The Struggle Between Spirit and Flesh

Christ's Testimony and Our Spiritual Battle

1. We have heard the words of the holy Gospel, and what the Lord Jesus says: "If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true" (John 5:31) may confuse some. How can the witness of the Truth not be true? Is He not the one who said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6)? Whom should we believe if we cannot believe the Truth? Surely anyone who refuses to believe the truth intends to believe only falsehood.

Jesus spoke this according to their way of thinking. You should understand His meaning as: "If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true" in your opinion. He knew His witness about Himself was true, but for the sake of the weak, the unbelieving, and those without understanding, the Sun sought out lamps. Their weak eyes could not bear the dazzling brightness of the Sun.

2. Therefore, John was called to bear witness to the Truth. You have heard what Jesus said: "You went to John; he was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light" (John 5:35). This lamp was prepared to confound them, as was prophesied long before in the Psalms: "I have prepared a lamp for My Anointed" (Psalm 132:17). What! A lamp for the Sun? "His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon Himself His crown shall flourish" (Psalm 132:18).

The Jews were indeed confounded by John when they said to the Lord, "By what authority are You doing these things? Tell us" (Matthew 21:23). Jesus answered, "You tell Me: The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?" (Matthew 21:24-25). They heard this and were silent, immediately thinking to themselves: "If we say, 'From men,' the people will stone us, for they regard John as a prophet. If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'" For John bore witness to Christ.

Caught in their hearts by their own questions and trapped in their own snares, they answered, "We do not know" (Matthew 21:27). What else could the voice of darkness say? It is right for someone who genuinely doesn't know to say, "I don't know." But when someone knows and says, "I don't know," they testify against themselves. They knew John's excellence and that his baptism was from heaven, but they were unwilling to accept the one to whom John bore witness.

When they said, "We do not know," Jesus answered them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things" (Matthew 21:27). And so they were confounded, fulfilling what was written: "I have prepared a lamp for My Anointed, His enemies I will clothe with shame" (Psalm 132:17-18).

3. Are not the martyrs witnesses of Christ? Don't they bear witness to the truth? But if we think more carefully, when these martyrs bear witness, Christ bears witness to Himself. For He dwells in the martyrs, enabling them to bear witness to the truth. Listen to one of the martyrs, the Apostle Paul: "Do you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me?" (2 Corinthians 13:3).

When John bears witness, it is Christ dwelling in John who bears witness to Himself. Let Peter bear witness, let Paul bear witness, let the other apostles bear witness, let Stephen bear witness—it is Christ dwelling in them all who bears witness to Himself. For without them, He is God. But without Him, what are they?

4. Scripture says of Christ: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men" (Ephesians 4:8). What does "He led captivity captive" mean? He conquered death. What is "He led captivity captive" ? The devil was the author of death, and through Christ's death, the devil himself was taken captive.

"He ascended on high." What higher place do we know than heaven? Visibly and before His disciples' eyes, He ascended into heaven. This we know, believe, and confess. "He gave gifts to men." What gifts? The Holy Spirit.

He who gives such a Gift—what kind of Being is He? God's mercy is great; He gives a Gift equal to Himself. His Gift is the Holy Spirit, and the whole Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is one God. What has the Holy Spirit brought us? Hear the Apostle: "The love of God," he says, "has been poured out in our hearts" (Romans 5:5).

How, poor beggar, has God's love been poured into your heart? How has God's love been poured into human hearts? "We have," he says, "this treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Corinthians 4:7). Why in earthen vessels? "That the excellence of the power may be of God" (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Finally, after saying, "The love of God has been poured out in our hearts," so that no one would think they have this love of God by themselves, he immediately added, "by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:5). Therefore, for you to love God, let God dwell in you, and let Him love Himself through you. May His love move you, kindle you, enlighten you, and stir you.

5. In this body of ours, we face a struggle. As long as we live, we are in combat; as long as we are in combat, we are in danger. But "in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). You heard our struggle just now when the Apostle's words were read: "All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Galatians 5:14).

