The "Flesh"

 

What does the New Testament means by "the flesh?"

Though as believers we are forgiven, have a new nature, and are destined to become like Christ, for now we still live in fallen bodies in a fallen world.  

That means that a part of us—what the Bible calls the flesh—still tries to entice us to sin, and do things the old way.  Not every desire is a godly desire!

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And the flesh is also “weak” when it comes to doing anything positive for God (Romans 7:14-20):

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

Willpower is no substitute for the power of God’s Spirit in us to live for him and to transform us. 

Paul says the God's Holy Spirit within us is the power to overcome the pull of our old flesh nature:

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want (Galatians 5:16-17).

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