In the New Testament, flesh is used in several ways. It is however, the intent of the following definition to clarify its use only in the passages from which I have linked to this page.
This definition of the flesh refers to that which is natural of man. That which man has when he is conceived. It is the natural abilities of man without divine aide. It is the carnal desires and passions of man. It is temporal and worldly and has no capacity to know spiritual things. It does not have the ability to perform a single righteous act. It is the enjoyments that minister to the wants and desires of man’s animal nature.
The flesh is weak, “it profiteth nothing“. There is absolutely nothing that the flesh can do in order to gain favor with God. Nothing that he flesh does will be rewarded. Paul teaches that within the natural man “dwelleth no good thing“. The flesh is only capable of serving the “the law of sin“.
The flesh, or carnal part of man, is not capable of fulfilling any aspect of the law of God. The law of God was “weak through the flesh” because of this. The carnal mind “is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be“. The law has no control over the flesh – carnal man. The flesh will not, and cannot, submit to the authority of the law of righteousness, nor recognize the authority of it Author. The carnal mind – the mind according to the flesh – is deep-seated, with mutual hatred toward God. It holds hostility that quickly results in active resistance and opposition to God. The carnal mind will not submit to God in obedience, nor can it in any way.
The regenerates are not debtors to the flesh, it has done nothing for us, nor will it ever do anything for us. We do not owe anything to the flesh. There is nothing that necessitates our subjection to its desires and lusts.
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like.”
But of the above, remember that it takes very little to commit adultery and murder. How little does it take to commit the others?
“For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
And if we, who are born again, live our lives after this carnal mind, we shall remain in death. And should we convert and receive the Holy Spirit and take hold of life, and then turn back to these carnal ways, we shall die, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die”. “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption”. But do not misunderstand this passage either; because the kingdom of God is for the present, it is not Eternal Heaven.
We are called to “cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh”, to “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh“. But remember that this will not be an easy thing to accomplish because “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would“.
