Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will (to do that which is good) is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would – I do not: but the evil which I would not – that I do.
Many Christians can relate to what Paul is saying. “I want to do what is right, but for some reason I don’t always do it.” Paul goes on to say – “As a matter of fact, what I want to do, I don’t do; and what I don’t want to do, that’s what I often do.” Why is that? Why is it that often as believers, we struggle with consistently living the Christian life? Today we are going to look at some of the reasons for our failure as well as what we need in order to find victory.
I. Make-up of Man
In order to help us understand this we need to return to a slide that we viewed earlier in this series. There are three parts to the make-up of man: the body, the soul, and the spirit.
A. The Body
Not a whole lot needs to be said about the physical part of man. Perhaps the one thing we need to say is that too often we focus too much on the needs of our physical body and not enough on what really matters. The Bible says that while man looks on the outward appearance, God looks on the heart. That is not to say that God is not concerned with our physical needs. Jesus said that our heavenly Father would provide for us, even as He provides for the needs of the birds of the field. However, to God the most important part of you is not your physical body but instead what’s inside of your body. To God, our physical body is little more than a tent, a temporary dwelling place for the real you to live. As CS Lewis once said – “We are not a body with a soul. We are a soul with a body.” The real you is what the Bible calls ‘the soul.’
B. The Soul
The soul is the seat of our passions, our desires, our mind and our will. Interestingly enough, the Greek word for soul is ‘psuche’, from which we get the English word ‘psychology.’ Psychology is the study of the human mind and how it affects our behavior. We should also note that the word ‘psuche’, translated as soul, means – ‘breath or life.’ The Bible says that God breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living soul. Though many psychologists would deny the validity of the Bible, the Bible actually supports and describes their field of study.
C. The Spirit
There is a third aspect of man that is called his ‘spirit.’ Man was created to be a spiritual being. The reason God created man to be a spiritual being is because God Himself is a spiritual being (John 4:24). Therefore in order to man to have a relationship with God, there must be a spiritual part to man.
II. Sin’s Impact Upon Man
In the beginning everything was great for man. He was perfectly healthy – body, soul and spirit. His body was free of any disease or suffering. His soul was pure and free of any sinful desires or motives. And his spirit was alive and in total fellowship with his Creator. But then something happened that changed all of this. Sin entered the picture and it affected all three parts of man.
A. Sin’s Affect Upon Man
1. The Body
Sin affected the physical part of man by bringing to him disease and death. Sickness, aging, disease and even death itself are all the result of sin.
2. The Soul
Sin corrupted the human psyche (soul). A perfect example of how sin affected the soul of man is seen in the relationship between Adam and Eve, the first husband and wife. Before sin, there was perfect harmony in their home. They were soul mates. But once sin entered the picture there was no longer harmony in the home. Adam began to verbally attack his wife and Eve found herself engaged in an inner power struggle with her husband. Cain, the first child ever born, murdered his younger brother, Abel. Sin corrupted the soul of man and as Jeremiah the prophet put it – made the heart desperately wicked.
3. The Spirit
Sin also affected the spirit of man. Scripture says that the unsaved man is ‘dead in his trespasses and sins’. At the end of time when unsaved man stands before their Creator to be judged, they are called ‘the dead.’ The unsaved man is without spiritual life and that is why he has no desire to know God. The things of God are foolishness to him.
B. The Development of ‘The Flesh’
There is something else that we should note that happened as the result of sin. Something called ‘the flesh’ was formed within us. What is ‘the flesh?’ Paul describes ‘the flesh’ in this way –
Ephesians 2:3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and by nature we were children under wrath, as the others were also. CSB
Sometimes when the Bible refers to the flesh, it is speaking of our human flesh. But in addition, the term -‘the flesh’ also refers to our sinful nature. When sin entered into man, it did several things:
1. It brought death to man’s spirit and thus left him with a void of God’s presence.
2. It corrupted man’s heart and created in him an appetite for sin.
We often call that hunger -‘lust.’ James says – “…every man is tempted, when he is lured or enticed by his own lust.” (See Jas 1:14) Lust is an intense desire or craving for something that is forbidden.
