The Fleshly Man Must Die!



The Word of God is so very clear on a key and very fundamental issue of the Christian walk. 

 * There is a carnal ( flesh ) man 

and 

 * There is a spirit man that lurks within all of mankind that is born of God's spirit via repentance and the gospel. 

 There is a war/battle going on within us.....if we are of God. 

 Many claimed Christian's struggle with not seeing this dual nature and the reasons are simple: 

1) Many ignore or don't admit the fleshly man is at work as they love their sin.

 2) Who ever you feed the most; that man will rule over the other!

3) Most will not fully let go of the past and thus they let the flesh man linger.

Most who claim Christ today are feeding the carnal man 24-7 and the spirit man little to none at all. (The truth is, most are just false converts by their fruit.) I have seen far too many people who carelessly allow the flesh man to lead them all over and it creates much sin / havoc in their life/faith and relationships. 

 I like to make this simple illustration so we can all understand the concept easily. 

 The flesh man will forever "try to give you directions" from the passenger seat but you must NEVER " let him drive"!!!

 This just means we will always have to deal with his bad influence this side of heaven but we must make sure that he never is "in control" of us and our daily ways or we will live in sin and perish. 

Note: without being born of God all you have is the fleshly man lurking and thus you are hopeless and doomed. (See the gospel at the end of this article for the good news and cure for this.)  

 Over the course of my walk and being in ministry I have had to endure both my own fleshly man as well as the carnal side of many others we have either walked with or sought to unite with us in the faith. Because of that I feel I have experience enough both in the Word of God and daily life in Christ to offer up my thoughts on how to over come this and be victorious for the Lord's service.  

 First, let's see the problem as illustrated by Apostle Paul in Romans 7:14-15
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

Paul is confessing that in the flesh has a carnal man that tries to move and control him to sin even as he is if God. We all need to understand that as the fall of Adam has affected us all.

 But are we hopeless? Should we just sin and sin more? No, we have a great hope and thus we cannot just give up and allow it to be, so we must fight for the glory of God and our own salvation so we can endure in a saving faith. 

 Romans 8:6 tells us the great danger if we allow the flesh man to rule us over the spirit man. 

 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

 Christ brings His people life NOT death, so you must address the carnal man inside you or you will suffer the second death ( hell ) due to your willful sin/rebellion. 

 Romans 8:1 tells us who is NOT under God's wrath. 

 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

 Walking in the spirit is the real key not just claiming you are in Christ!

 Paul in Romans 7 gives us a great hope and solution to this problem:
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

This tells us with the mind (spirit) we serve Christ, but in the flesh we will serve sin and death. Christ is our real hope!!!!

 But how do we get the mind of Christ?

 Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

 We get the mind of Christ when we are born of God via repentance and the gospel to eternal life.  In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we learn we are new creations but we still must learn to walk in the spirit and put off the old man daily. Sadly man made religion will tell you that you're going to sin a lot (live in the flesh) and that it is still ok  as Jesus died to redeem you. Actually that is a lie because if you continue to sin willingly, there is no sacrifice left for your sins. 
See Hebrews 10:26-27
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

  You must repent and turn from those sins to live and walk in the spirit. Unless your fighting against the flesh man, you are dead in your sins. I have seen the flesh man destroy marriages, relationships, jobs and a man's faith as well. All too often people are willingly blinded by their flesh to a point they cannot even see clear. It usually is because they are holding to the flesh they love vs repenting and running from it to the spirit and Christ. 

 How are you doing in this daily battle for the Lord? I can tell you it never ends but it does get BETTER the longer you serve Christ in obedience!

 Here is a good area of scripture that will help you to see how you are doing. If you run to God's truth, you're feeding the spirit but if you run from it and like to hide in dark and sin, you're allowing your fleshly man to grow into a monster!

 John 3:19-21
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Get into the battle, men, and realize it is indeed a spiritual battle!
Who are you feeding daily (the spirit or flesh man) and have you let the past go to serve God in spirit and truth? John 4:24

 Let me know how I can help you?

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