87: In the Flesh

We have died to the law. However, that doesn’t mean that the enemy and his minions won’t still try to use the law by shouting its demands at us, but we don’t have to listen to it!

Here are the old days of being married to Mr. Law:

When we were [past tense] in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. (Romans 7:5, brackets mine)¹

To be “in the flesh” is to be under law, seeking to do good through self-effort. Being “in the flesh” isn’t referring to the “works of the flesh”; however, being “in the flesh” does arouse sinful passions and will lead to the “works of the flesh” such as sexual immorality, hatred, jealousy, arguing, fits of anger, selfish ambition, and drunkenness.² Those sinful passions are aroused by the law! If you want to get rid of sinning, get rid of the law! Law puts demands on the flesh to overcome sin. The problem is that the power of sin in the flesh is more powerful than the flesh to overcome it. The flesh, as strong as it may seem, will never match the power of sin which originates from the devil. But here is good news:

He who is IN YOU is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4, emphasis mine)

So we can’t say, “The devil made me do it,” because we have an infinitely greater power within us than the power of sin and satan. The new creation joined to the Spirit of God, married to Jesus, has the power of God within. This power has already overcome the power of satan. Our “job” is to be AWARE of the truth and set our minds on it! The worst thing we can do is set our mind on the flesh. All it does is bear fruit to death.

But now we have been delivered from the law having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. (Romans 7:6)

(from pages 148-149 of Unveiling Jesus)

Want more from Tricia Gunn? Check out excerpts from the Unveiling Jesus 20-part series!

Unveiling Jesus, by Tricia Gunn, is a verse by verse study of the pure gospel of grace. It’s an amazing journey of love, identity, and freedom in Christ.

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¹All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New King James Version. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®.  Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.  Used by permission.
²Galatians 5:19-21