3. It caused this awakened lust to seek to feed itself through many of the natural needs of the human body.
Perhaps one of the reasons Paul refers to this fallen part of man’s nature as ‘the flesh’ is because it is a combination of the sinful lusts of the soul and our basic human needs; which by the way makes it all the more difficult to resist.
III. Salvation
If the Bible ended with Genesis 3, we would be hopelessly lost. We would be physically and emotionally corrupt and without any spiritual ability to help ourselves. But God was not content to leave His creation in this fallen state. God did something wonderful for man. God provided a way for man to be redeemed from the bondage of sin and to be brought back to life. Jesus said – “I am the way, the truth and the life.” He also said, “I am come that men might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.” Through salvation the Spirit brings the life of Christ to the deadness of man’s spirit. To be saved is to be born-again. Through the new birth we become the new man who has been created in Christ Jesus.
IV. Living the Christian Life
If through the new birth we become the new man who has been created in Christ Jesus, why do we still struggle with sin? Why do we, like Paul, do what we don’t want to do and not do what we want to do? The problem is this, even though we are new creations in Christ, we still have the old nature. The fleshy nature is still a part of our being and will be as long as we are here on this earth. How do we find victory over the flesh? Does it come through the body, the soul, or the spirit?
A. Victory Through the Body?
Some believe that if we can control our body, we can control the rest of our being. During the days of the early church there were those known as the Ascetics. The Ascetics believed that a person could attain a high spiritual and moral state by practicing extreme self-denial. In other words, abstinence from any sort of worldly pleasure could cause us to become more spiritual. Yet scripture tells us that asceticism will not produce godliness.
Colossians 2:20-23 … why do you keep on following rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle, don’t eat, don’t touch.“ … These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, humility, and severe bodily discipline. But they have no effect when it comes to conquering a person’s evil thoughts and desires. (NLT)
Asceticism was very prominent during the time of the early church and therefore the Apostle Paul took it head on and let it be known that severe bodily discipline could not and would not conquer our flesh. Larry Crabb refers to the ascetic philosophy as ‘Iceberg Theology.’ (i.e. – attacking only what’s on the surface while failing to realize that the real danger still lies underneath) In many ways, asking the flesh to control itself is like asking the fox to guard the hen-house. How can self consistently deny self when self constantly desires sin?
B. Victory Through the Soul? (the exertion of the human will)
Perhaps if we just ‘will’ hard enough, we can change. That’s what a lot of Christians think. “We just have to ‘try harder.’” In our eyes if someone is failing, they simply aren’t trying hard enough. Without a doubt the human will must be involved in order for there to be a change in our behavior, however, the human will alone cannot control the flesh. Part of the problem is that the human will is corrupt. The human will is a major part of what we call the flesh. Like the physical body, the human will is more of the problem than the solution. The fallen human will is what takes a natural need of the human body and causes it to become corrupt. As Paul teaches us in Romans 7, even when the human will wants what is right, it lacks the power to do it. So is there any hope? Is there anything or anyone who can help us overcome our fleshly nature?
C. Victory Through the Spirit
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Paul often uses the analogy of ‘walking’ to describe the course of daily living. Walking speaks of a process that is consistent and continuous. To walk in the Spirit means to live in constant communication with the Holy Spirit. It is the same as living under His control. It is the Spirit who is our guide and source of strength for living the Christian life.
V. Following the Spirit and Not the Flesh
As believers we have two natures within us:
1) One that is fleshly that is influenced by the desires of the flesh
2) One that is spiritual that is influenced by the desires of the Holy Spirit
Scripture teaches us that these two natures within us are in constant combat.
