Know Thy Enemy (Part III)

Religion

The Flesh

The next enemy we will discuss is the flesh. We are not talking about the flesh on our bodies but rather the fleshly fallen nature that we have each inherited from Adam. This flesh principle still has an influence in our lives even though we, as Believers, are crucified with Christ. We seem to have a hard time staying on that cross. We are not yet sin free or totally free from the principle of sin that still operates in our flesh. But, God has made provision.

Let’s look at Romans 8:5-9, “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

Romans 13:14 says, “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

Galatians 5:17 describes the battle in which we all engage: “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.”

So what is the Biblical remedy for this enemy?

It is the exchanged life as one ministry labels it. It is exchanging your life for the life of Christ. You get His beauty. He gets your ashes. It’s a great trade.

We see this principle revealed in Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.”

Temptations will continue to come for sure. God always gives us an escape route. As someone once said: “When temptation knocks at the door I let Jesus answer and there is no one there.”

For some prideful reason we too easily believe that we, in our own resources, can overcome our sins of the flesh. If you believe that you might as well believe you can become an elephant at will. Both are impossible.

You may or may not approve of the popular 12-step programs for addictions but the first four steps are right on target. We should learn from them. They are:

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addiction – that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Steven Seagal and Van Damme may be able to take on a platoon of soldiers at a time and win, but neither of them can overcome their sin nature on their own. Neither could Bruce Lee. We are powerless in the face of our fallen nature. We can never tame it in our own strength.

The Devil is the final enemy in our triad of evil.

Martin Luther said of Satan: Our songs and psalms sorely vex and grieve the devil, whereas our passions and impatiences, our complainings and cryings, our “Alas” and “Woe is me” please him well, so that he laughs in his fist. He takes delight in tormenting us, especially when we confess, praise, preach, and laud Christ.
Martin Luther (1483-1546)

The Shepard of Hermas (155 AD) said: “The devil cannot lord it over those who are servants of God with their whole heart and who place their hope in him. The devil can wrestle with but not overcome them.”

We know from Scripture that Satan is a single entity who is not omniscient or omnipresent so probably few of us have dealt directly with him, but we have often dealt with his minions.

C.S. Lewis’s classic, the Screwtape Letters offers great insight into the world of demons and how they try to neutralize us. Pick up a copy. It’s worth the study.

Too many Christians de-emphasize demonic activity to the point where, to them, it is almost non-existent. These are folks who are probably very vulnerable to demonic attacks. Remember. Know your enemy.

Demons know you. They know what makes you feel guilty. They know your weaknesses. They know how to irritate you and even frighten you. Certainly, they are constrained by God but God does allow them to test us as he did Job. There is always a purpose for temptation. Try to discern the message when you are tempted. This is a major key to spiritual growth.

Like our sin natures, we cannot overcome the devil within our own might. God has equipped us with all the weapons we need to defeat this enemy.

He has given us His Word. We can quote God’s authority back to the devil just as Jesus did in his initial temptations. I John 2:14, “I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.”

We have many provisions to win the battle over the world, the flesh, and the devil. He has given us each other for counsel, encouragement, and prayer. The combined wisdom of many saints is powerful. Most important, He has given us His Holy Spirit.

The triad of Good, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit has defeated for us the triad of evil: The world, the flesh, and the devil. Now, we have to believe this, act on it, and thank God for it.

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