The Inward Conflict Between

Next Part The Inward Conflict Between 2

The Inward Conflict Between the Flesh and the Spirit

"Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh—and these are contrary the one to the other—so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you are led of the Spirit, you are not under the law." Galatians 5:16-18

There are many vital and essential points of difference between him who fears God and him who fears him not—between the believer and the unbeliever. But there is one more marked than any other, chiefly for this reason, that it comes more closely home to the heart, and accords more clearly with the experience of every child of God. This distinguishing mark is, the conflict between the flesh and the spirit, spoken of in our text. Those who are dead in sin cannot feel any such conflict, for in them there is no opposing principle to the flesh. The glorified spirits in heaven can have no such conflict, because in them the flesh has ceased to be. It is only then upon earth—only in the bosom of a saint, in this present arena of time in which is fought the good fight of faith, that there can be a conflict of the nature described by the apostle—the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these two so contrary the one to the other, that he cannot do the things which he would.

But let us seek, as far as we can, to be clear upon this point, for if the inward conflict be a certain mark of grace, we should be very careful not to mistake anything else for it. And this distinction is all the more necessary, since there is a conflict in the bosom of many who are not under the influence of divine grace. For instance, there may be a conflict in a man's bosom who knows nothing of the life and power of God in his soul, between a principle of integrity and a principle of dishonesty. A man in business, say a merchant, a banker, a tradesman, or a person holding a confidential situation, may have an opportunity of getting a large sum of money by deviating from the path of rectitude, and he may have an inward conflict whether he shall abide by upright, honorable principles, or depart from them to secure the anticipated advantage. This might be a very severe conflict, but it would not be one between "the flesh and the spirit," between nature and grace.

Or a person might have an inward contest between acting liberally or niggardly upon some occasion when his compassion or benevolence might be appealed to, and he might find a hard struggle within between a willingness to give and a spirit of covetousness to withhold. But this is not a conflict of nature and grace—it is merely a conflict of a better kind of nature against a worse kind of nature—of a higher species of flesh against a lower species of flesh. Or a man may have a conflict between bad temper and good temper; between giving vent to angry feelings and keeping them down; between carrying out his own inclinations in various ways, or subduing them on a principle of duty and conscience.

All these struggles which natural men feel every day involve an internal conflict, but still not the same kind of conflict which exists in the bosom of one who fears God; for all these opposing principles are at best but flesh fighting against flesh. Their spring and end are merely natural and sensual, and when the conflict ceases, whether it terminates in the victory or the defeat of the better principle, it leaves the man just where it found him, under the power of sin and Satan, without God and without hope in the world. The very heathen, as we know from their writings, experienced the same conflict, and it is to be found discussed at large in books of morality, which are utterly destitute of spiritual life and light.

But how different is the conflict spoken of in our text, and which is known experimentally by all who are made alive unto God! Theirs is a spiritual conflict; a contest for life or death; an unceasing battle between nature and grace; between the flesh and the Spirit. Nor is the outcome of this conflict, though prolonged, dubious or uncertain, for its end is certain victory, and not merely victory achieved for time, but a glorious victory obtained for eternity; for it is "the good fight of faith;" and we know that the end of that faith is the salvation of the soul, and the prize of that contest is the crown of eternal life.

If you look at the words which form our text, you will find that the apostle is speaking to the Galatians of "walking in the Spirit," and tells them that if they were enabled so to walk, they "would not fulfill the lust of the flesh." This leads him to speak of the way in which the flesh does lust, and also of the way in which the spirit acts against it as an opposing principle; the consequence of which is, that neither in one sense nor in another can a child of God do the things that he would. But he would comfort them by this reflection, that if they were led of the Spirit, and were walking in the Spirit, they were not under the curse of a condemning law but under grace, and therefore that the conflict, however sharp or long, would in their case end in certain victory.

In opening up these words, therefore, this morning, I shall, as God may enable,
First, endeavor to describe how the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and how those are contrary the one to the other.
Secondly, how from this results that we cannot do the things that we would.
Thirdly, how, though we cannot do the things that we would, yet by walking in the Spirit we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Fourthly, if we are walking in the Spirit, and are led by the Spirit, then we are not under the law in its condemnation and curse, but under the Gospel in its salvation and blessing.

I. How the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and how those are contrary the one to the other. But let me, before I enter into this conflict, define my terms; let me clear my ground. I like to leave nothing obscure and uncertain in the word of truth, or in my exposition of it, if I can, with God's help, cast any light upon it. By the "FLESH," then, here we are to understand that corrupt nature, that sinful principle which we derive from our fallen parent Adam. However high or low, broad or narrow, however sensual or refined this principle may be; in whatever various ways it may work, it is still one and the same—it never rises beyond its level; it is and ever will be, amid all its varying shapes and lines, as the Scripture designates it, flesh.

It is called "flesh" for various reasons. First, as derived by natural generation from Adam, who was our parent after the flesh. Secondly, from its being so naturally dead Godwards, there being no heavenly strength or life in it, but like a lump of dead flesh, incapable of gracious actings, or of being transmuted into anything holy and spiritual. Thirdly, because its very tendency and end is corruption; for as flesh naturally dies, decays, and rots, so the end of the flesh, viewed in a spiritual light, is death and corruption—as we read that before the flood, "all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth;" and as the apostle speaks, "He who sows to his flesh shall of his flesh reap corruption." (Gal. 6:8.)

