God has chosen to limit Himself to partnership with us on earth. God won’t violate our free will, and Satan can’t override it by force. It’s always up to us. Our choices either empower God to bless us, or open the door to the devil to steal, kill and destroy. Our opening text declares this truth, so how can we limit God? In parts one and two of this study series, we’ve looked at the importance of mouth management, unforgiveness, unconfessed sin and an unrenewed mind. Today we examine the issue of uncontrolled flesh.    

We must remember we are spirits living in flesh and blood bodies. When we were born again, it was our spirit man who changed - our flesh did not. It remains one of the three enemies we must contend with in this life. James 4:1-7 tells us who they are. First, we have our own dead-to-sin flesh (vs 1). Next, we have the world system Satan is the god of (vs 4), and third, we have the devil and his demons (vs 7). All three enemies must be overcome and controlled, but after serving the Lord since 1978, and seeing what I’ve seen, I’m well-persuaded the most destructive of these three would be our unregenerate flesh. Why? Because this is the tent we live in (2 Peter 1:13,14), and we can’t just step out of our bodies to live the way we want for the Lord. 

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 flesh is always at odds with what our born-again spirit wants to do. Read Romans chapters 6,7 and 8. Using himself as the example, Paul describes the war going on inside – his spirit wrestling against his flesh. 

For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice, but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do I do not do; but the evil I will not do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according the the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:15-25.

These three chapters in Romans perfectly describe the fight each of us must win, because if we don’t, we limit God to the degree we let the “body of death” control our free will choices. The “inward man” is our spirit. The “sin that dwells in me” is dwelling in our flesh, which is the “outward man”. That is the “evil present with me”. The word of God is clear in this matter. God expects us to consistently keep our flesh under submission. Doing so last year doesn’t mean it’s being done today. This is a daily discipline for all of us.  

Let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. Romans 13:13,14.  

When we make provision for our flesh, we handcuff God and empower those three enemies that James talks about. Trust me, if you do that, they’ll take you up on your offer! This was the case with the Corinthians. They were saved, but carnal. That means they were born again but still letting the flesh dominate their choices, just like unbelievers do (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). They were acting, talking, thinking and living just like unsaved people. Unfortunately, that is the state of affairs with the vast majority of Christians today. I hope you’re not included in that group!  

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:12,14

Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. 

Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

Because the flesh is such a deceptive, destructive enemy, we must never forget how easily it can step back in and limit God’s ability to work in us and through us. Therefore, we must be diligent to keep our outward man under control, just like they did in the early church.  

But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:27

For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 

1 John 2:16,17

The will of God is to sanctify our bodies, and make them obey the word of God (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7). To abide with God forever means we discipline and control our flesh now, in every area. It’s not up to God to do this. He leaves it up to us. Believers were doing this from the beginning, now we must do the same. The Bible tells us never to give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27), but the word of God is equally clear concerning our flesh. Control it and subdue it through daily communion with God in prayer and study of His word.

This is what the apostles found out early on, and what we need to know now. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. Acts 6:4. Their prayer and study time didn’t just happen by accident. They gave themselves to the task. They made this a daily decision. This is also what Paul was talking about, when he said he “died daily”

(1 Corinthians 15:31).

Giving ourselves to prayer and Bible study is absolutely necessary, but because the “outward man” is still the outward man, there are other things we must address, namely diet and exercise. Many believers despise those two words, but no matter how much we give ourselves to prayer and Bible study, the outward man can still corrupt us if we don’t take care of ourselves physically. This is especially true the older we get. We can’t stop the curse of sin from bringing on old age and physical death, but we can take steps to slow down the process.  

Proverbs 23:2 tells us to put a knife to our throats if we are “given to appetite”. If you take time to objectively research on this subject, it won’t take long to find out that most of what we eat isn’t good for us in the long run. (Unfortunately for me, that means no more regular runs to the local donut shop)! If you don’t control your appetite, your flesh will take you to a place you don’t want to be in terms of physical ailments and age-onset diseases. 

On the other hand, regular exercise goes a long way to keeping our bodies fit for the work of the Lord. In 1 Timothy 4:8, Paul told Timothy bodily exercise profits a little, but that is never an excuse for people trying to justify laziness. That “little” goes a long way to extending our time on earth, and the degree of usefulness for the work of the Gospel.  

Why talk about such carnal things? Because we’re talking about uncontrolled flesh, and in God’s eyes, it’s a sin to purposely disregard common-sense diet and exercise, letting ourselves become spiritually dull, and physically slow, sluggish and unhealthy. No, we shouldn’t become obsessed with these things, but on the other hand, we should understand their proper place in our lives, right along with prayer and Bible study.  

Notice this in our opening passage from Psalms. The people of God didn’t just limit God occasionally. They did it again and again. Don’t make a habit of limiting the Holy One of Israel. Control your flesh. Do that, and instead of failing God again and again, we’ll be triumphant in Christ again and again. It’s your choice!  

Never forget this truth: The law of sowing and reaping is always in play. According to Galatians 6:8, if you sow to the flesh, you will reap corruption. Sooner or later – always.