It is a misconception to assume that the flesh can be sanctified. The flesh will never be sanctified; it will only be a nuisance in the life of the Christian, and if allowed to grow, fester, and dominate, it will in turn bring about the death of an individual. The flesh is never spoken of in glorious terms. It is only spoken of as something that seeks to war against the spirit, brings about diseased fruit, is a consequence of the fall, etc.
What is the flesh?
It is also important to note that the flesh is not the body. Some may think that this is so because the body has flesh (i.e., skin). However, this is not the case. The body is not bad; it is not wicked, nor evil. The body is the tent in which the inward man groans for his day of redemption.
The flesh was brought about by the fall. Adam was neither in the flesh nor acting according to the flesh simply because he was created with skin. God created Adam, and He called His creation good; thus, the flesh was not present. When Adam sinned in the Garden, the flesh then began to be a problem. The flesh was something that Adam passed down to his descendants as well. The flesh is the component within a man that gravitates toward the world rather than God. The flesh is a disposition toward wickedness that is all of man and nothing of God. It is the sinful nature that is inherited at birth.
What happens at conversion?
At conversion, the flesh does not become a sanctified element within a man. Rather, the flesh is now assaulted by the Spirit. Prior to conversion, an unbeliever is all flesh and in no part spiritual. While in the flesh, the unbeliever does whatever his flesh desires. This does not mean that everyone is as bad as they could be. God’s grace restrains the believer and the unbeliever, but nevertheless, the flesh is the only present component within an unbeliever in which he will operate by – there is no Spirit.
While this may be hard to understand (as there are morally decent unbelievers), the thoughts, motives, attitudes, and intentions of the heart are ultimately what is at stake. Conforming to outward norms is of no eternal benefit to a man. God is after the heart. The Pharisees were “righteous” according to the Law, but nevertheless, their hearts were far from God. It could be said that they were in the flesh, even though in one sense they were “obeying” the law.
The attitudes, intentions, motives, thoughts, etc., of their hearts were bent in the wrong direction. Their hearts were not geared toward God. So it is also the case in the lives of unbelievers. While at times an unbeliever may appear morally upright, his heart is still not bent toward God. It is directed other places, without an upward focus that is grounded in truth.
When someone is born again, this does not mean that his flesh is sanctified, nor does it mean that his flesh starts to go through a renewal process. Instead, Scripture says,
• “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature…” (KJV, 2 Pet. 1:3-4).
• “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).
• “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).
At conversion (salvation), the new believer takes upon himself a new nature. This new nature is a divine nature. This does not mean that the new believer is himself divine, but that the new nature is Spirit-wrought rather than brought about by the flesh.
Jesus made it clear that from the flesh comes flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. The change is so dramatic that the apostle Paul could say that a person is a new creation.
Why don’t I feel like a new creation?
A problem will arise in the life of a Christian. He will at times feel and believe that he is not a new creation at all. This is ground to trend upon cautiously. God may be working in someone’s heart and convicting him of sin unto salvation. It is possible that someone may not actually be a Christian, and this is why he does not feel like one nor believe that he is one.
Nevertheless, there will also be times when the flesh will war against the spirit, and this will hinder the assurance of the Christian. Nothing will make a Christian feel further from God than his own sin. Sin deceives, Satan lies, and the world distracts. Someone may be a Christian and not feel like it nor believe that he is one. The root cause of his problem may be sin in his life rather than that he has not been born again.
What do I do to overcome the flesh?
The Bible makes it clear that there is an ongoing battle between the flesh and the spirit. It is not a reality to say and teach that someone can reach sinless perfection in this life. Paul did not reach a sinless state, nor will anyone else reach a sinless state for that matter. Scripture says, “…the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Gal. 5:17). The war is raging on, and those that choose not to fight in this battle will be overcome by the flesh.
But Paul tells us what we must do. He says, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Rom. 8:13). Paul speaks of the body in this verse not as bad, in and of itself, but as the vehicle through which the flesh expresses itself. Therefore, not to live by the flesh is also deemed to be putting to death the deeds of the body.
But what does this mean, and how does the Christian do it? Prior to Romans 8:13, Paul wrote Romans chapter 6. This would thus be a part of the larger context of Romans 8:13. In Romans chapter 6, Paul highlights the believer’s union with Christ and the implications of this union.
He tells of the way that the believer has been delivered from the penalty and power of sin. In verse 11, he tells of the way that the believer is to consider, or reckon himself, as being dead unto sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. This union in Christ’s death and resurrection was brought about by the Spirit of God. Therefore, foundationally, Romans 8:13 means that by the Spirit, the Christian is to do and believe what is said in Romans 6:11.
With Romans 6:11 as a foundational truth, the Christian also must take the Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, and put it into action. The fruit of the Spirit will war against the flesh as the fruit of the Spirit develops in greater measure in the life of the Christian.
In Galatians 6:8-10, at the end of a portion of Scripture that talks about the fruit of the Spirit, Paul speaks of sowing and reaping. He talks about sowing and reaping in such a way that his illustration is taken from the law of nature. When someone plants good seed, the seed takes time to grow and flourish into a beautiful plant. So will be the case when someone seeks to war against his flesh. Plant good seed now, and in due season, you will reap love, joy, peace, patience, and all the other fruits that your life is missing. As these fruits increase, you will also be walking in the Spirit and by their very nature be putting to death the deeds of the body.
Do not delay; the flesh does not sleep. It is only overcome and subdued by the Spirit of God. Be like David who slew the mighty Philistine but didn’t stop there. Rather, he ran toward Goliath, stood over the top of him, and cut off his head. You must not stop when it seems as though you have won, but instead gain ground and continue to fight.
Final prayer
Father, help me to fight against the flesh by the power of Your Spirit. I recognize that I need You each day in this battle that I am in. In Jesus’ name, Amen.