The Make Up Of Man
Foundation Statement: To dominate the flesh we
have to understand that we are not the flesh, the soul, or the body. We are spirit beings who are supposed to
dominate the soul and body-Romans 7:23
I.
The battle to dominate
the flesh (Romans 7:14-8:5)
A. 14-Carnal-He’s fleshy and
governed by his unrenewed nature
1.
In
other words his body has been trained to do and desire things by his unrenewed
mind and even though he’s saved his life is still being governed by what that
unrenewed mind has trained his body to do
2.
To
be carnal is to be born again, but controlled by a mind not renewed
B. 17,20-It’s not him, the
spirit, that is sinning
1.
It’s
the sin that remains in his soul; his way of thinking, choosing, & his way
of feeling
a. The sin is not remaining
in his spirit, he’s born again
b. There’s no sin in his
physical body
2.
14-AMP-Sin’s
controlling him through his unrenewed soul that has trained his body
C. 18-In his flesh dwells no
good thing
1.
Flesh-Human
nature of man apart from divine influence or the unrenewed nature
2.
There’s
no good in the part of him that God hasn’t had influence on yet (his soul)
D. 21-The part of him that
wants to do right is his spirit
1.
Evil
is still present in his soul, his mind, will, and emotions; his unrenewed
nature
2.
We
can see one of the main ways already to dominate the flesh is get that
unrenewed part of you renewed to the Word of God
E. 22-When you spirit gets
fed the word of God it delights
1.
AMP-My
new nature (my spirit) delights in the word of God
F. 23-His flesh is
dominating his spirit & he can’t do the things his spirit wants & his
mind knows is right
1.
The
law in his members – That law is working in his body through what his
unrenewed mind has trained it to do
a. The law is working 1st
in his soul, but through his soul the same law works in his body
b. His body has been trained
to do certain things, by his unrenewed mind
c. That law is working in
his body through what his unrenewed mind trained it to do
d. That law is working in
that unrenewed soul and through the unrenewed soul it’s working in his body or
dictating what his body does
e. It’s not his body’s
fault, that’s just how it was trained
2.
That
law that is working in his unrenewed soul and in his body is attacking what he
knows is right in his mind
3.
Bringing
me into captivity – His spirit cannot do the things that it wants to do
a. His spirit is in bondage
to what his flesh/unrenewed nature wants to do
b. Galatians 5:17 –
The part of you that hasn’t been influenced by God (the unrenewed soul) is
going to desire against the part of you that has been influenced by God (the
reborn spirit).
1)
Your
spirit got born again so it is delighting in the Word of God and desiring to do
what the Word says to do. You soul
hasn’t yet been renewed so it’s wanting to do what it’s
always done. The two are desire
against one another.
4.
His
life is being governed by his unrenewed soul/nature and his spirit can’t do the
things that it wants to do
a. That unrenewed nature
(the flesh) is dominating his spirit
G. The flesh is not as much
the body as it is what the body has been trained to do by the unrenewed mind. The flesh is your unrenewed mind and poorly
trained body.
1.
In
the sense that now your body desires certain things, wants certain things, and
does certain things because it was trained to do so through a way of thinking
that wasn’t in line with the Word
2.
Naturally
when the body is used to doing things a certain way and then you (the spirit)
decide we’re not doing it like that any more it can be uncomfortable for the
body because it’s used to doing things a certain way
a. Often times in those
situations the desire of your body dominates what your spirit has decided to do
& u do what the body wants rather than what the spirit wants
II. To dominate the flesh you must understand the make-up of man
(1 Thessalonians 5:23)
A. You are a spirit being
1.
Jn3:6-You can’t be born of a spirit & come out flesh or
born of flesh & come out spirit
a. When God wanted a flesh
body to operate in the Earth, God (Spirit) needed Mary (Flesh) to give birth to
Jesus (Flesh)
2.
John
4:24 – God is a spirit
a. 1 John 5:1 – If you
believe that Jesus is the Christ, then you are born of God, who is a spirit,
and that makes you
a spirit-being
b. Acts 17:29 – My
flesh sprung off of my natural parents, b/c that which is flesh is born of
flesh, but my spirit sprung off of God b/c that which is born of spirit is
spirit
3.
2
Cor 5:17-When you got born-again your spirit is the
part of you that became knew
a. Ephesians 4:24 – It
as created in God’s image
4.
Your
spirit being is the part of you that will exist forever
a. Your spirit is more real
than your body; it’s the real you
B. You (the spirit) have a
soul
1.
Your
soul consists of your mind, will, and emotions; Soul (Psyche)-Mind, will, emotions; the seat of the feelings,
desires, affections, aversion
a. Your mind is the way you
think
b. Your will the choices you
make
c. Your emotions how you
feel
2.
Your
soul is not the same as your spirit (Hebrews 4:12)
a. NOR-The Word penetrates
deeply making a distinction between the soul and spirit
3.
Our
understanding part of our soul (1 Corinthians 14:14)
a. My spirit prays, but my
mind is unproductive
C. You (the spirit) live in
a body
1.
You’re
body is the suit that clothes your spirit
a. Your body is the suit
through which you operate (Romans 6:13,19)
2.
Your
body is not you (Romans 12:1 – You present your bodies; Philippians
1:21-24 – I abide in my flesh; 1 Corinthians 9:27 – I buffet my body )
III. 1 of the main reasons we haven’t dominated the flesh is b/c
we haven’t lived the revelation that I am a spirit-being, I (the spirit)
have a soul, I (the spirit) live in a body
A. My life is to be run off
of the revelation (knowledge) that the Holy Spirit gives to my spirit, my
spirit then tells my soul how to think, feel, and decide, my soul (mind) then
tells my body what to do
B. The day that I got born
again was the day that my life stopped being run by my soul and body and
started being run by my spirit (1 Thessalonians 4:4 AMP)
1.
Neither
the body nor the soul is in charge in more; I (the spirit being) is in charge
of my soul and my body
a. I (the spirit) don’t take
suggestions nor do I take commands from the soul or body
b. The chain of command is
Spirit first, soul second, body last
2.
I
(the spirit) under the leading of the Holy Spirit take command over my body, by
taking command over my soul (mind, will, and emotions)
a. Whoever takes control of
the soul (your spirit or your unrenewed nature) will control the body
b. It’s not supposed to be
that you know what’s right in your head, but your unrenewed soul has taken over
your body and it’s telling your spirit what you’re going to do
3.
I,
the spirit (if I’m fed on the word) can tell my mind what to think & my
body what to do
a. If I (the spirit) will be
diligent to stay after my soul and body I (the spirit) can train them in line
with the revelation knowledge that the Holy Spirit is giving to me
1)
I
(the spirit) is the personal trainer of my soul and body
b. Psalm 103-David is
speaking to his soul and I (the spirit me) can do the same thing
c. James 3:2 – If you
can control your mouth you can control your body
C. When you don’t see
yourself as a spirit being who’s in charge of your soul and body you won’t
dominate your flesh because you think you are your flesh
1.
EX:
A general won’t be in charge of the privates if he thinks he’s a private
2.
I
don’t have to do what this body wants
a. Make the distinction
between your desires (the spirit) and the desires of the unrenewed soul and the
wrongly trained body
3.
Me
is the spirit me is not the body; me the spirit is going to train the soul and
body
D. The question is, “Who’s
in control? You or your body/unrenewed nature?”
1.
If
you don’t control your body it will run you