WARRING AGAINST THE FLESH
When things go wrong, most of the time religious people blame unseen demons around them. Little do we know that Satan isn't the only enemy we are up against. We have this flesh deep inside of us. And I do hope I could sufficiently stress its force in this second part of Spiritual Warfare series.
A. Discerning the Flesh
First off, let me clarify that the term "flesh", depending on the context, could mean two things in the Bible. Sometimes it refers to 1) our physical body (1 Pet. 1:24); sometimes to 2) the old sinful nature or the natural inclination to sin (e.g., Gal. 3:3). In the former sense, flesh is not intrinsically evil. In the latter sense, it is. Remember that the second definition is what we're referring here.
"Indwelling sin [or, the flesh] in the believer is the old man who must be killed, with all his faculties, properties, wisdom, craft, subtlety, and strength. Its power, life, vigor, and strength must be destroyed and slain by the cross of Christ." (John Owen)
1. Dethroned from the believers' life (Gal. 2:20)
"Dethroned" implies that it was once sitting on the throne, reigning in our lives. Paul says 'sin' (as an influence) is the unbelievers' path where we 'once walked' (Eph. 2:1), and that the 'I' (i.e., the old self) 'no longer lives' but the 'I' (i.e., the new self) lives 'by faith in the Son of God' (Gal. 2:20). John teaches that the 'born again' ones, despite their rebirth's mysterious origin, have their transformed lives evident like a blowing wind. (Jn. 3:5-8) In another letter he said that genuine Christians do not practice a sinful lifestyle. (1 Jn. 3:4-6) So if you are someone whose lifestyle demonstrates an unrepentant, passionate pursuit of the pleasures of sins, showing no positive change at all, you have not been truly saved. Because, generally though not equally, true followers of Christ bear fruit (Jn. 15:5).
2. Dwelling inside the believers (Rom. 7:17; Heb. 12:2)
But just because sin was dethroned, it doesn't mean it's already dead.Many theologians call it "Indwelling Sin", acknowledging its continual residence in the believer. In Paul's terminology, when we were unbelievers we were 'in the flesh' (Rom. 7:5; 8:9). Now that we're Christians the flesh is 'in [us]'. (Rom. 7:17) In fact, so dangerous is this "resident evil" that Paul himself, calling it a law, testified of its captivating power and its 24/7 onslaught. (Rom. 7:21-23) Even if one will disagree with my interpretation of Romans 7[1], the over-all tone of the scriptures regarding the saints' spiritual struggle affirms the remaining power of sin in our lives (e.g., Heb. 3:13; 12:1).
More than that, experience can confirm it. It would be hypocritical for me to trivialize the gravity of my inner struggle. I confess that there are times (many times!) I fall into pride and sexual lust. These are the same sins with which I struggle ever since I became a Christian and the same sins which I treasured when I was an unbeliever!
3. Different from God's Spirit (Rom. 8:5; Gal. 5:16-17)
The enmity and tension can be heightened if we note that God the Holy Spirit resides in us also and that His desires are in complete contrary to the flesh. The flesh is not just our enemy, it is God's. Everytime we embrace the flesh, we dishonor our thrice-holy yet imminent God. In the same way, everytime we fail to follow the Spirit, we are following this obnoxious, good-for-nothing flesh.
4. Defiant to God's authority and law (Rom. 8:7-8)
The flesh is like a rebel in our system, a mad guerrilla opposing Christ's kingdom of grace. Like as a rebel, it does not wait until you're ready, it takes advantage of our weakness. Like a rebel, we should expect its continual schemes and surprising ploys. As J.I. Packer puts it,
"Sin is always at work in the heart; a temporary lull in its assaults means not that it is dead; but that it is very much alive."
Like a rebel, it defies the law of God. It will take your mind and heart as far as it can from God's word.
5. Deceitful and Destructive (Rom. 8:6; Jas. 1:15)
This dethroned guerrilla is very able to destroy our spiritual bulwarks and fortresses! It could make us 'carnal' and keep us from growing (see 1 Cor. 3:1-3) and 'running well' (Gal. 5:7ff) It could contaminate others (1 Cor. 5:6; Gal. 5:9), divide the church (1 Cor. 3:4) and destroy relationships (1 Cor. 6). Like David, it could even make us commit heinous crimes (like murder and adultery) which, albeit forgivable[2], could bring disastrous consequences to ourselves and to others (2 Sam. 11 cf. Psa. 51). This is the same sin which will put many professing Christians to eternal death.
