For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another… This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians 5:13, 16-17
Jim and Phil have been itching for a fight, so they set a time and a place to settle their quarrel once and for all. As the fight begins, they size each other up. Jim throws a punch, but Phil swiftly side-steps it. While Jim is still off balance, Phil lands a decisive blow of his own, and the fight is over.
Why did Jim lose the skirmish? The answer is found in that phrase, ‘While Jim is still off balance…’ Simply put, he gave Phil an opening. Phil took it and prevailed.
Jim and Phil live in you and they hate each other. The Bible calls them the ‘new man’ created by the Holy Spirit and the ‘old man’ or ‘the flesh.’1 These two terms show up in Ephesians 4:22-24. The Bible is clear that every believer in Christ has these two natures.
We’ll let Phil represent your natural personhood that you received when you entered the world. Often labelled ‘the flesh,’ it is your disposition to live as you please. This part of you is sinful to the core. Ephesians 4:22 says it is ‘corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.’ Romans 8:8 perfectly describes it: ‘So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.’
Jim symbolises your new spiritual nature. The moment you were saved, the Holy Spirit began to live inside of you. Romans 8:9 explains, ‘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.’ 1 Corinthians 6:19 adds, ‘What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?’ This new nature is ‘after God created in righteousness and true holiness’ (Ephesians 4:24).
Just as Jim and Phil were itching for a fight, today’s text says that our two natures are mortal enemies. The word lusteth speaks of ‘setting the heart upon’ and the language here is of a wrestling match. Each covets to beat the other.
Day after day they go at it, thumping one another. This explains the constant struggle that a Christian senses in himself. Paul described this wrestling match in Romans chapter seven. Our sinful nature attempts to prevent us from doing as we should do, while the new spiritual nature resists to prevent our sinful nature from doing what it wants to do. This accounts for the struggle each of us face day by day.
For example, a Christian woman may because of the ‘old man’ in her want to wear a fashionable but immodest garment that exhibits or highlights her figure. You know the garments I mean because they are commonplace in the community. Before she became a Christian, she liked to be noticed. Who wants to be thought of as frumpy or out-of-date? Who likes to be out of favour? But now that she is a Christian, the Spirit’s nature which He gave her says, ‘Don’t buy that! Don’t wear such things! I have called you to be a pure and chaste woman who draws attention not to the outer person but the inner person.’ 2
A Christian man used to ‘check out’ the women, and still wants to because of the ‘old man’ in him. But now that he is saved and enjoys the presence of the ‘new man,’ the Holy Spirit in him reminds him of the Lord Jesus’ warning: ‘whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart’ (Matthew 5:28). If he’ll respond in obedience, he will have the integrity of Job, who said, ‘I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?’ (Job 31:1). With the help of the Holy Spirit, this man brings ‘into captivity’ his natural lustful thoughts ‘to the obedience of Christ.’ 3
Our text says, ‘use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh.’ The word ‘occasion’ refers to giving the flesh an opportunity. Remember how Jim gave an opening to Phil and lost the skirmish? When we believe the lie, ‘I’m free to do as I please,’ we too are laying ourselves wide open for a thumping.
The solution? Verse 16 says, ‘Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.’4 Next time, if God wills it, we’ll look into this further in an article entitled, ‘How Jim Can Thump Phil.’
Father, thank You for providing me with Your ‘new man’ which is righteous and truly holy. Help me to better grasp that the conflict inside me is a spiritual battle. Therefore I need You to conquer my flesh. Thank You that at my death or at the Rapture, You have promised me ultimate victory over the flesh. But in the meantime I ask You to help me discern when I’m giving opportunity for the flesh to win. Enable me to walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
1 The word Spirit in this passage is a reference to the spiritual nature given to us by the Holy Spirit. Often in New Testament teaching, ‘the flesh’ is additionally referred to as our carnal man, as in Romans 8:7 which depicts our carnal mind as ‘enmity against God’ and in rebellion to Him.
2 See 1 Peter 3:1-6. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 ‘In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.’ Obeying this verse may make you unfashionable, but it also emphasises Christ-like qualities placed in you as part of this new spiritual nature that you received at your salvation.
3 Second Corinthians 10:5
4 Dr. David Sorenson writes: ‘If we would live our lives on a day-by-day basis in the new nature, we will preclude the old nature—the flesh. All sin in the Christian life emanates from the flesh. If we, with the help of the Holy Spirit, can so order our lives that we live in the new nature (the spirit), we will have the victory over sin. Herein lies one of the secrets of the Christian life.’