Every believer endures conflict between our flesh and the Spirit of God in us. These two are at war. We want to eat in a way that glorifies God, we want to exercise our bodies daily, obey God, do what’s right, but we discover that, at times, our flesh hinders us. This weakness is true of every Christian. As Jesus said, “the spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
The Christian lives with two competing desires and thoughts; this can lead to our not doing the good we want to do, not living the way we should, not overcoming as we would like to do. And this conflict will continue until we die (Romans 8:23).
It's important to know that the believer lives with two competing desires, not two competing natures. Our struggle is not with our new nature and our old nature; the old nature has died with Christ; we only have a new nature. However, this new nature lives in weak flesh, and this is the problem we all face (see video at the end of the lesson for additional thoughts).
So, this is a problem. You’ve noticed it, you’ve lived it, as have I. But there is good news; God has provided a solution to our dilemma.
Yes, if the Spirit leads us, we are not under Law. As we learned in the previous lesson, we are no longer under Law because of Jesus' death. This is important because the Law is the power of sin (1 Corinthians 15:56). Through Jesus’ death, we are not under Law and are freed from its penalty and condemnation. But how does this truth affect the way we live and specifically the way we eat and exercise?
So, through our death with Christ, we are legally not under the Law, and through walking by the Spirit, we experience freedom from the power of sin. The cross freed us legally; the Spirit frees us practically.
Notice the result of our death in Christ and our walking by the Spirit: “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24 NIV).
Question 5. According to Galatians 5:24 NIV, how do we see the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of all who belong to Christ?
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Sue's comments on the above question were so helpful here:
"This power is manifested in my life , (since I belong to Christ), when I crucify my flesh with its passions and desires.
Related to food: It looks like a life of self control ( spirit control), not gratifying my flesh by overeating and binging, nor being consumed w/ ideas of food and snacks, etc.
After reading the notes below I add, that crucifixion is the key, the pathway to victory. It alone is the power to overcome. When I’m tempted I am led to crucify my flesh and think of Christ on the cross (washing at the cross.)
I just thought of how my parents taught me to wash my hands before I ate, now I wash my heart, mind and souls at the cross before I eat."
Molly adds the following:
"Now that I am in Christ I no longer succumb to my former lusts, or desires and passions, rather I have self-control. Now that I am in christ, I respond with patience when I am sinned against rather than becoming impatient, and I am gentle rather than angry, not eating at people or situations, rather prayerfully submitting to God and His sovereign plan regardless of my situation or how others treat me. Remembering that Christ deserve to be treated perfectly, yet he was crucified for me and death and sin no longer have a sting, sin is no longer my master, and now I can choose my thoughts words and behavior based on the truth rather than do things based on what I feel, since I am not walking by the flesh but by the spirit."
Crucifixion! This is the pathway to victory! This is the power to overcome! When I’m hit with temptation, I am led by the Spirit to crucify my flesh! When I’m bombarded with thoughts of gratifying my flesh, Christ in me nails those thoughts to a cross!
And this is why, in this course, we focus on the Bible’s main teaching; the cross of Jesus Christ and the believer’s experience of it. For the cross is the entire key to walking by the Spirit and, therefore, not gratifying the lusts of the flesh. Crucifixion, not dieting! Crucifixion, not diet pills!
Question 6. Why is it important to see yourself as dead and risen and transformed instead of seeing yourself as having a new nature added to your old one?
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Kathy's answer to the above question shows thankfulness to finally learn the truth:
"Thank you! I received a breakthrough after 40 years of this wrong teaching of me having like a 'good dog' and 'bad dog' in me as I struggled, drifting in and out of the old nature to the new nature and back.Thank you once again that now there is no more old nature in me but only the new. I finally see it, 'salvation is not merely addition, it is transformation.'"
I’m excited to continue with you, learning about the cross of Jesus Christ and experiencing the power of the Spirit. In the next lesson, we will see a wonderful illustration of the power of the Spirit.