Overcoming the Lust of the Flesh
Losing of Oneself
(Matthew16:24,25) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man
will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his
life for my sake shall find it.
Denying oneself refers to putting down the
old desires, the old life, the old patterns that we established before being
converted. In other words, crucify the old “self” within.
We were born as sinners and it took time and
practice to develop the sinful life of each individual. Since we have Christ as
our Lord we have to discipline, to lay down that old manner of living and put
on Christ. Taking up your cross reflects bringing to death the flesh.
Jesus also says: “and follow Me.” Here comes discipline. This is our
daily following of Jesus Christ by saying “no” to self and “yes” to Jesus. Only
through the Holy Ghost can we follow the Lord and live a godly life.
Nevertheless, we have to make a decision. Discipline
means work and it takes practice. As the old saying goes “practice makes perfect.” We must be penetrated
with Christ so our thinking, saying, doing, and being is what God wants it to
be.
We need to acquire the character of God in
order to show forth the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. We need to allow God
to shape us into his image. We have to train ourselves in directing our lives
around God and not around ourselves.
In other words, we have to lose ourselves.
How do we do this? We…
Mortify Our Members (Desires)
(Colossians 3:5) Mortify therefore your members which are upon the
earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and
covetousness, which is idolatry:
(Galatians 5:19-21) Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which
are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry,
witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:…
Mortify means to make dead, put to death,
slay. You must put to death the earthly desires that work in you, the works of
the flesh. And they are…
Adultery and Fornication (sexual immorality)
Uncleanness (indecency, impurity)
Lasciviousness (shamelessness, insolence)
Inordinate affection (lust)
Evil Concupiscence (evil desires)
Covetousness (greed) – form of idolatry.
Idolatry (the worship of false gods or money
or material things)
Witchcraft (sorcery, magical arts)
Hatred (hostility)
Variance (quarreling, contention, strife)
Emulations (jealousy, indignation)
Wrath (fierceness, anger)
Strife (contention, debate, argument)
Seditions (division, dissension)
Heresies (an opinion, doctrine, or practice
contrary to the truth)
Envyings (envy, jealousy)
Murders (slaughter)
Drunkenness (intoxication)
Revellings (rioting)
Galatians 5:21 goes on to say… they that do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God.
(Galatians 5:16-17) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye
shall not fulfill 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.
(Romans 8:5-8) 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. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the
flesh cannot please God.
Cleanse Ourselves
(2 Corinthians 7:1) Having therefore these promise, dearly
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from
all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of
God.
(Galatians 5:24) And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
(Titus 2:11-12) For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath
appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and
godly, in this present world.
(Romans 13:12-14) The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let
us therefore cast off the works of
darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as
in the day;… But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
Put off the Old Man
(Colossians 3:9) Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his
deeds;
(Ephesians 4:22) That you put
off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lust;
(Romans 6:6-7) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be
destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is
freed from sin.
Put on the New Man
(Ephesians 4:24) And that you put
on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true
holiness.
(Colossians 3:10) … and
have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of
him that created him.
Renew Your Mind
(Ephesians 4:23) And be renewed
in the spirit of your mind.
(Romans 12:2) And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect,
will of God.
(1 Peter 4:1-2) Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in
the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with
the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of
men, but to the will of God.
Be Holy
(1 Peter 1:13-16) Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be
sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the
revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your
ignorance: but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all
manner of conversation; because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy.
(Romans 12:1) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service.
“Present” is a technical expression from the
sacrificial terminology. Under the Old Covenant, the offerer’s gift was
presented to God and became His property. Similarly, the gift of our life is
set apart for God’s use as He determines. When we are bought with a price (1
Corinthians 6:20), we belong to ourselves no longer, we are to glorify God with
our bodies.
The Old Covenant sacrifices produced a sweet
smell that God declares in Leviticus 1:17; 2:2; and 3:5 to be a fragrant aroma
in His nostrils. In the same way, the gift of our life is “acceptable to God.”
Paul says that giving our lives in this way
is “reasonable” that is, of sound judgment, moderate, sensible, or as many
modern translations say, rational or spiritual. The outward acts of a son of
God spring logically from what has changed in the inner man (the new man). His
mind is being renewed, and he is thus controlling himself to live according to
God’s will rather than in conformity to the insanity of this world.
When We Overcome The Flesh God
Gives Victory
(Ephesians 2:1-6 Good New Translation) In the past you were
spiritually dead because of your disobedience and sins. At that time you
followed the world’s evil ways, according to the prince of the power of the
air, the spirit who now controls the people who disobey God. Actually all of us
were like them and lived according to our natural desires, doing whatever
suited the wishes of our own bodies and minds. In our natural condition we, like
everyone else, were destined to suffer God’s anger. But God’s mercy is so
abundant, and his love for us is so great, that while we were spiritually dead
in our disobedience he brought us to
life with Christ.
(1 Corinthians 15:57) But
thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in
the Lord.
(2 Peter 1:3-8,10-11 ESV) His divine power has granted to us all
things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who
called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his
precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers
of the divine nature, having escaped
from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your
faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control,
and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and
godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For
if these qualities are yours and are increasing they keep you from being
ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your
calling and election, for if you
practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be
richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
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