The Need for Inwelling

Galatians 5:16–17 BSB

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Just as Isaac and Ishmael were unable to get along, so the Spirit and the flesh (the old nature) are at war with each other.

By “the flesh,” of course, Paul does not mean “the body.”

The human body is not sinful; it is neutral.

If the Holy Spirit controls the body, then we walk in the Spirit; but if the flesh controls the body, then we walk in the lusts (desires) of the flesh.

The Conflict:

The Spirit and the flesh have different appetites, and this is what creates the conflict.

These opposite appetites are illustrated in the Bible in different ways:

The sheep is a clean animal and avoids garbage, while the pig is an unclean animal and enjoys wallowing in filth (2 Peter 2:19–22).

After the rain ceased and the ark settled, Noah released a raven which never came back (Gen. 8:6–7).

The raven is a carrion-eating bird and found plenty to feed on.

But when Noah released the dove (a clean bird), it came back (Gen. 8:8–12).

The last time he released the dove and it did not return, he knew that it had found a clean place to settle down; therefore the waters had receded.

Application:

Our old nature is like the pig and the raven, always looking for something unclean on which to feed.

Our new nature is like the sheep and the dove, yearning for that which is clean and holy.

No wonder a struggle goes on within the life of the believer!

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We have 2 “natures” within us:

A Nature that desires sin and a nature than desires godliness.

Paul says this:

Romans 7:16–18 BSB

16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I admit that the law is good. 17 In that case, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

A different kind of Battle:

All battles are a battle of the wills.

All conflicts are ended by the will that wins.

So we see this internal conflict and try to use our will to win.

Never work!

Why?

Your will is equally available to BOTH natures.

When you are thinking with the mind of Christ you set your will to serve Christ.

But when you think with the mind controlled by the flesh you set that same will to serve the flesh.

Think of your will as what you determine to do.

You determine (will) not to sin.

However, that same determination not to sin is what you use to sin.

This is why you have and will always break your promises to God.

Look how the bible puts this:

The Christian cannot simply will to overcome the flesh:

Galatians 5:17 BSB

17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.

It is this very problem that Paul discusses in Romans:

Romans 7:15 BSB

15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.

Romans 7:19 BSB

19 For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do.

Paul is not denying that there is victory.

He is simply pointing out that we cannot win this victory in our own strength and by our own will.

The Solution:

Romans 7:21–23 BSB

21So this is the principle I have discovered: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God’s law. 23But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.

The solution is not to pit our will against the flesh, but to surrender our will to the Holy Spirit.

How to have Victory?

But how does the believer handle the old nature when it is capable of producing such horrible sins?

The Law cannot change or control the old nature.

Dont try to cage the old nature in a prison of rules.

The old nature must be crucified.

Galatians 5:24 BSB

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Paul explains that the believer is identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6).

Christ not only died for me, but I died with Christ.

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He does not tell us to crucify ourselves, because this is impossible.

He tells us that the flesh has already been crucified.

It is our responsibility to believe this and act on it.

Paul calls this “reckoning”.

Reckon Yourselves!

Romans 6:11 NKJV

11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You have the same truth presented in Col. 3:5ff.

Colossians 3:5–10 BSB

5 Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. 7 When you lived among them, you also used to walk in these ways. 8 But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

You and I are not debtors to the flesh, but to the Spirit.

Romans 8:12–14 BSB

12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation, but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 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. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

What does this mean?

It can be understood by an analogy of a circus elephant.

When they are being trained they use thick, heavy chains to tie up the poor creature.

After years of self injury trying to break free the elephant comes to conclude that the chain cannot be broken and simply stops trying.

When this happens the trainers swap out the heavy chain for a light piece of rope.

The elephant could easily break the rope, but its so defeated that it still believes it to be strong so it does not even try escape.

Our old nature had us chained up with the heavy chains of sin.

And try as we might, we could never break free.

However, now that we are in Christ, we have power over sin.

The victorious Christians is the one who sees that sin is only connected now by a thin rope.

Most Christians still think the chains are on.

Why else do you think Jesus said:

Luke 4:16–21 BSB

16 Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. And when He stood up to read, 17 the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him, 21 and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Is it like pretending?

As a child i pretended i was a spaceman and acted like a spaceman.

Is reckoning pretending I’m dead to sin and so acting like I’m dead to sin?

NO!

Reckoning is NOT pretending its about ACCEPTING by faith what God said is true and then behaving as if it is indeed true.

I had to pretend I was a spaceman because I was not in fact a spaceman.

But I reckon i am dead to sin because God in His authority said I am dead to sin.

-How to start?

by reckoning that which you can see

husbands and wives and children

this is the day I will be glad and rejoice