Faith Embassy Church – Home Bible Study Series

The Flesh!

There is an opposing entity that dwells with us as Believers. That entity is called “the flesh,” and it wants to govern our lives. The flesh is a mindset that goes against the Word of God. Although our spirits are recreated when we make Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, our minds are left unchanged. Once we begin the process of changing our minds to line up with the Word, a struggle develops. The struggle is between the part of us that wants to go in the direction of the world system and the part of us that agrees with the Word of God.

  1. Paul articulated in detail the conflict between his spirit and his flesh (Romans 7:4-Romans 8:1).
  2. The flesh is used to describe the body of a person or an animal.
  3. The flesh also refers to the soul of a person, which consists of the mind, will, and emotions.
  4. Paul said that a part of him wanted to do right (his spirit), and another part of him continued to do wrong (his flesh).
  5. Our struggle as Christians is a struggle against the flesh (a mindset that opposes God’s Word).
  6. We need to know how to effectively war against the flesh and receive what Jesus has done for us.
  1. “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble” (1 Corinthians 1:26, New American Standard Bible).
  2. The flesh is a resource by which we can gain status, wisdom, and strength.
  3. The flesh wishes to provide a sense of identity that is based on our intellectual attributes, physical characteristics, and social status.
  4. However, our recreated spirits and the Holy Spirit that dwells within us want to establish our identity.
  1. Paul had an impressive background based on fleshy standards; however, he counted it all a loss compared to knowing Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:4-7).
  2. We can choose whether we will have confidence in who we are in the flesh or who we are in Christ.
  3. We often associate the flesh with only bad traits.
  4. However, there are subtle traits the flesh produces that seem good and moral.
  5. For instance, the flesh can create religious (or moral) living that looks good to others but is void of true spiritual development.
  6. Paul corrected the Galatians who were trying to grow spiritually through fleshy means (Galatians 3:1-3).
  7. We grow spiritually through our dependence on God rather than our dependence on our self effort (or our mere human abilities).
  8. We need God to be who we are (Philippians 1:6, AMP).
  9. He started a good work in us, and He is going to finish it. He is committed to our spiritual development until Jesus returns.
  1. Attributes of the flesh
  2. The flesh is a way of thinking that goes against the Word of God.
  3. The flesh is a way of walking (or operating) that goes against the Word of God.
  4. The flesh works against the spirit. It is an opposing force.
  5. The flesh encourages self-effort. It motivates us to depend on legalism and self-effort.
  6. The flesh seeks identity and purpose.
  1. “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord”

(Jeremiah 17:5).

  1. The person who trusts man is empowered to fail.
  2. The person who trusts God is empowered to succeed (Jeremiah 17:7).
  3. Jesus said that it is the spirit that is the life giver. His words are spirit and life. The flesh profits nothing (John 6:63).

Home Bible Study Series – The Flesh!