Victory of the Spirit over flesh
Galatians 5:16-18
A.T. Jones, – Sept 18, 1900
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust (carnal desires) of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth (warreth) 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. But if ye be led of (by) the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”
“For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Moshiac Yehushua) hath made us free from the law of sin and death . . . . !” Romans 8:2
We are sharing this very powerful article on faith, and pray that it
will be a blessing to each and every one who reads. We encourage all to read
these words aloud ! “For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with his mouth, confession (profession) is made unto Salvation (deliverance, freedom, victory, healing and restoration) !” Romans 10:8-10.
We have added Scripture references to the original article in italics.
May Yehushua ha Moshiac (Jesus the Christ – Anointed Heir) bless and make known unto you, His Presence and His power in your life this week !
Sincerely,
Isaiah Ministries
Victory of the Spirit over the flesh !
“If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law,” because “as many as are led of the Spirit of God, they are the sons (begotten children) of God.” Romans 8:14. As sons of God, these have the mind of the Spirit, the mind of Christ, and so with the mind they “serve the law of God.”
Accordingly, whosoever is led of the Spirit of God . . . ‘the Words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit and they are Life !’ . . . .(John 6:63) and thus has the mind of Christ fulfills the law, because by that Spirit there is shed abroad in the heart the love of God, which in itself is the fulfilling of the law, in whomsoever has it.
“Therefore love is the fulfilling (filling full, purpose) of the Law (instructions in righteousness) !” Romans 13:10. On the other hand, whosoever is led of the flesh and so has the mind of the flesh does the works of the flesh . . . “which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before (again), as I have told you in time past, that they which do (continue in) such things shall not inherit the kingdom (Sovereign Reign) of GOD !” . . . . and so serves the law of sin. ref: Galatians 5:19-21.
Note: It is well worth the time to look these works of the flesh up, in a Strong’s concordance or on E-Sword.
And the two ways (paths), the Way of the Spirit and the way of the flesh are always open before every man. As certainly as the flesh is there, it “lusteth (wars) against the Spirit” and as certainly as the Spirit is there it “lusteth against the flesh.” Whosoever is led of the flesh cannot do the good that he would. He serves the law of sin and so is under the law. But whosoever is “led of the Spirit is not under the law.”
And every man is always free to choose which shall be his way– the way of the Spirit or the way of the flesh. “If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Romans 8:13.
Note that, in the text of Galatians now under consideration and its kindred texts in Romans and also in Colossians, it is stated in words and constantly held in view that the flesh, in its true fleshly sinful nature, is still present with him who has the Spirit of God and that this flesh is warring against
the Spirit.
That is, when a man is converted and is thus brought under the power of the Spirit of God, he is not so delivered from the flesh that he is actually separated from it with its tendencies and desires so that by the flesh he is no more tempted and that with it he has no more contest. No, that same degenerate, sinful flesh is there with its same tendencies and desires.
But the individual is no longer subject (a slave) to these. He is delivered from subjection (bondage) to the flesh with its tendencies and desires and is now subject to the Spirit . . . Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve ? . . . He is now subject to a Power that conquers . . . For we are more than Conquerors through Him that loves us ! . . . brings under, crucifies, and keeps under, the flesh, sinful as it is, with all its affections and lusts. Therefore, it is written that “ye through the Spirit do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body.” Romans 8:13, ref: Joshua 24:15, John 8:32-34, Romans 8:37.
“Mortify (put to death) therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection (passion), evil concupiscence (longing, forbidden desires), and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Colossians 3:5.
Note that all these things are there in the flesh and would live and reign if the flesh were to rule. But since the flesh itself is brought into subjection (submission) to the power of God, through the Spirit, all these evil things are killed at the root and thus prevented from appearing in the life. “And the dead know not anything . . .” ref: Ecclesiastes 9:5.
This contrast between the rule of the flesh and the rule (reign) of the Spirit is clearly shown in Rom. 7:14-24 . . . Now the Lord (Adoni – Sovereign King) is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord (Jesus Christ) is, there is Liberty (freeborn, as a son and not as a slave) ! . . . . II Corinthians 3:17, and in 1 Corinthians 9:26, 27.
In the seventh of Romans is pictured the man who is under the power of the flesh, “carnal, sold under sin,” Romans 7:14, who longs to do good and wills to do good but is subject to a power in the flesh that will not let him do the good that he would. “For the good that I would I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do.” Romans 7:18.
“I find then a law (ref: Romans 8:2), that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity (bondage) to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
That describes the man who is subject to the flesh, “to the law of sin” that is in the members. And when he would break away from the power of the flesh and would do good, that power still brings him into captivity and holds him under the dominion of the flesh, the law of sin, which is in his members. But there is deliverance from that power. Therefore, when he cries out, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” there is given instantly the
answer: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 7:24-25.
There is the Way of deliverance, for Christ alone is the Deliverer!
And now this man, though he is thus delivered, is not delivered from a contest; he is not put into a condition where he has no fighting to do with the flesh. There is a fight still to be carried on and it is not a make-believe fight. It is not the fighting of a phantom. Here is the man of 1 Cor. 9:26, 27: “So fight I, not as one that beateth the air.” What does he fight? What does he beat? Read: “But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
Thus, in the battle that the Christian fights is his body, is the flesh with its affections and lusts. The body is to be, by the Christian (through the Spirit of GOD), kept under and brought into subjection by the new power of the Spirit of God to which he is now subject and to which he became subject when delivered from the power of the flesh and the law of sin.
