War Between Flesh and Spirit

Introduction

In our walks with Christ we are constantly at war. The flesh is against the spirit and the spirit is against the flesh. We fluctuate from spirit to flesh and vice versa. In order to gain a spot in the Kingdom of God we must be holy and acceptable to the Lord. Sin cannot enter into God's kingdom. Blameless, spotless and perfect in every way is what is required of us. Until we get our flesh under subjection, we cannot be perfect in the Lord. To walk by faith and not by sight means to walk in the Spirit.

Adam

Adam was the first man created by the hand of God. Everything else, God spoke into existence, but Adam was formed by God's own hand. God molded and shaped him completely from head to toe. I can imagine God working like an artist sculpting out a statue. Massaging and rubbing getting everything perfect. His head and face created in the image of God. His body in the likeness of God. We must understand that God is spirit. He has no fleshly form as we do. Man likewise at the time had no fleshly form as we have.

Adam also warred against the flesh after he sinned in the sight of God. His sin caused flesh as we know it to come upon him and opened his eyes so that he no longer saw in the spiritual realm, but in the flesh. Knowledge of good and evil came upon him and cause him to be ashamed. He tried to hide from God because of his nakedness. This is the beginning of the war between flesh and spirit.

Cain

Cain murdered his own brother because of jealousy. His sacrifice was not acceptable to God. Some say it is because it was not a blood sacrifice. I can understand what they mean, but I am not sure that is the reason. The Bible states that without the shedding of blood there is no remission. God said to Cain, "Sin lies at the door." Sin was there and Cain had every opportunity to deal with his sin. He chose not to deal with it but to give in to it.

Samson

Samson was a strong man. The spirit of the Lord would come upon him and shake him causing him to have enormous strength like no other man ever had. He did many mighty works against the enemies of God. God had ordained him from birth to be a prophet. With the spirit of the Lord working so strongly in him, Samson still warred against the flesh. Many times the flesh won and eventually became his downfall.

King Saul

Samuel anointed Saul to be the first king over Israel. He followed God's instructions in doing so and Saul was a good king up to a point when he tried to do something that was not his calling to do. Saul failed in walking in the spirit at that time. The flesh has won again.

King David

David was a man after God's own heart. The Bible states that David was the apple in God's eyes. He was a mighty man of war against the enemies of God and worshipped God in spirit and in truth. Even with all that David did for the Lord, he still warred against the flesh and the flesh did win. he saw a married woman bathing from his rooftop one day and gave in to the desires of the flesh.

Simon Peter

Peter was a fisherman whom the Lord called to follow Him. There is no doubt that Peter loved Jesus but many time Peter failed to walk in the spirit. He walked on the water to meet Jesus but became afraid and when the flesh took over, he began to sink. When Jesus was arrested, Peter ran away but followed from a distance. He ended up denying knowing Jesus three times and each time the flesh was prevalent.

Grace of God

Even in our failures, God's grace is sufficient. His mercy endures forever and never ends. God claims in His Word that He will have mercy upon whom He will. In order to stop fulfilling the lusts of the flesh we must get closer to God. The only way to get close to someone is to get to know them personally. This is the essence of a relationship between two people. If there is no communication, there is no relationship. God always speaks in a still small voice and that voice is like a whisper. A whisper cannot be heard by a person who is distant from the whisperer. We must be close to God to hear His voice.

Once we get close enough to God to hear His voice, we must then be obedient to Him. (1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obeyis better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. .) Jesus said, "My sheep know my voice and a stranger they will not follow. " How many times have we followed the wrong voice? When Peter walked on the water then began to sink it was because he became fearful. He doubted that he was able to walk on water. This is what caused him to sink. His faith failed him and he started walking by sight. What he saw was not pretty but scary indeed to the flesh.

Until we bring our flesh under subjection to the spirit, we will continue to fluctuate between spirit and flesh. it is like being double minded. The book of James states that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. What it means is that a man can't make a decision. Why do you hesitate between two decisions?

Make a decision right now whom you will serve and serve him with all your heart, mind, body and soul. (Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ) We must renew our way of thinking. We must be conformed to what God wants us to be. This is how we can put on holiness without which we cannot see God.