Fleeting Flesh: Faith's Failure

The Bible contains many references to the dangers of putting faith in the flesh. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul speaks of the flesh over 90 times, often in a negative light. For instance, in Philippians 3:3, Paul writes, For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh. Here, Paul distinguishes between those who worship God in spirit and truth and those who rely on external ceremonies and human effort. Similarly, in Jeremiah 17:5-9, we are warned, Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. This passage emphasizes the futility of trusting in human strength or worldly things and encourages us to put our trust in God instead.

The flesh and the Spirit are mortal enemies

Paul makes a clear distinction between the flesh and the Spirit, urging believers to worship God in the Spirit and not put their confidence or trust in the flesh. He writes in Philippians 3:3, "For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God, glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh".

The flesh, in this context, refers to a reliance on human effort and achievements without dependence on the Holy Spirit. It includes any human action or achievement that is not grounded in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul lists several examples of what he means by "flesh" in Philippians 3:4-6, including physical pedigree, ethnic identity, and religious affiliation. He considered these things as rubbish because they were not done in reliance on the Holy Spirit and did not bring glory to Christ.

In contrast, the Spirit refers to worshipping and living by the Holy Spirit, and worshipping and living for the glory of Jesus Christ. This is what makes Christians the true circumcision, according to Paul. True circumcision is not an outward physical act but an inner work of the heart, a work of the Spirit.

The flesh and the Spirit are enemies because they represent two opposing ways of living. The flesh represents a self-reliant, sinful nature, while the Spirit represents a dependence on God and a desire to bring glory to Jesus Christ. The two are incompatible, and believers are warned not to put their faith or confidence in the flesh but to rely on the Spirit and find their joy and strength in the Lord.

The flesh leads to biting and devouring

The Bible contains several warnings against putting faith in the flesh. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul writes to the Philippians, admonishing them to "rejoice in the Lord" and not in themselves. Paul warns against those who have confidence in themselves, that is, in their flesh. He uses the term "flesh" to refer to bodily life on earth, in contrast to the spiritual life with Christ in heaven.

Paul further distinguishes between the physical act of circumcision, which he calls "mutilation", and the true circumcision, which is an inner work on the heart. He writes that the true circumcision worships God in the Spirit, rejoices in Christ Jesus, and puts no confidence in the flesh.

The flesh, in Paul's vocabulary, refers to any human action or achievement without dependence on the Holy Spirit and without glorifying, exalting in, trusting, treasuring, and valuing Jesus Christ. This can include both physical and non-physical things, such as zeal, an emotional virtue; law-keeping; and blamelessness, a moral virtue.

Paul warns against the Judaizers, legalistic Jews who insisted that being circumcised and keeping the law were necessary for salvation. He calls them "dogs", a term used to describe those who were unholy, unclean, and impure. He also warns against evil workers, those who appeared moral and godly but whose intentions were wicked and deceptive.

By putting faith in the flesh, people become confident in their own goodness or good works to attain a righteous standing before God. However, the Scriptures make it clear that "nothing good dwells in the flesh" and that "a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ".

Therefore, the flesh leads to biting and devouring as people become focused on themselves and their own achievements, rather than on God and the Holy Spirit. They become like the Jewish rulers, who appeared righteous outwardly but were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness inwardly.

The Spirit leads to faith working through love

The Bible makes it clear that we should not put our faith in the flesh, but in the Spirit. This means that we should not rely on our own goodness or our own good works to attain a righteous standing before God. Instead, we should put our confidence in the finished work of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins and rose again.

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, warns against those who have confidence in themselves, that is, in their flesh. He admonishes his readers to "rejoice in the Lord", stressing that even in difficult times, "the joy of the Lord is our strength" (Neh. 8:10). Paul himself is an example of someone who might have had "confidence in the flesh". He was circumcised on the eighth day, a descendant of Abraham, from the respected tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrew parents, a Pharisee, and blameless in his adherence to the law. Yet, when he encountered the risen Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, he came to see that all his confidence in the flesh was worthless.

Paul defines "flesh" as "any human action or achievement without dependence upon the Holy Spirit and without glorying, exalting in, trusting, treasuring, and valuing Jesus Christ". Flesh can refer to something as gross as rape and child abuse, or as moral as trying to keep the Ten Commandments. Self-reliant commandment-keeping and child abuse would both be considered flesh because they are not flowing from dependence on God.

True circumcision, according to Paul, is not an outward work upon the flesh but an inner work on the heart (Rom. 2:28-29). It is a work of the Spirit, "made without hands; not mutilating the flesh, but 'putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ' (Col. 2:11)". The true circumcision are characterized as those who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Our worship and service of God must be spiritual, not fleshly. This can refer to our human spirit, but more importantly, it refers to the Holy Spirit who indwells the believer. Genuine worship of God cannot be accomplished in the flesh, for "the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another" (Gal. 5:16-17).

The flesh is sinful

Paul uses the term "flesh" to refer to the physical body as we ordinarily experience it in this world. However, he also uses it in a more negative sense, to describe any human action or achievement without dependence on the Holy Spirit and without glorying, exalting in, trusting, treasuring, and valuing Jesus Christ.

Flesh, in this broader sense, can include both physical and non-physical things. For example, Paul refers to physical descent, moral reality, and emotional reality as "flesh" when they are not flowing from dependence on the Spirit and glorying in Christ Jesus. Self-reliant commandment-keeping and child abuse would both be considered "flesh" because they are not done in dependence on God.

Paul warns against those who have confidence in themselves, that is, in their flesh. He admonishes his readers to "rejoice in the Lord," stressing that the cause of their rejoicing should be the Lord, not their own efforts or achievements. True circumcision is not an outward work upon the flesh but an inner work on the heart. It is a work of the Spirit, not a mutilation of the flesh or a meaningless religious ritual.

The Spirit grants freedom

The flesh, as described by the Apostle Paul, refers to the physical body, but also to something more negative and spiritually bankrupt. Paul uses the term to refer to bodily reality, such as physical descent, but also to moral and emotional realities, such as zeal, law-keeping, and blamelessness.

Flesh, in this context, is any human action or achievement without dependence on the Holy Spirit and without exalting in Jesus Christ. It is self-reliance and self-assurance, and a putting of confidence in human effort and ability, rather than in God.

The Spirit, on the other hand, is described as something that grants worship and service to God. It is the Holy Spirit that indwells the believer and allows them to worship God in spirit and truth. The Spirit is what makes Christians the true circumcision, and it is through the Spirit that believers can be confident and find freedom.

The Spirit allows believers to put their confidence in God, rather than in their own flesh. It is a recognition that, in our flesh, nothing good dwells, and that we cannot rely on our flesh to produce anything good. The Spirit grants freedom from this reliance on the flesh and allows believers to find their confidence and assurance in God alone.

The Spirit also grants freedom from the consequences of the flesh. When believers put their confidence in the flesh, they are often led astray and can fall into sin. The Spirit, however, leads believers into truth and righteousness, and grants them freedom from the consequences of sin.

In conclusion, the Spirit grants freedom from the flesh and the confidence that comes from it. Through the Spirit, believers can worship and serve God, and find freedom from the limitations and consequences of the flesh. It is only through the Spirit that true freedom and confidence can be found.

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