DEVOTIONALS

Week 25 – The Flesh (The War)

 

OK Men,

 

In the 1940’s, approximately 16 million men were called on to fight in World War II. Evil was raging, it could no longer be ignored. Had these men not demonstrated valiant courage, there’s no telling to what extremes that evil could have grown. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, you too have been called to fight a war against evil. Not against a foreign enemy overseas, but rather one much closer, an enemy within. With the power of the Holy Spirit, we wage war against the evil desires of our very own flesh.

 

In his book, The Adversary, Pastor Mark Bubeck says this of the flesh: “The flesh is a built-in law of nature, making it impossible for natural man to please or serve God. It is a compulsive inner force inherited from man’s fall, which expresses itself in general and specific rebellion against God and his righteousness. The flesh can never be reformed or improved. The only hope for escape from the law of the flesh is its total execution and replacement by a new life in the Lord Jesus Christ.” This is an incredibly clear, and in-depth explanation. The more you read it, the more it reveals. Additionally, Galatians 5:19-21 gives us a list of specific and natural fleshly desires that rebel against God’s righteousness. “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” This is an extensive list. I have been guilty of most of these. The more we live in the flesh, the greater these become a part of our everyday lives. Evolving into a lifestyle we have no regrets living.

 

Jesus warned us about the flesh, saying in Matthew 26:41, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” This was one of his final teachings, and it regarded the weakness of the flesh and the strength of the Spirit. The insight he provides is simple, yet deep. Watch and pray. Remain alert, know your weakness, and then turn to God. The Spirit is strong enough to fight, but it’s our own fleshly desires that set us back. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” All disciples of Christ are fighting this internal war. We have the power to fight against the flesh, in the Holy Spirit, however, the flesh does not die easily. Even the most renown and dedicated followers of Christ must still fight this war.

 

The Apostle Paul demonstrates vulnerability as he shares about the war against his own flesh. He writes in Romans 7:15, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” The flesh seeks gratification. It’s only by the Spirit that Paul, or any of us, can hate something we have done. Deep conviction doesn’t come from ourselves. He adds in verse 18, “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” He knows what is good, and he wants to do it, but his flesh fights. This is why we are considered “dead in our sins” before we come to Christ. There is nothing that stops us from fulfilling the sinful desires of the flesh until we receive the living Holy Spirit.

 

Paul concludes, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin,” (Romans 7:25). Paul’s mind knows God’s Word: his statutes, commands, and instructions for living a holy life. Despite his desire to live these out, sin nature prevents him from living that way all the time. This is the root of our need for a savior. We are incapable of living a holy life on our own. It’s only when we put our faith in Jesus that we are redeemed and forgiven. It’s only when we receive the Holy Spirit that we have the ability to begin overcoming sin.

 

The flesh being at war with the Spirit is a reality. I wish it was something that had been better explained to me when I finally got serious about following Christ. Galatians 5:24 says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” I grew up believing in Jesus, started following Christ consistently in my twenties, and was finally baptized in my thirties. Never once had I heard about having to crucify my fleshly desires. I got baptized because I loved Jesus. I was then surprised and disappointed when my sinful lusts didn’t just go away. Frustrated, disheartened, and unworthy became familiar feelings. Understanding this internal war would have saved me from feeling like a failing Christian more than a few times.

 

I would often tell myself, “The enemy is attacking me,” and point to him as the biggest culprit of my failures. It’s much harder to acknowledge that the enemy that attacks me the most…is me. Romans 8:5 says, “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.” My mind was set on fleshly desires like pride, alcohol, anger, personal vanity, relational resentment, financial greed, and sexual lust, to name a few. I continued to allow all of these things. I wasn’t cutting them out of my life or crucifying the passions that came with. I never denied my flesh; I fed every desire. The war against my flesh was constantly being lost because I wasn’t fighting at all.

 

Paul adds in Romans 8:8, “Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.” While we will occasionally lose these personal battles, we are not in the “realm of the flesh”. Having the Holy Spirit puts us in the realm of the Spirit. God is pleased with us because of our faith in his son and the covering we have in the Holy Spirit. Giving in to the flesh is not something to dwell in guilt or shame about, but it’s not something to excuse either. When I consider the countless times I have given into the flesh, and knowing I will do so again, it provides perspective for the depths of God’s grace, the magnitude of Christ’s sacrifice to save our souls, and the flesh-conquering power of the Holy Spirit that I was freely given.

