In his letter to the Christians at Rome, the apostle Paul explains the conflict of the Spirit with the old nature, or the flesh. He writes: “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5). Note the difference here.
True believers in Jesus Christ do not live according to the dictates or demands of the flesh. Instead, they live according to the guidance of the “indwelling” Holy Spirit of God. At the point of accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, our body becomes “God’s temple.” Paul explains the sanctity of the body to the Corinthian Christians. He says to them, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19,20).
It is not possible to please God in the flesh, no matter how we try. “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7,8). Also, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).
William MacDonald makes a very insightful commentary about the Spirit and the flesh. He writes, “Those who live according to the flesh—that is, those who are unconverted—are concerned with the things of the flesh. They obey the impulses of the flesh. They live to gratify the desires of the corrupt nature. They cater to the body, which in a few short years will return to dust.”
“But those who live according to the Spirit—that is, true believers—rise above flesh and blood and live for those things that are eternal. They are occupied with the word of God, prayer, worship, and Christian service.” (William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary p. 1709).
It is the Holy Spirit who delivers us from the old nature and produces righteousness and godliness in us, thereby, enabling us to live not according to the flesh, but rather according the Spirit. This means, as MacDonald points out, true believers are “occupied with the word of God, prayer, worship, and Christian service.” Isn’t this most inspiring and comforting to know? Praise God.
The apostle Paul had a very passionate feeling of living the Christian life. He was fully and completely devoted to the Lord Jesus who saved him. Not surprising he could declare, “Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:20,21). This gives us a window into the objective of Paul’s life, which was to love, honor, worship, and serve his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He also wanted the Lord to be glorified in his body, whether by life or by death.
The Christian life is the outliving of the in living Christ. Paul could confidently attest to this by declaring: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20). Paul is identified with Jesus Christ in His death to the extent that when Christ died, he, Paul, died also. This signifies a new life in Christ. And the Christian is now called to a godly life of surrender and obedience to God. All this is as a result of the fact that “the Son of God, who loved me gave himself for me.” This is a wonderful Christian testimony to adopt and share with others.
Being born again means that “the old has past and the new has come.” The Scripture says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The key to this verse is “in Christ,” which is a change in the Christian’s position. Remember what Paul said earlier on, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” So then, as we endeavor to live the Christian life, we will have a new focus, a new purpose, and new objectives, because the Holy Spirit lives the life of Christ through us. We cannot live the Christian life on our own. The Holy Spirit is our guide, teacher, and counsellor.
What glories shine, what joys are mine,
What wondrous blessings I see.
My past with its sin, the searching and strife,
Forever gone — There’s a bright new dawn
For in Christ I have found new life.”
(John W Peterson 1921-2006).
The believer’s sanctification can only be through the Holy Spirit, who gives us victory over sin. That’s why we “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Galatians 5:16,17). It is therefore necessary to live according to the Spirit, because of a conflict of the sin nature we inherited through Adam and the divine nature given by the new birth in Jesus Christ. Are you walking by the Spirit?