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other… CSB
A. The Fleshly Desires
We have endeavored to explain what Paul means by ‘the flesh.’ He is not talking about our physical flesh that it covers the outside of our body, but our fallen, sinful nature that we inherited due to the fact that we are descendents of Adam and Eve. Unfortunately we did not lose our flesh the moment we became a Christian. If that was so there would be no need for much of the New Testament. If once we became a Christian our old fleshly nature was gone, there would be no need for all of this teaching on how to live out the Christian life. It would all just come natural. But it doesn’t always come natural. Paul writes –
Romans 7:21 So I discover this principle: when I want to do good, evil is with me. 22 For in my inner self I joyfully agree with God’s law. 23 But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. CSB
One day our bodies are going to be changed to be like the glorified body of the Lord Jesus and our fleshy nature is going to be gone. But until that day comes, we are going to be in a battle. To be honest, in some ways it often seems that the more we desire to live for God, the more intense this battle seems to become. Paul says that he would not have realized what sin really was except for the fact that Law of God pointed it out. It’s like he’s saying that when he sees a sign that says – ‘Wet Paint – Do Not Touch’, it only makes him want to touch it.
When we choose to yield to ourselves old fleshly desires, something spiritual happens to us.
1. Grieve Holy Spirit / Quench Holy Spirit
2. Find ourselves producing what scripture calls the ‘works of the flesh’ which include: anger, greed, lust, dishonesty, pride, immorality, slander, … etc)
B. The Spirit’s Desires
When we become a Christian, the Holy Spirit produces a new nature in us. Sometimes this new nature is called the New Man. It is the New Creation. It is workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. It is a nature that is encouraged, enriched and empowered by the Holy Spirit. When we choose to yield to this new spiritual part of our being, we experience:
1. Filling of the Holy Spirit
Unfortunately many have been confused about what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. They read one or two passages of scripture where the ones filled did something spectacular and they begin to think that being filled with the Spirit equals some kind of ecstatic experience. What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? To be filled with the Spirit means to yield to His influence and control over our wants and desires. Rather than giving in to the fleshly desires of the flesh, we yield to His desire for holiness. Let us never forget that scripture calls Him – the HOLY Spirit. The purpose the Spirit is to produce holiness.
2. Fruit of the Holy Spirit
The result of His control over us will be the bearing of His fruit in our lives which includes: Love, joy, peace, and self-control. It also includes a great boldness to do God’s will. We read from the book of Acts –
Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed , the place was shaken where they were assembled together ; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
CONCLUSION
Living the Christian life does not always come natural. Nor does it always come easy. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are in a constant battle fighting:
1) A world system that in heavily influenced by evil
2) An enemy called the devil who wants to destroy us
3) Our own fallen flesh that has an appetite for sin
On our own we are no match for these opponents. Yet living within us is a power that can enable us not only to stand, but to overcome. Scripture says – ‘Greater is He that is within you, than he that is in the world.’ Is yielding to the Holy Spirit a part of your normal routine? Are you walking in the Spirit or in the flesh? Many Christians live defeated lives and they don’t know why, yet the reason for our defeat is that we are not experiencing the power of God that is within us.
As we continue in this series of studies we are going to examine various parts of our Christian walk. But for today, let me list what must be three important ingredients for finding victory.
1) The Cross of Christ
The cross of Jesus Christ must be central to all we are and all we do. It is the cross of Christ that gave us freedom from the penalty of sin. It is also the cross of Christ that gives us freedom for the power of sin. Note these words of Paul – Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Water baptism is a symbol of the old man being put to death and the new man being raised to walk in the newness of life.
2) The Word of God
Last week we saw how that it was the Holy Spirit that gave to us the Word of God. We also saw how that it is the Holy Spirit that guides us in the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will guide us by the Word of God.
3) The Holy Spirit
If we live a carelessly Christian life, we are both grieving and quenching the Holy Spirit. He is not able to produce the change in us that God desires. It is only by our willingness to yield to Him that we find victory.
"Seeds of Faith"