 

Even as I have cut triggers out of my life, learned to flee from my temptations, and have practiced denial and self-control, the weakness of my flesh still remains. I love Jesus, but my flesh still has a desire to turn and sin against him. He doesn’t stop loving me when my evil desires flare up. He doesn’t leave me in those moments when I‘m weak. He offers hope. One day this internal war will be over. One day my sinful desires will be gone and I’ll be made new. I’ll be in his presence, but freed from my self-centeredness. Psalm 73:26 offers a beautiful reminder: “My flesh and heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

 

J.C. Ryle said, “Let your Christianity be so unmistakable, your eye so single, your heart so whole, your walk so straightforward, that all who see you may have no doubt whose you are, and whom you serve.” It’s impossible to walk this boldly in the Spirit while living in the flesh. Therefore, guard your eyes, heart, tongue, and flesh. Whatever you feed grows. The things you starve, die. Feed your spirit daily and starve your sinful flesh. New, God-honoring desires come from the Spirit. Having to fight the war of the flesh versus the Spirit is proof that you have the Spirit! The war is a good thing! Praise God for the war and that we are no longer dead in our sin! The war against the flesh came from God. He will help us fight it!

 

Personal Reflection:

•Which of the “acts of the flesh” listed in Galatians 5:19-21 do you struggle with the most? How do you justify or hide them in your daily life?

•Are you spiritually alert and prayerful, or do you underestimate the power of the flesh when it faces temptation? What areas of your life show evidence of this internal conflict? Which side is winning right now?

•What sinful desires or habits might you be nurturing instead of crucifying? What is holding you back from letting them die?

•Where is your mind set most of the time? Is it on the things of the Spirit or worldly concerns and desires? Do you recognize that you are in a daily war between the Spirit and flesh, or do you live as though you are spiritually neutral?

 

Group Discussion:

•How do the “acts of the flesh” named in Galatians 5:19-21 contrast with the fruits of the Spirit? (Fruits listed in Galatians 5:22-23) If you’re willing, share what kinds of acts of the flesh you have battled with in the past. What helped you win those wars?

•Jesus said, “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation”. What does he mean by “watch”? How does this help us fight against the flesh? How does prayer help?

•How can we relate to Paul’s struggle with doing what he hates? What does this teach us about the reality of the Christian walk? We have a desire to do good but struggle to carry it out. How can we find peace in this paradox?

•What does it mean to set our “minds on things of the Spirit” in practical terms? What daily practices (good or bad) influence your mindset?

•What are some subtle ways the flesh can take control? What does “crucifying the flesh” look like practically? How have you successfully done this in the past?

•How can acknowledging our struggle with the flesh help us grow spiritually? How does humility play a role in gaining victory over the flesh? Paul closed with, “Thanks be to God!” How can gratitude shift our mindset in this struggle?

•What roles do God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit each play in this war against the flesh? Why do you think God allows this ongoing struggle between the flesh and the Spirit, rather than removing it completely at salvation?

 

The Call to Action:

Much of the scripture used in this devotional came from the Apostle Paul’s New Testament writings. This week, see what he reveals about the war against his own flesh. Feed the Spirit daily by reading one of these chapters a day: Galatians 5, 6, and 7, followed by Romans 5, 6, 7, and 8.

 

As you read, reflect on what your fleshly war consists of. How is your flesh weak? What war are you fighting? Is your war against lust, addiction, unforgiveness, greed, anger, isolation, pride, anxiety, or something else? There’s probably more than just one. Use the Journal section to identify your weaknesses. The enemy knows what they are, and how to exploit them. When you identify them, you can begin to invite God into that war, and therefore, begin winning that war.

 

Remember,

Romans 8:13 says, “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” Your flesh is at war with the Spirit, and there is life when we choose to crucify the flesh! No war is ever easy or fun. But when the cause is right, the fight becomes necessary. You have everything you need to win. Thanks be to God!