As of the time of this writing, it has been 10,227 days (28 years) since I believed on the gospel of Christ. Since then, the Lord has been as merciful, gracious, loving, and longsuffering towards me as He was at Calvary. I have been indwelt by the Holy Ghost, given a perfectly preserved word, and placed in His body, the church. From that, I have been able to glean countless treasures from His word and He has blessed me beyond measure with opportunities to minister before Him. Yet a spellbinding truth remains: my flesh is as weak and deplorable as it was 10,227 days ago (28 years). And as long as I reside in this temple, that will be the case.
What has been referred to as the "Manifesto of Christian Liberty," the book of Galatians, was written by the Apostle Paul to the churches of Galatia to refute the heretical teachings of Judaizers. Those were false teachers who perverted the gospel by teaching that justification is not found in faith in the finished work of Christ alone, but in keeping the law of Moses. The apostle Paul was far from passive in his rebuttal to this heresy (Gal. 1:6-9; 3:1). A major point in his argument was presenting the paradox of them trying to continue in the faith contrary to how they started in the faith:
Galatians 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
It was and is absurd for anyone to believe that the work of justification done by the Spirit of God can somehow be completed by the flesh. That is as absurd as standing at the bottom of Niagara Falls expecting not to get wet.
One of the most sobering lessons that I had to learn was that my flesh is my greatest foe. Paul said that it “lusteth against the Spirit” (Gal. 5:17). This means that the desires of the flesh are only contrary to what the Spirit desires. It would please the Lord for me to be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18) so that I can walk in and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:16, 22-23), but for selfish reasons, the flesh would only have me to quench and grieve the Spirit (1 Thes. 5:19; Eph 4:30).
What is often overlooked in the carnal agenda of the flesh is the fine print. This speaks to life after the flesh has been gratified (James 1:13-15). The flesh is very nearsighted; it is only interested in immediate pleasure at any cost, including sacrificing the glory of God. But the byproduct of catering to the flesh is bondage. Paul’s burden for the churches of Galatia was that they would be fixed in their liberty in Christ and abstain from the yoke of bondage:
Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
In a nutshell, this is the war between the flesh and the Spirit. The agenda of the Spirit in the life of the believer is to see them live out their calling to liberty in Christ, while the flesh sees that liberty as an opportunity for gratification:
Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
The believer’s call to liberty is as fundamental as their call to holiness (1 Thes. 4:7). Liberty is the believer’s right in Christ, but all too often they willingly trade it in for bondage. This happens largely out of ignorance of the true nature and intentions of the flesh. The flesh is a great liar and manipulator. It promises to have our best interest in mind regarding our liberty in Christ, but the truth is, it is only looking for an opportunity for gratification every time. If we are to use our liberty for an occasion to the Spirit, there are a few truths that must be reconciled:
1. The flesh cannot be trusted.
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
At this point, Peter was ignorant of the true nature and intentions of his flesh. The nature of his flesh was weak, meaning he was incapable of enduring the impending tidal wave of temptation through the power of his flesh. He was also ignorant of the intentions of the flesh. If he somehow endured the temptation of denying the Lord in the power of his flesh, he would have robbed God of glory by glorying in his flesh.
Believers who use their liberty in Christ for an occasion to the flesh routinely believe the lie that says they can somehow achieve in the flesh what can only be achieved by the Spirit. The end of that is defeat and bondage.
2. The flesh is narcissistic.
Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
The agenda of the Spirit is for the believer to use their liberty in Christ for an occasion to by love serve one another, but the flesh is only concerned with the flesh. It only concerns itself with God and others when it perceives a selfish incentive for doing so. It is excessively selfish and possesses a narcissistic bent that is at the root of divorce in marriage and division between believers (1 Cor. 3:3).
3. The flesh cannot be overcome by the flesh.
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Living in the Spirit is reflective of our position in Christ. We have life through the Spirit of life (Rom 8:2, 10), but walking in the Spirit is reflective of our state (how we are walking daily).
Love is the first trait mentioned in the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22), which is how we are to use our liberty to serve one another. However, a weak and narcissistic flesh is put off by using liberty for that occasion. The only way to overcome that is to walk in the Spirit of God.
In what would become the war cry for the American Revolution, Patrick Henry concluded his speech before the Virginia Assembly regarding the rights of the colonies by saying, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" Bondage is no way to live, but that is the devil's plan for man, and it is the predisposition of the flesh. Knowing this, the cry of every believer must be, "Lord, help me to walk in the Spirit, because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty!"
Kenny Morgan is the discipleship pastor at Midtown Baptist Temple in Kansas City, where he also leads the Life Fellowship adults class.
