares it is unchangeable. Any person who attempts to repair the flesh by acts of self-abasement or severity to the body shall utterly fail. God recognizes the impossibility of the flesh to be changed, improved or bettered.

In saving the world, ```He does not try to alter man’s flesh; He instead gives man a new life in order to help put it to death.``` The flesh must die. This is salvation.

The Flesh vs. the Spirit

After the fall, man started walking according to the lusts of the body. No good is in him. In coming to deliver us, God first has to restore the position of the spirit within in order that we may have fellowship with Him again. This occurs when we believe in the Lord Jesus. God puts His life into our spirit, and by so doing, raises it up from death.

The Lord Jesus now declares that _“that which is born of the Spirit is spirit”_ (John 3.6) . At this juncture God’s life, which is the Spirit, enters our human spirit and restores it to its original position.

The Holy Spirit takes up His residence in the human spirit; and man is thereby transferred into the spiritual realm. Our spirit is quickened and reigns once again.

On the very day one becomes identified with the Lord Jesus then his flesh also is crucified. Does that mean that his flesh is no longer present because it has been crucified? No because the bible says “walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh” (Gal 5.16-17).

### The cross of Christ deals with sin and the Holy Spirit through the cross deals with self. ```Liberation from sin is an accomplished fact; denial of self is to be a daily experience.```

### The flesh demands full sovereignty; so does the spiritual life.

### The flesh desires to have man forever attached to itself while the spiritual life wants to have man completely subject to the Holy Spirit.

### The nature of the former is that of the first Adam, the nature of the latter belongs to the last Adam.

### The motive of the first is earthly; that of the second, heavenly.

### The flesh focuses all things upon self; spiritual life centers all upon Christ.

### The flesh wishes to lead man to sin, but spiritual life longs to lead him to righteousness.

``` The purpose of God is never to reform the flesh but to destroy it. It is by God’s life given to the believer at regeneration that the self in the flesh is to be destroyed.```  


The Fleshly or Carnal Believer:

The reason why we may still be controlled by the flesh as though we are not dead and raised up is just because we have not truly believed in the accomplished fact of Christ’s death and resurrection for us, nor have we sincerely acted upon the call of the Holy Spirit to follow the principle of death and resurrection.

What are the reasons for not growing?

### Ignorance of the fact that being born again is not an end in itself, but just the beginning of a new life.

### Lack of enthusiasm on spiritual affairs.

### Spiritual laziness and worldliness. That is why we are unwilling to pay the price for spiritual advancement. This is why the church is over-stuffed with big spiritual babes.

### Others are caught up with end-times prophecies: _‘‘this know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, {false...: or, one who foments strife} Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.’’ (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Common Mistakes In Dealing With Flesh

### Attempting to conquer the flesh by fighting it and ignoring the salvation of God.

### Engaging in rigorous spiritual exercises and ascetism earnestly anticipating that God will grant them increased spiritual power to enable them to subdue their flesh.

### Thinking that victory depends upon the measure of power we have.

### Observing strict discipline in the area of prayer, bible study, fasting and (which in themselves are not wrong).
All these activities, though laudable in themselves are powerless in dealing with the flesh. (Col. 2.21-23).

How to subdue the flesh

The Word informs us that _“our old self was crucified with him” (Rom. 6.6). Nowhere in the Bible are we told to be crucified since this has been done and done perfectly by Christ already. With regard to the question of sin, man is not required to do anything.

He need only consider this an accomplished fact ‘‘Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.’’ (Rom. 6:11) and he will reap the effectiveness of the death of Jesus in being wholly delivered from the power of sin _‘‘For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.’’(Rom. 6:14).

We are never asked in the Bible to be crucified for sin. But the Bible does exhort us, however, to take up the cross for denying self. ‘‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me’’ (Luke. 9:23).

```The only solution to conquer the flesh is to kill it! The flesh must die. This is God’s way. The flesh is not to be conquered; it is to die.```

To be continued

Participants

• Pastor Oscar Tankeu
  
• Ludo Fangzou
  

Interview By

• Ludo Fangzou