To purchase print or Kindle click here.
Preparing for War
The Bible states, the flesh wars against our minds and attempts to bring us back into bondage. This means our flesh rises up and attempts to dominate our ways of thinking based on a physical standard. Life is more than getting what we want, experiencing temporary pleasures, and acquiring things. It is more than getting our way and retaliating for wrongs.
If the flesh could satisfy, the rich would be content, the beautiful would be confident, and the selfish would be happy. But history has proven true the words of scripture, “The eyes of man are never satisfied.”[1] However, those who live by faith truly experience the words of the imprisoned Apostle Paul, “I’ve learned to be content, whatever the circumstance.”[2]
Even when we experience godly peace and true contentment, our flesh still waits for the opportunity to take advantage of a moment of weakness in order to reintroduce its futile way of thinking. The flesh is in bondage to a temporal world.
Life in the flesh is a brief moment. It should be no surprise that the flesh, which is temporal, is bound by a way of thinking which is only based upon the here and now. So even if you understand the reality of eternity, you’ll still be tempted to fall back into the old ways of thinking.
Don’t be surprised if you struggle. We all struggle. Today’s victory will not be tomorrow’s victory. Each day is a new battle. Though the war never ends, the promise that we are more than conquerors becomes a reality.
The Bible often uses the illustration of war when it comes to the Christian life. The war is not against people or outward things, but it’s fought within our own flesh.
There are two sources we battle against. One is described in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
This passage affirms what we’ve already discussed. We overcome through the Spirit and not through human effort. As Jesus said, “The flesh profits you nothing.” Victory is not found by trying harder, or implementing a plan of action through carnal (or fleshly) actions. This is why people may improve behaviors for a while, but keep slipping back into old habits or addictions. Our flesh is weak and incapable of living by a spiritual standard.
All temptation is made through the flesh, but victory comes through walking in the Spirit. This is why Galatians 5:16 tells us, “Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.”
One source of our battle is spiritual in nature. Ephesians 6:12 tells us:
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
People may appear to be the source of our problems, but often they are tools of spiritual wickedness. We also can become tools of spiritual wickedness. Anyone who allows the flesh to control their life is not walking in the Spirit and is subject to manipulation by spiritual wickedness.
No one is above temptation and no one is immune to doing evil. When someone stops living by God’s spiritual power, the only other source is the flesh – and the flesh is corrupted by sin. As the Bible states, sin dwells in the members of our flesh and can be used to capture our minds for ungodly purposes. This is why Christians fall. Sometimes they do things that are very unchristian-like. This is also why the Bible warns believers in the church to stop warring among one another lest they devour one another. Christians aren’t immune to the flesh, and a flesh driven believer can act out in harmful ways.
To deter Christians from becoming flesh driven, both Jesus and the apostles warned believers that we will be held accountable for what is done in our bodies. We are to subjugate the flesh to Christ and not allow ourselves to be controlled by the flesh. This is why the above passage warns us about spiritual wickedness, and why 2 Corinthians warns us the real battle is not fought through the flesh.
The flesh can be used against us by spiritual powers, but we overcome by the might given to us by God. That might is available when we walk in the Spirit. Satan attempts to draw us into the flesh, but we resist by submitting ourselves to God[3], for if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.[4]
Spiritual wickedness wars against our soul by trying to draw our focus off the Spirit and into the lusts of the flesh.[5] Lust does not only mean sensuality. The lust of the flesh can be greed, bitterness, hatred, immorality, and any other temptation that draws us out of our walk in the Spirit.
We battle spiritual wickedness with the spiritual weapons God has given us. This is also how we battle the flesh. Whether it’s an outside attack against us, or a temptation from within, the attack comes through the flesh, but victory is found through the Spirit.
Let me reiterate this important truth. Our victory only comes through the Spirit. For the most part, the attack on our souls comes from our own sinful desires. Even without a spiritual attack, our flesh still craves sin and must be brought under subjection to Christ. Look at Romans 7:19-25
19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.
21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 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 was written by the apostle we would consider an icon of Christianity – Paul. God used the Apostle Paul to pen two-thirds of the New Testament, yet he struggled just as you and I do. He lamented that even though he knew to do good, and desired to do good, another force was working in his body of flesh. Though he was redeemed and had a new spiritual nature, his flesh remained corrupted by sin.
The sin abiding in his own flesh rose up and warred against his mind, causing him to slip back into a fleshly way of thinking and acting. He lamented his failure and weakened condition and said, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?”
Paul then gave the answer to his question – the flesh can only serve sin, but I thank God that through Jesus Christ, my mind has the power to serve the law of God. In other words, the flesh cannot be made spiritual. Instead, the flesh is overcome through the power of Christ – a power we have been given and we can experience daily when walking in the Spirit.
When the flesh rules, the war spreads to those around the person who is flesh-driven, but the real battle is won in the heart of the believer who submits to God and walks in the Spirit.
