EXPLAINING "THE FLESH" AGAINST "THE SPIRIT"
According to an overall view, the world is “the flesh” because they do not have the Holy Spirit and the church is “the spirit” because they have the Holy Spirit. The world is under the "law of sin" and the church is under the "law of the Spirit". From this it is quite clear that these two oppose each other. Man is thus either in “the flesh” (the world) or in “the Spirit” (the church). The person is therefore EITHER in the world (kingdom of Satan) OR in the church (kingdom of God).
TAKE NOTE:
Sometimes the Bible refers to "the flesh" actually meaning "the sin-spirit" and sometimes "the flesh" simply refers to the body of flesh and blood.
Examples:
The flesh MAY refer to the spirit of sin.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded (think like ‘the flesh’) is death; but to be spiritually minded (think like ‘the Spirit’) is life and peace.
Rom 6:12 Let not sin (‘the flesh’) therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it (the sin-
sprit) in the lusts thereof.
The flesh MAY refer to the body of flesh and blood
1 Cor 5:5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of ‘the flesh’ (the body), that the spirit (the inner-man) may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in ‘the flesh’(not circumcised in
body), who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in ‘the flesh’ (body)
made by hands;
1 Pet 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in ‘the flesh’ (body of flesh and blood) to
the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND:There are TWO men namely; Adam and Jesus. BUT God just created ONE body of flesh and blood. Because of Adam's disobedience, "the sin-spirit" came into the body of flesh and blood. Because of Jesus' obedience, "the Holy Spirit" came in the same body of flesh and blood. NOTE: Man is still in the same body of flesh and blood with its human nature.When the sin-spirit dwells in the body, the body of flesh and blood is called "the body of sin" (sin's body) and then "the law of sin" reigns over the inner man. However, when the Holy Spirit dwells in the body of flesh and blood, the body is called "the body of Christ" (the temple of the Holy Spirit) and then "the law of the Spirit" reigns over the inner man. The emphasis is not really about the body of flesh and blood, but about "the spirit and its law" that dwells in the body. (See the diagram below) PARABLE:THE SAME STADIUM can be used for football as well as rugby matches. The stadium compares to the OUTER-MAN (the body) and the spectators compares to the INNER MAN. When soccer is played in the stadium, the law / rules of soccer prevail in the stadium and affect the spectators. The soccer spirit has a nature and this spirit makes some spectators furious, lawless and to lose their minds so that they even assault the referee and players, break seats, etc. However, when rugby is played in the same stadium, the law / rules of rugby prevail in the stadium and affect the spectators. The rugby spirit has a different nature and influences the spectators differently from the soccer spirit.NOTE: The same stadium (body) may have two different spirits, depending on the law reigning in it. "THE FLESH"IS THE KINGDOM OF SATAN AND "THE SPIRIT"IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD The same body is therefore either the HOME of "the sin-spirit" or the home of "the Holy Spirit". BOTH OF THESE SPIRITS CANNOT BE IN THE SAME BODY SIMULTANEOUSLY!
Mat 12:29 Or else how can one enter into a strong man's (Satan) HOUSE (the building), and spoil his
goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil (the contents of) his HOUSE.
The natural body is ALSO the INSTRUMENT or a tool for the inner man
Rom 6:13 Neither yield ye your members (body) as INSTRUMENTS OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS unto
sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as
INSTRUMENTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS unto God.
Before the new birth, the inner man or "ghost" is in "the body of sin" and after rebirth he is in "the body of Christ". When the inner man is in the body of sin, the Bible speaks of "in the flesh" and when he is in the body of Christ, the Bible speaks of "in the Spirit". It therefore makes it possible for the inner man to be "in the flesh" or "in the spirit".When the inner man is “in the flesh," he is in the kingdom of Satan (darkness) and when the inner man is “in the Spirit," he is in the kingdom of God (light) THE GREATEST ERROR MOST BELIEVERS MAKE IS TO THINK THAT THEY (the inner man) are in ‘the Spirit’ AND THAT THE BODY OF FLESH AND BLOOD is ‘THE FLESH’. This means they believe their body is the cause why their inner-man continues to sin. Such a belief means you believe your body makes you lie, cheat, fight, steal, curse, divorce, fornicate, irreconcilable, arrogant, greedy, haughty, boastful, jealous, envy, dissatisfied, ungrateful, and do all the works of “the flesh”. But it is the inner man WHO does these things NOT THE BODY.This false belief causes them to believe the struggle is between their inner man who they think is spiritual (holy) and their outer-man who they think is sinful. Think again of the parable of the stadium. We cannot blame the stadium (body) for the actions of the spectators (inner man), but the spirit or law that prevails in the stadium and over the spectators. Take South Africa as an example. Only the constitution in the country (body) has changed, not the country itself. The inhabitants are therefore no longer under the law of apartheid in the OLD South Africa, but in the NEW South Africa under the law of equality. The residents may therefore not live after the OLD South Africa! THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER IS IN ‘THE SPIRIT’ AND NOT IN ‘THE FLESH’.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in ‘the flesh’ cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 BUT YE ARE NOT IN ‘THE FLESH’, but in ‘THE SPIRIT’, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in
you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Now look again at the following scriptures: Gal 5:16 This I say then, Walk in ‘the Spirit’ (Holy Spirit), and ye shall not fulfil the lust of ‘the flesh’ (the spirit of sin).
Gal 5:17 For “the flesh” (spirit of sin) LUSTETH against “the Spirit” (Holy Spirit), and ‘the Spirit’
against ‘the flesh’: and these (the Spirit of righteousness and the spirit of unrighteousness) are
contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
TAKE NOTE:There is clearly no indication of a body. The above mentioned scripture only refers to the two spirits or kingdoms — the spirit of God which is the Holy Spirit, against the spirit of Satan which is the spirit of sin. The two spirits are contrary to one another and oppose each other. Important to remember:The born-again inner man is in ‘the Spirit’ and therefore he may not do any works of iniquity (‘the flesh’ or the sin-spirit). NB! Believers think the inner man (ghost) is in ‘the Spirit’ and their body is ‘the flesh’. They truly believe that the body is sinful and that their inner man is struggling with their sinful body. Such an inner man can never stop sinning and therefore they only boast of grace while waiting for a day in future when they will receive a new body. The Holy Spirit was in the body throughout their lives, but in vain, because He could get nothing done with the inner man whose belief is wrong. The inner man therefore goes to his grave with all his sins. If the inner man could not change in during this trial period in his body on earth, how will the change of the body make him not sin. Their only explanation is that their body is sinful, but that their inner man is holy. To believe this is a FATAL FAITH ERROR. The fact of the matter is that the born-again believer's inner man is not holy and therefore God requires of the inner man to PERFECT holiness, in order for the inner man to change and becomes worthy of the new incorruptible body of Christ. Download the study guide "Sons of God sin not" for free at www.sinnot.org and study it thoroughly.