B. Defeating the Flesh
Now we are ready to give some pointers to defeat this foe.
1. Guard your Mind (Jas. 1:14-15; Phil. 4:8; Col. 3:1-4)
The anatomy of sin was stated by the apostle James. Before the flesh seduces the affection and conceives actual sin, it first deceives the mind. The Greek word even alludes to fishing. Giving in to the flesh is being like a fish biting a colorful butterfly, not knowing she was hooked. If the mind then is the gate of our souls, we should barricade and fortify it. Fill it with the thoughts of Christ's beauty (Col. 3:1-4) and Christlike thoughts. (Phil. 4:8) Immerse your mind in the Bible and
spiritual books rather than in senseless TV shows. Search for godly
conversations and avoid disparaging chitchats. Let the beauty of the cross of Christ satisfy you rather than the fleeting pleasures of sin.
"Your mind can only protect against the deceit of the flesh if you are cross-eyed. That is, you can only keep the rottenness of sin and the kindness of God in mind if you fix your eyes on the cross. What shows God's hatred of sin more than the cross? What show's God's love to you more than the cross? If you want to know exactly what sin deserves, you have to understand the cross. If you want to know how infinitely deep the rot of sin reaches, you have to think through all the implications of the cross. If you want to know how far God was willing to go to rescue you from sin, you have to see his precious Son hanging on the cross for you." (Kris Lundgaard)
2. Grip on the Spirit (Rom. 8:16)
Theological understanding of sin, however helpful it is, is never enough. We need to draw the power from God's Spirit. We need a daily, heartfelt communion with God. As Erwin Lutzer says,
"The victory over sin that you seek will come from your relationship with God. When you seek to know God and love Him with your whole mind, heart, and soul, the freedom you are looking for will become yours."
So a healthy prayer life and constant meditation must be added.
3. Give your All (Rom. 7:23; 8:13; Col 3:5)
The terms "waging war", "enmity" and "mortify (kill)" imply vigilance and violence. The prince of puritan John Owen puts it this way, "Not to conquer sin is to be conquered by sin." and "Be killing sin or it will be killing you." We should have a wartime mindset. As John Piper puts it,
"Christianity is not a settle-in-and-live-at-peace-with-this-world-the-way-it-is kind of religion. If by the Spirit you kill the deeds of your own body, you will live. Christianity is war. On our own sinful impulses."
4. Get Practical (1 Thess. 5:22)
So much can be said here. Avoid the places and circumstances where you are tempted most. Be accountable to others and let them pray and oversee you. Get busy in doing good things. Develop your spiritual habits purposely by having reading plans, drafting prayer schedules, journaling, and the like. Make radical, practical and personal resolves for you not to fall into your own weaknesses. Be practical.
Now I'm done expounding my outline. I scanned my books, thinking I might have missed something important. And as expected, I missed a lot! I guess its impossible to sum them all up in a single post. The best thing I can do, then, is to compel you to read more hamartiological books[3]. There's so much more to learn to mortify this monster.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
[1] I am aware of the difficulty of this chapter and the differences of interpretation under the evangelical umbrella. I am more persuaded, though, that the man of Romans 7 is indeed the already-Christian Paul, struggling with his old sinful nature.
[2] Heb. 10:12-14. The Catholic doctrine of mortal sin is unbiblical.
[3] I recommend the following:
a) John Owen's Triumph Over Temptation - for an in-depth spiritual analysis of the flesh's nature and work.
b) Joshua Harris's Not Even a Hint - for practical, easy-to-read guide to defeat lust
c) Erwin Lutzer's Winning The Inner War - very pastoral, filled with spiritual nuggets to overcome temptation
d) Kris Lundgaard's The Enemy Within - contemporary restatements of Owen's hamartiological treatises
e) Sam Storms's Pleasures Evermore - elaborates the joy available in Christ as an antidote for sin
0 comments:
Post a Comment