This love comes from the Holy Spirit. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." First, see if you know how to love yourself. Then I'll entrust you with the neighbor whom you are to love as yourself. But if you don't yet know how to love yourself, I fear you might deceive your neighbor as you deceive yourself.

If you love wrongdoing, you don't love yourself. The Psalm testifies to this: "Whoever loves iniquity hates his own soul" (Psalm 11:5). If you hate your own soul, what good does it do to love your body? If you hate your soul and love your flesh, your flesh will rise again—but only so your soul can be tormented.

Therefore, the soul must be loved first, and it must be brought under God's authority. This maintains the proper order: the soul submits to God, and the flesh submits to the soul. Do you want your flesh to serve your soul? Let your soul serve God. You need to be governed so that you can govern. This struggle is so perilous that if your Ruler abandons you, ruin will follow.

6. What struggle? "But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another. I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:15-16). I'm quoting the Apostle's words that were just read from his Epistle.

"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." He didn't say, "You shall not have the lusts of the flesh." Nor did he say, "You shall not do the lusts of the flesh." Rather, he said, "You shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh."

With the Lord's help, I'll explain what this means as best I can. Pay attention to understand this, if you are walking in the Spirit. "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." Let him continue; perhaps what is obscure here will be clarified by what follows.

I said that it was significant that the Apostle chose not to say, "You shall not have the lusts of the flesh," or even "You shall not do the lusts of the flesh," but said, "You shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." He has placed this struggle before us. We are engaged in this battle if we are in God's service.

What follows? "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. These are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want" (Galatians 5:17). This, if not properly understood, is extremely dangerous to hear. Therefore, concerned that people might perish through misinterpretation, I have undertaken with the Lord's help to explain these words to you. We have enough time, as we began early in the morning, and the dinner hour is not pressing. On the Sabbath, those who hunger for God's word especially gather together. Listen attentively, for I will speak as carefully as I can.

7. What did I mean by saying this is "dangerous to hear if not properly understood" ? Many people, overcome by carnal and destructive desires, commit all sorts of crimes and impurities. They wallow in such abominable uncleanness that it's shameful even to mention. Yet they quote these words of the Apostle to excuse themselves.

They say, "See what the Apostle said: 'So that you do not do the things that you want.' I don't want to do these things. I'm forced, compelled, and overcome. 'I do the things I don't want to,' as the Apostle says. 'The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh, so that you do not do what you want.'" You see how dangerous it is to hear this if you don't understand it. You see why it's a pastor's responsibility to open sealed fountains and provide pure, harmless water to thirsty sheep.

8. Don't allow yourself to be overcome when you fight. See what kind of war, what kind of battle, what kind of conflict Paul describes—it's within you, inside your very self. "The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit." If the Spirit doesn't also desire what is contrary to the flesh, then go ahead and commit adultery. But if the Spirit desires what is contrary to the flesh, I see a struggle, not a victory yet. It's a contest.

"The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit." Yes, adultery has its pleasure, I admit. But "the Spirit desires what is contrary to the flesh." Chastity also has its pleasure. Let the Spirit overcome the flesh, or at least not be overcome by the flesh.

Adultery seeks darkness; chastity desires light. Live as you would wish to appear to others. As you would wish to appear to people, live that way even beyond human sight, for He who created you sees you even in darkness. Why is chastity praised publicly by everyone? Why don't even adulterers praise adultery? "Whoever does the truth comes to the light" (John 3:21).

But adultery has its pleasure. Contradict it, resist it, oppose it. You have resources for this fight. Your God is in you; the good Spirit has been given to you. And yet our flesh is still permitted to desire what is contrary to the spirit through evil suggestions and real delights. Secure what the Apostle says: "Do not let sin reign in your mortal body" (Romans 6:12). He didn't say, "Don't let it be there." It's already there.

This is called sin because it resulted from sin's wages. In Paradise, the flesh didn't desire what was contrary to the spirit. This struggle didn't exist there, where there was only peace. But after the transgression, after man refused to serve God and was given over to himself (though not in a way that let him possess himself, but possessed by the one who deceived him), the flesh began to desire what was contrary to the Spirit.

