The Flesh

Your flesh longs to control you and manipulate the way you think and everything you say and do.  The flesh is a hard taskmaster and will always try to keep you in bondage to sin and every evil thing; it also wants you to be selfish and unwilling to give.  The flesh is an unruly member of the body that screams for your attention and always wants to be pampered, entertained and made happy but never ever wants to accept correction because it is full of pride, arrogance and is very rebellious, recoiling against any kind of authority.

All these attributes work very nicely for the evil one because as long as you yield to the flesh it makes his job much easier.  Satan knows that as long as we yield to the flesh, and walk in it, we can easily be deceived and blinded to spiritual things and he is all for that.  The sad thing is, we were all born this way, with a sin nature that continually yields to the flesh and we gladly go on our way walking in the flesh satisfying its cravings and desires.  Even after we have been converted we can, if not careful, still walk in the flesh, gratifying its desires listening to false teachers and preachers.

Paul talked to the Galatian church about this subject in the book of Galatians, telling them about the freedom they had in Christ, which didn’t come by keeping the law but through their Savior, Jesus Christ and His precious grace.  Paul had a deep concern that these believers were turning from grace back to keeping the law.  Some were being led astray by false teachers that wanted them to be circumcised telling them they couldn’t be right with God without this ritual being observed.  Paul taught that works could never save a person and he made this very clear to the churches he started.  In Ephesians 2:8-9 he made this statement, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

The Word says of our works before salvation, that “they are as of filthy rags,” and that “there is none righteous, no, not one.”  So Paul had a reason to be concerned about the Galatian church, which was defecting from Christ and His grace and going back to observing the law, acting like their works could save them.  Paul reminds these believers that they had been called to liberty however not to use their liberty as an opportunity to walk in the flesh, but by love to serve one another.

Then Paul encourages them to walk in the Spirit and they would not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  Then in Galatians 5:17-18, Paul tells them what the flesh does, “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.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.”  Paul knew if these believers walked in the flesh they would be prone to do every wicked thing and would grieve the Spirit of God.  Paul said if they were led by the Spirit they would not be under the law.  Then in verses 19-21 Paul told them what the works of the law were, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 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.”

Like I said, the flesh wants its own way even in a believer’s life.  Every day we have choices to make, we can either walk in the flesh, gratify its desires and reap the consequences or we can choose to walk in the Spirit.  We will always reap what we sow.  If we walk in the Spirit, we will, in the end, reap eternal life but not so for those who continually walk in the flesh.  When we became born-again, our flesh was crucified also, so don’t resurrect it, let it stay dead and walk in the Spirit!  Something to think about, God bless and have a great day!!