by Keith Sharp
The story of mankind is the history of war. When the Master informed His apostles, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6), His point was this is the normal course of human events.
Yet, of all the wars men have fought throughout time, none is more crucial than the one we each fight within the soul.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:16-17).
The apostle Paul writes extensively of this conflict in two passages: Romans seven and Galatians five. In Romans seven the battle is lost, but in Galatians five we are expected to win. How is this?
In Romans seven the apostle employs his own example as an honest Jew trying to be justified before God by sinless law keeping without Christ. This chapter does not portray Christians; it describes lost sinners apart from Christ. He was dead in sin (Romans 7:5, 9, 11), but Christians are alive in Christ (Romans 6:8, 11). He was carnal (Romans 7:14), but those in Christ live according to the spirit (Romans 8:5). He was sold in slavery to sin (Romans 7:14, 23), but disciples of Christ have freedom from sin (6:12, 14, 17-18, 22; 8:2). He practiced evil (Romans 7:19), but Christians practice righteousness (Romans 6:13). Sin dwelt in his body (Romans 7:17-18), but not so the disciple of the Lord (Romans 6:12, 19).
When he was a child he was alive without the law (Romans 7:9), i.e., he was spiritually alive and the law of the Lord did not apply to him. Thus, little children are innocent rather than dead in sin. But when the commandment came, when he was capable of understanding divine law and its application to him, sin “revived” (intensive, came much alive), and he died spiritually (Ibid).
The honest Jew trying to be justified by the law (and any sinner trying to be justified by law apart from the grace of God), has two great problems. He is deceived by sin, not understanding the real results of sin; i.e., he dies while desiring life. He wants to do good, but gives in to the desires of the flesh. Sin, all sin, is addictive (Romans 7:15-20). The sinner apart from Christ has lost the war and has been taken captive as the slave of sin (Romans 7:23).
But, thanks be to God, in Christ we are victorious over sin, i.e., we become righteous (Romans 7:25 – 8:4). We are freed from the guilt of sin (Romans 6:3-7, 17-18; 8:2) and strengthened through His word (Romans 8:2; 2 Timothy 3:16-17), prayer (Matthew 26:41), and the help of our brethren (Galatians 6:1-2; James 5:19-20). Thus, in and through Christ we conquer sin (Romans 8:31-39).
But, whereas we are now righteous rather than guilty (Romans 6:17-18, 3-6; 7:24 – 8:4), our human nature is unchanged. The Spirit and the flesh still war against each other (Galatians 5:16-17). We are still tempted to sin in the same ways as before (cf. Simon, Acts 8:5-24). Our duty is to follow the Spirit rather than the flesh (Romans 8:12; cf. 6:6, 12-13). We know which we follow by the lives we live (Galatians 5:19-23). Each has its own end: if we live by the Spirit we will live, but if by the flesh we will die (Romans 8:13; Galatians 6:7-8).
You and I are each engaged in a war that will determine the destiny of the soul. “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). Which shall it be?