Now it desires what is contrary to the Spirit in the good. In the evil, it has nothing to desire against. It desires what is contrary to the Spirit where the Spirit is.

9. When Paul says, "The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh," don't assume he means the human spirit. It is God's Spirit fighting in you against yourself, against what in you is against you.

You wouldn't stand firm toward God; you fell and were broken, like a vessel falling from someone's hand to the ground. Because you were broken, you turned against yourself; you became your own opponent. Let nothing in you be contrary to yourself, and you will stand in your integrity.

To help you understand that this work belongs to the Holy Spirit, the Apostle says elsewhere: "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). From these words, people might exalt themselves, as if by their own spirit they could overcome the deeds of the flesh.

"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." Explain to us, Apostle, through which spirit? For man also has his own spirit, by which he is human. Man consists of body and spirit, and of this human spirit it is said, "No one knows a man's thoughts except the man's spirit within him" (1 Corinthians 2:11).

I see that man has his own spirit belonging to his nature, and I hear you saying, "But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." I ask, by which spirit—my own, or God's? I hear your words but am confused by this ambiguity.

The word "spirit" is used in different ways—sometimes of a person's spirit, sometimes of animals, as it is written that "all flesh that had within it the spirit of life died in the flood" (Genesis 7:21-22). The word spirit is used for animals and for humans. Sometimes even the wind is called spirit, as in the Psalm: "Fire, hail, snow, frost, stormy spirit" (Psalm 148:8).

Since the word "spirit" is used in many ways, by what spirit, Apostle, do you say the deeds of the flesh are to be put to death—by my own or by God's Spirit? Listen to what follows, and understand. The difficulty is resolved in the next words. After saying, "But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live," he immediately added, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14).

You act when you are acted upon, and you act well when you are acted upon by the Good. So when he told you, "If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live," and you weren't sure which spirit he meant, understand your Teacher in the words that follow. Acknowledge your Redeemer. That Redeemer has given you the Spirit by which you may put to death the deeds of the body. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."

They are not God's children if they are not led by God's Spirit. But if they are led by God's Spirit, they fight, because they have a mighty Helper. God doesn't watch our struggles as spectators watch gladiators. The crowd may cheer for a gladiator, but they cannot help him when he's in danger.

10. So here too, "The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh." And what does it mean, "So that you do not do what you want" ? This is where the danger lies for someone who misunderstands. Let me explain it, however inadequate I may be.

"So that you do not do what you want." Listen, holy ones, whoever you are who are fighting. I speak to those engaged in battle. Those who are fighting understand me; whoever isn't fighting won't understand. I won't say the fighter understands me—rather, he anticipates what I'm about to say.

What does the chaste person wish? That no sinful desire would rise in their body at all to oppose chastity. They desire peace, but they don't have it yet. When we reach that state where no desire rises up to oppose us, there will be no enemy to fight. We won't expect victory there because we'll be celebrating triumph over a defeated foe.

Hear about this victory in the Apostle's words: "This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory'" (1 Corinthians 15:53-54).

Hear the triumphant voices: "O Death, where is your struggle? O Death, where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55). You have struck, you have wounded, you have thrown down; but He who made me was wounded for me, and by His death He has conquered you. Then in triumph they will say, "O Death, where is your struggle? O Death, where is your sting?"

11. But now, when "the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh," this is the struggle with death. We don't do what we want. Why? Because we wish there were no sinful desires at all, but we can't prevent them.

Whether we want them or not, we have them. Whether we want them or not, they entice us, attract us, stimulate us, disturb us, try to rise. They are suppressed, not yet extinguished. How long will the flesh desire what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh? Will it be this way when we die? God forbid!

You will put off the flesh, so how could you carry the desires of the flesh with you? If you've fought well, you'll be received into rest. From this rest, you'll move on to receive your crown, not condemnation. After that, you'll be brought into the Kingdom.

As long as we live here, my brothers, this is how it is. It's true even for us who have grown old in this warfare—we have less powerful enemies now, but we still have them. Our enemies are somewhat worn out by age, but they still don't stop harassing the peace of old age with whatever excitements they can manage. The young face a sharper fight—we know it well; we've been through it.