Without submission to God, there can be no victory.
Let’s look at the word-picture of war. Think about World War II and the battle to defeat Hitler. This dictator’s goal was to rule the world. He believed he was a man of destiny and the Third Reich would dominate the earth for a thousand years.
When Hitler began his campaign, what did the world do? Nothing. And he gained strength. With ease he took over the weaker countries around him. Once he grew to a strength which threatened the world, no one could ignore the reality of war. When the US entered the war, there was much uncertainty as to whether Hitler could be stopped. It was a hard and long war. But what happened when Hitler lost his first battle? He was no longer invincible and began to lose his stronghold.
Each country he lost was a difficult battle, but one by one, the countries he took over were liberated. With each liberation, the enemy lost strength.
This is the picture of the spiritual warfare in our own lives. The battle is fought in our minds and hearts. When someone feels oppressed by their emotions, the enemy seems invincible. By human effort, this is true, but God has promised to reveal His power in us. Through His word we are given the spiritual power and strategies to defeat an enemy that is greater than we are.
With each victory, the enemy grows weaker, and though the war may be a lifelong struggle, the daily battle won’t be insurmountable once the word of God becomes our fortress, and the stronghold of the enemy has been broken.
The enemy is your own human nature. People often think Satan is the enemy, and though he is a threat, his power is through the flesh. The devil can’t oppress us without our allowing him to do so. Most deception is intended to persuade us into giving him a stronghold without realizing we are doing so. He is the master manipulator. He manipulates us with temptation, but it is our own actions which turns temptation from thoughts to reality.
This is a Christian book. The focus is on applying God’s word so we can experience the promise of becoming more than a conqueror. You will experience victory if you live by the principles we’ll discuss from the Bible. However, don’t fall into the trap of believing your problems are the work of the devil.
The Bible puts little emphasis on the devil. Consider the words of Paul, “When I do what I know is wrong…it is sin which dwells in my members (body of flesh).” It wasn’t Satan oppressing him; it was the sin already present within his own body of flesh[6]. We are warned not to be ignorant of Satan’s devices. This is so we are not deceived into giving him a place. He has no power to overcome the believer, for greater is He who is in you (Christ) than he that is in the world (Satan).[7]
Paul was an Apostle of Christ – what we would consider the height of spiritual maturity. Yet he struggled just as we do. To blame an outside force blinds us to the real problem – we must deal with our own behavior and take the steps necessary to live in self-control. Emotions are the hardest part of self-control. The solution is not to blame demons, but to know the life-changing truth of scripture, and to apply it to daily living.
We do this by taking back the strongholds sin has brought under its rule. By sin, I’m referring to the actions of our flesh which opposes the truth of God. If God says, “Do not let your heart be troubled,” but we have embraced the trouble of our hearts, we have submitted ourselves to the sin dwelling in our flesh and are now allowing it to rule over our hearts. Anxiety and other strongholds of the flesh then become the driving force of our lives.
Does this mean we have sinned when we worry or something troubling has occurred? Do we have to deny reality in order to be within God’s perfect design? Certainly not!
Some things have to be addressed and worry is a natural human emotion. Problems have to be faced, but we must learn to do so in a healthy way. Dealing with troubling situations does not mean we are ruled by worry, and the command to be anxious for nothing does not mean we deny the existence of problems.
The remainder of this book will examine how the Bible addresses these things and how we live within the promise, “God has given us power, love, and a sound mind.” Joy, peace, love, and soundness of mind are promises God gives when we follow biblical principles.
Always keep this expectation in mind: God’s principles are easy to understand, but hard to live by. Do not allow this to become an excuse for failure, but rather the realization that diligence is required.
It goes against human thinking to overcome, but this is where the rewards of life are found. Our natural tendency is to allow our feelings to sweep us down stream. Fortunately, they have the power to carry us, but not the power to force us. We have the power to drive against the current. But to do this, we must know what God has taught us in the scriptures, and must be willing to both surrender to the Lord’s word and be willing to stand against the flesh. With this being said, let’s discover the victorious principles of the word that empower us to be more than conquerors.
Life Applications
- Think about something you struggle with – worry, lust, anger, bitterness, etc. Submit these things to God and pray for a heart which trusts the Lord with your temptation.
- Memorize James 4:6-10.
- When you feel the desire to give into your flesh, recite the above passage from James. Draw near to God as you submit your weakness to Him and then resist your flesh by trusting in the Lord.
- Think about people who have wronged you and consider the fact that they are in bondage to the flesh. Forgive and pray for their deliverance as you consider that you also are seeking deliverance from the flesh’s control in your life.
Go back and review the Life Applications from previous chapters. Practice them so they don’t slip from your focus.
[1] Proverbs 27:20
[2] Philippians 4:11
[3] James 4:7-8
[4] Galatians 5:16
[5] 1 Peter 2:11
[6] Romans 7:21
[7] 1 John 4:4