The Flesh and The Spirit

“So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” Rom 7:25 (ASV)

I’m sure by now you must be thinking I’m a saint. I wish! Believe me; sainthood is very far from me. From the time of my salvation right through my baptism of the Hoy Spirit up till this very moment, it has been one hurdle after another. I have sinned so many various sins. Even came up with some new ones I wasn’t into before my salvation. Some are unintentional sins, some willful and deliberate. I have fallen more times than I can count.

Sometimes, I wonder why God doesn’t just pick me up by the scruff of my neck and lock me up in a room to keep me out of His hair. I’m sure I’ve tried His godly patience more than once. You remember the teaching about His grace being more than sufficient? I believe I’ve used up more than my allocated share of that grace and then some.

It’s not as if I don’t want to be good and it’s not as if I have not been given the power to overcome but the call of the flesh is still so tempting sometimes and its usually easier falling than resisting. Not to talk of the ‘temporary bliss’ (but eternal loss) it offers. My carnal mind is being renewed on a daily basis by the Holy Spirit and I’m having a clearer understanding of the Word and cannot plead ignorance. I have revelation knowledge but…………………………..The ‘BUT’ is my flesh!

Because I still acknowledge my flesh, I still have the consciousness of sin and until I can be free of that, I will still subject myself to the law Christ died to put away. It is a vicious cycle that says for as long as I believe I am doing something wrong, I will continue trying to do something right but will fail and do something wrong and will continue believing I’m doing something wrong!

That is the law Paul wrote about in Rom 7:7 – “Howbeit, I had not known sin, except through the law: for I had not known coveting, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet” And that is the very law Christ came to set us free from “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death” Rom 8:2.

If I believe I can sin, I will sin! But if I know and believe that Christ has taken the Sin Nature away from me and given me a new spirit, then I will know I cannot produce a fruit different from the seed in me and consequently, it is not possible for me to sin then I will truly be free from that sin consciousness and the law and will then discover I am instinctively and unconsciously living a ‘sin-free life’. “Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God” 1 John 3:9

This is one of the greatest mysteries the church has not fully understood. When we know and understand it is impossible for us to sin, then it will be impossible for us to sin and we can become who God says we are – OVERCOMERS! It is only in knowledge we can defeat the flesh and carnal mind. If we know, we won’t have to struggle to overcome ‘sin’. Christ has already done that. Why fight a battle that has been won? Why try to defeat an already conquered enemy?

The only battle left for us is between the flesh and the spirit and that battle is to be fought in our minds. That’s why the bible mentions our mind again and again. “And that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind” Eph 4:23; “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” Rom 12:2; “Wherefore girding up the loins of your mind” 1 Pet 1:13.

We gain nothing by being constantly aware of sin. It is the enemy’s tactic to keep us distracted and focused on something else apart from Christ. It keeps us guilty and fearful of our father. Let us not allow anything to affect our relationship with our heavenly father.

“Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before him: because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God” 1 John 3:19-21.

I have not reached there yet. I’m still struggling with the awesomeness of it. With the thought that I am actually the same as Christ – sinless and perfect, unable to do anything wrong! My physical sense, my human intelligence is still grappling with it. My spirit knows the truth of it but until my mind accepts it, I cannot live it. But I know I will get there. I will know and accept and become that truth. Soon!