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OVERCOMING THE FLESH Song: Satan shame unto you All power belong to Jesus Satan shame unto you Al power belong to Jesus
The task of overcoming the flesh is an important and big task. It requires conscious and continuous discipline. Remember that once saved is not forever saved also once born again is not forever born again. It is just that you have suppressed the flesh/ sinful nature but it can rise and react if left untamed. Did you know that you still own both the new clothes and the old? It is your prerogative to put on which ever you want. “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” (Philippians 2:12). You cannot afford to be complacent. You’ve got to be vigilant! “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Flesh- literally means meat, animal or human. But flesh comes to mean humanity as a whole, often what is frail and perishable in humanity, the natural human desire, inclination (what you like doing or easily entangles you against God) human nature with its emotions (feelings either of love, joy, hatred ), weakness which need to be brought under the divide influence. St. Paul advices us: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1). The great battle: There is great and almost always subtle battle between the flesh and spirit. But don’t be surprise why this battle takes place every second because they both have different origin and different destination. The flesh of the earth and will return to the earth and rot in it. The Spirit is from heaven and will go back to God and live there in joy and happiness forever. We face this battle in the choices we make. The flesh always wants you to do evil and violate the laws of God. The Spirit wants you to live a holy live and do what is right all the time. The Spirit wants to pray and fast; but the flesh has no need for all these. The Spirit wants to attend Church and fellowship activities; but all these are a waste of time to the flesh. The Spirit wants to study the bible and listen to good Christian music; but the flesh wants to read pornography magazines, watch and listen to other materials that are sexually explicit to cause sexual arousal. No wonder Jesus warns: "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matthew 26:41). St. Paul puts it this way: “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (Galatians 5:17). To win this battle you must so to speak beat your flesh. Silent it! Bring it under your control! Make it obedient to you: “Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). The passage below captures the conflict we all go through everyday: 14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! But are we hopeless? Are we defeated? No! Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord who has given us victory. He defeated flesh and sin on the cross of Calvary and he has handed over to us this victory. So claim it by fervent by prayer, fasting, study of the bible and attending fellowships. Unfortunately many people today are living as enemies of the cross. They are very hostile to God and delights in pleasure. They have been deceived into thinking that everything starts and ends here on earth. What a terrible lie! Yes the flesh will rot in the earth but the spirit and soul will go back to God (if one lives a holy) to live with Him eternally. 17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:17-21). So anyone who lives for pleasure is dead whilst still alive: “But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.” (1Timothy 5:6). How to overcome Since God himself cannot force you; you must be willing to submit to him and be obedient to him always. 1. Self-controlled This is the ability control your own behaviour, especially in terms of reactions and impulses. Do you need to still maintain that unholy relationship that constantly leads you to sin? Do you still have to keep going to that area or place where you’re vulnerable to evil? Why not cut of your legs and plug out that eye that is leading you to sin (that is control it)? “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.” (1 Peter 4:7). “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:13). “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” (Matthew 5:29-30). 2. Alert in the spirit You need to be watchful and ready to deal with whatever happens. “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18). 3. Be heaven conscious You need to picture heaven everyday of your life. It is amazing that people can go through a whole day without a thought of heaven the final destination for those who live righteously with God. Or do you think the end will not come one day? Or are you thinking you’re too young to think about this yet and probably leave it to ‘them’ or when the time comes? No, you better start experiencing heaven here and now. This will make you detach from every evil desires of the flesh and focus on eternity. “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.” (1 Corinthians 15:50). “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37). Conclusion I urge you to continue in the race. Remain steadfast. The Lord is there to help you run the race to a successful end. He will guide you and see to it that you do not fall. It doesn’t matter what is happening in our present noisy and godless world today, the Lord will come and he will not delay. All the present happenings point to this fact. What a wise decision to follow the Lord in the journey of life! “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6). “For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labour pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.”(1 Thessalonians 5:2-4).
God bless you Evang. John B. Oseh |