“So then they that are in the flesh cannot please GOD (Jehovah, Yehuwah). But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit . . . the Words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are Life ! . . . if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ (The Anointed, Anointing), he is none of His !” Romans 8:8-9, ref: John 6:63.
This is made yet more expressive by the fuller rendering of the Greek word translated “keep under,” in 1 Corinthians 9:27: “I keep under my body.” It means, literally, “to strike under the eyes, hit and beat the face black and blue.” Accordingly, Conybeare and Howson translate this passage thus: “I fight not as the pugilist who strikes out against the air, but I bruise my body and force it into bondage.”
Thus the seventh of Romans shows the man subject to the power of the flesh and the law of sin (under the first Adam) that is in the members, but longing for deliverance. the ninth of first Corinthians shows the flesh subject to the man through the new power of the Spirit of God. In the seventh of Romans, the flesh is ruling and the man is under. In the ninth chapter of first Corinthians, the man is ruling and the flesh is under. And this blessed reversal of things is wrought in conversion . . . Marvel not that I say unto you, Ye must be born (begotten) again ! . . . John 3:7.
By conversion the man is put in possession of the power of God and under the dominion of the Spirit of God so that by that Power he is made ruler over the flesh with all its affections and lusts and through the Spirit he crucifies the flesh with the affections and lusts in his fighting “the good fight of faith.” I Timothy 6:12.
“Blessed be the GOD and Father of our Lord (Adoni – Sovereign King) Jesus Christ (Yehushua ha Moshiac), which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a Living Hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead . . . . For I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me . . . . Christ in you the hope of glory ! . . . . and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of GOD (Yehuwah), Who loved me and gave Himself for me . . .!” I Peter 1:3, Galatians 2:20, & Colossians 1:27. ref: Revelation 14:12.
“Being born (begotten) again, not of corruptible Seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of GOD, which liveth and abideth for ever !” I Peter 1:23 ref: Luke 8:11 and John 1:14 and Galatians 3:16.
Men are not saved by being delivered utterly from the flesh but by receiving power to conquer and rule over all the evil tendencies and the desires of the flesh. Men do not develop character (in fact, they never could) by being delivered into a realm of no temptation, but by receiving power in the field of temptation exactly where they are to conquer all the temptation. (ref: Mrs. E.G. White – Bible Echo, Sept 3rd, 1900).
If men were to be saved by being delivered utterly from the flesh just as it is, then Jesus need never have come to the world. If men were to be saved by being delivered from all temptation and set in a realm of no temptation, then Jesus need not have come into the world. But never, by any such deliverance as that, could man have developed character.
“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises, that by these, ye might be made partakers of the Divine Nature !” II Peter 1:4
“GOD (Jehovah, Yehuwah) sending His Own Son in the likeness of sinful (sin-filled) flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: so that the righteousness of the Law . . . which is holy, just and good . . . might be fulfilled (filled full) in us, who walk (live) not by the power of the flesh, but
after (by) the Spirit !” Romans 8:3-4 & 7:12.
“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit saith the LORD (Jehovah, Yehuwah) of hosts !” Zechariah 4:6
Therefore, instead of trying to save men by delivering them utterly from the flesh just where they were, Jesus came to the world and put Himself IN THE FLESH just where men are and met that flesh JUST AS IT IS, with all its tendencies and desires, and by the Divine power which He brought by faith, He “condemned sin in the flesh” and thus brought to all mankind that divine faith which brings the divine power to man to deliver him from the power of the flesh and the law of sin, just where he is, and to give him assured dominion over the flesh, just as it is.
Instead of Jesus’ trying to save men in a way in which they would be limp and characterless by setting them in a realm of no temptation, He came to man just where man is in the midst of all his temptations. Jesus came in the very flesh such as man has and in that flesh He met all the temptations known to
that flesh and conquered every one of them, and by that conquest brought victory to every soul in the world. Bless His name!
“The Lord knoweth how to deliver (rescue, save) the godly out of temptations . . . !” II Peter 2:9
“For there hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man: but GOD is faithful !Who will not suffer (allow) you to be tempted above what ye are able; but will with the temptation make a Way . . . I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life . . . . of escape, that ye may be able to bear it !” I Corinthians 10:13
“When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD (Jehovah, Yehuwah) shall lift up a standard (escape, deliver) against him. And the Redeemer shall come . . . unto them that turn from transgression (rebellion) in Jacob, saith the LORD !” Isaiah 59:19-20
“Submit (surrender, yield) yourselves therefore to GOD. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you ! Draw nigh to GOD, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; purify your hearts, ye double minded . . . How long halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD (Jehovah, Yehuwah) be God (Elohim – The Mighty One), follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him . . . . Choose ye this day, whom ye will serve; But as for me and my house, We will serve the LORD !”
James 4:7-8, I Kings 18:21 and Joshua 24:15.
And every soul can have in its fullness that victory, who will receive and keep “the faith of Jesus.”
For “this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” I John 5:4
Lessons on Faith p.119-122
A.T. Jones