Lesson 7: Warring Against the Flesh: Putting to Death the Misdeeds of the Body
Questions 4 and 5
When we view the cross long enough, it begins to make us militant against our flesh, and we become both passionate and thorough in putting to death whatever belongs to it. David used the words “chased…destroyed…crushed…couldn’t rise again.”
If all I was teaching were “behavior change” through external means such as a diet or some other weight loss program, you and I would likely find ways around it. We might be able to follow the rules for a few weeks, maybe a month or so, but because our hearts would still be craving sin, we would find ways to gratify our cravings rather than crucify our flesh.
But when God’s grace reaches our heart at the cross, when God’s Spirit leads us, we get a heart that wants to stand up and fight! A heart that wants to war against the flesh! Now we’re thinking the thoughts of the Spirit rather than thoughts of the flesh, and while that makes us war against our flesh, we have such enjoyable peace! “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:5-6).
Let the Scriptures encourage you to pray and ask God to give you this aggressive attitude, a heart that wants to “by the Spirit put to death the misdeeds of the body.”
Question 4. What is your present level of desire to “put to death the misdeeds of the body,” that is, the cravings of your flesh?
Question 5. According to the video, what is the motivation for our own suffering in putting to death the misdeeds of our bodies?
Log in / create an account to enroll or continue where you left off.
Wende has it right here, as she responds to the above question:
"Jesus' sacrifice is the motivation for me to, by the Spirit, put to death the misdeeds of the body. This means I will suffer with Him. The avoidance of putting to death my misdeeds is really just an unwillingness to suffer. I have been looking to the cross, picturing Jesus hanging there several times a day. This helps me stay the course. My "suffering" is so small compared to His."