"The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh, so that you do not do what you want." What would you want, holy people, good warriors, and brave soldiers of Christ? What would you want? That there should be no evil desires at all. But you cannot achieve this. Sustain the war, hope for triumph.

"The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh, so that you do not do what you want" —that is, that there would be no sinful desires of the flesh at all.

12. But do what you can—what the Apostle himself says in another place, which I had already begun to quote: "Do not let sin reign in your mortal body, to obey its desires" (Romans 6:12). Look, I experience what I don't want—evil desires arise. But don't obey them. Arm yourself; take up the weapons of war. God's commandments are your weapons. If you listen to me as you should, you are being armed even by what I'm now saying.

"Do not let sin reign in your mortal body," he says. As long as you bear a mortal body, sin fights against you, but don't let it reign. What does "don't let it reign" mean? That is, "to obey its desires." If you begin to obey, sin reigns. And what does it mean to obey except to "yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin" (Romans 6:13)?

There is no better teacher than this one. What more would you have me explain? Do what you've heard. Don't yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin. God has given you authority through His Spirit to control your members. Desire rises up? Control your members. Don't let your limbs serve your adversary against yourself.

Restrain your feet from going after unlawful things. Desire has risen up? Restrain your members. Keep your hands from all wickedness. Restrain your eyes from wandering. Keep your ears from listening to words of lust with pleasure. Control your whole body—restrain its sides, its upper and lower parts. What can desire do? It knows how to rise, but it doesn't know how to conquer. By rising constantly without effect, it will eventually stop rising altogether.

13. Let's return to the words I described as obscure from the Apostle, which now should be clear. I noted that the Apostle didn't say, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not have the lusts of the flesh," because we must necessarily have them. Why didn't he say, "You shall not do the lusts of the flesh" ? Because we do them—we do experience desire. The very act of desiring is itself doing something.

But the Apostle says, "It is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me" (Romans 7:17). What should you guard against? Make sure you don't fulfill those desires. A harmful desire has risen up—it has risen, made its suggestion; don't listen to it. It burns and doesn't quiet down, and you wish it wouldn't burn. This is where "you do not do what you want" comes in.

Don't give it your members. Let it burn without effect, and it will burn itself out. Within you, then, these desires are active. We must confess they are active. That's why he said, "You shall not fulfill." Don't let them be fulfilled. You've decided to do something wrong? You've already fulfilled it.

You have fulfilled it if you've decided to commit adultery but haven't done it because you couldn't find a place, couldn't find an opportunity, or perhaps the woman you desired happened to be virtuous. Look, she remained virtuous, but you are an adulterer. Why? Because you fulfilled the desire in your mind. What does "fulfilled" mean? You decided in your mind to commit adultery. If now—God forbid—your body also acts, you have fallen headlong into death.

14. Christ raised the synagogue ruler's daughter who was dead in the house (Mark 5:35-43). She was in the house; she hadn't yet been carried outside. This represents the person who has decided on some wickedness in their heart—they are dead, but still inside the house. But if they've gone as far as the action of their body, they've been carried outside the gate.

The Lord also raised the young man, the widow's son, when he was being carried out dead beyond the city gate (Luke 7:11-17). So I say to you: if you've decided in your heart but stop yourself before acting, you will be healed while still inside. If you repent in your heart that you've decided on something bad, wicked, abominable, and damnable, you will rise where you were lying dead—within your heart.

But if you've carried out the act, you've already been carried outside. Yet you still have One who says to you, "Young man, I say to you, arise" (Luke 7:14). Even though you've committed the sin, repent and return at once; don't go all the way to the tomb.

But I find yet a third dead person who was carried all the way to the tomb. He now bears the weight of habit; a mass of earth presses heavily on him. He has practiced much in unclean deeds and is weighed down by his excessive habit. Here too Christ cries out, "Lazarus, come forth!" (John 11:43). A person of very evil habit "already stinks" (John 11:39).

Rightly did Christ in that case cry out—and not just cry, but "cry with a loud voice" . For at Christ's cry, even these—though dead, buried, and stinking—shall rise again. None who lies dead should despair under so powerful a Redeemer.