I must now explain what the apostle means by the word "SPIRIT." I understand, then, by the term "spirit" here not the Holy Spirit, but that which is produced by the Holy Spirit. As the Lord himself explains it, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." And again, "The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." (Rom. 8:16.) So also, "I pray God your whole spirit, and soul, and body be preserved blameless." (1 Thess. 5:23.) In all these passages we find the word "spirit" signifying not the Holy Spirit, but that which is produced by the Holy Spirit; in a word, that new and divine nature which is produced by the new birth, the new man of grace, which is called "spirit" as being wholly spiritual, for the Spirit can produce nothing but what is spirit; for as the flesh produces flesh, so the Spirit produces spirit. And as he produces by his power upon the heart a new, spiritual, and holy principle, it is called "spirit," because it is the very life and power of God in the heart, bears the image of Christ stamped upon it, and in it dwell all the fruits and graces, teaching and testimony, work and witness of the Holy Spirit himself.

I must explain also the meaning of the word "LUST" here. At the time of our present most excellent translation, the word had not that gross and sensual meaning usually attached to it now. It meant merely desire, whether of a higher or lower nature; whether it was groveling in the sensual meaning of the term, or aspiring after higher things. This must be sufficiently evident even to common sense, for the Spirit is said to lust, and we could not attach any gross idea to the lusting of the Spirit, for his desire must, like himself, be ever holy and pure. I take the word, therefore, in what I may call a neutral signification, as meaning simply desire, breathing, aspiration, and the bent of the mind strongly and eagerly towards any object; otherwise we shall confound the whole passage, for if we attach any sensual and gross meaning to the term, what shall we do with it when we come to describe the Spirit lusting after the flesh? We must give it a pure meaning there; so we will view the word as merely signifying a strong, ardent desire.

A. The FLESH. Having thus cleared our ground, we now come more immediately into the field of battle; and the first warning note of the gospel trumpet which I shall sound in your ears and in my own, is, to call us to look and examine whether we can find anything in our hearts' experience corresponding to the vivid description here drawn by the pen of the Holy Spirit; for this will if not fully decide the matter on whose side we are, yet give us some good grounds for drawing a conclusion as to our state and standing before God; for if indeed we are partakers of a new and heavenly birth, we cannot be strangers to this spiritual conflict, and shall be so far manifested as fighting on the Lord's side against sin, Satan, and self. We know that we possess one of the two conflicting principles, "flesh," because all have that by their descent from our fallen ancestor; but we can only assuredly know that we have "spirit," by the internal testimony of the Spirit of God bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of the Most High.

But in the absence of this clear and indubitable testimony, we may have an encouraging evidence of being partakers of the grace of God, by feeling a spiritual conflict perpetually going on in the bosom; for how can there be a conflict in your bosom between "flesh" and "spirit" if you have no spirit there? How can there be a struggle in your heart between two opposing principles if one of those opposing principles be altogether absent? So that if you can find a conflict in your bosom between two contrary principles, and one of these is clearly on the side of grace against nature, of faith against unbelief, of God against self, of repentance against sin, of hope against despair, of submission against rebellion, and of godliness against ungodliness, you have so far an evidence that you are a partaker not only of the flesh, which you painfully know, but that you are a partaker also of the Spirit, which you pleasurably feel.

But these two principles are described as being "contrary the one to the other."It does not say they are different; for things may be different, yet not contrary. Blue differs from black, and purple from scarlet; but they are not contrary, as black and white. But flesh and spirit are so contrary that they are opposed to each other upon every point. As white is opposed to black, as heaven is opposed to hell, as Christ is opposed to Belial, as truth is opposed to falsehood, as grace is opposed to sin, so "the spirit" and "the flesh" are contrary to each other—by an opposition so close, and position so embracing every particular, that you cannot name a single part in which you will not find this contrariety thoroughly existing. But we shall see this better, perhaps, if we look at the various instances in which they are contrary the one to the other.

1. "The flesh" is hard, impenitent, obdurate, unrepenting; there is nothing in it soft, tender, and yielding to divine impressions; nothing in it that is melted into love or obedience. Whatever softness it may display on other points, even to tears, its very nature is to be obstinate and obdurate against God and godliness. But "the spirit," at least as divinely wrought upon, is tender, yielding, penitent, contrite, broken, submissive, bowed down before the throne of God so as to take the impression of his will and word. But these two feelings are utterly contrary. You never can reconcile penitence and impenitence, obduracy and contrition, hardness of heart and softness of heart, a seared conscience and a tender conscience. These things are as irreconcilable as light and darkness, as truth and error; but the flesh is naturally one and the spirit graciously the other; therefore, they are contrary the one to the other.

2. Again, the flesh is unbelieving.It is impossible that the flesh can believe—I mean, of course, in a spiritual and saving manner; for there is a natural faith that the flesh may, and indeed frequently does possess. In this sense, many believed in Jesus Christ in the days of his flesh, who were not made partakers of saving faith, for to the very people of whom we read that "many believed in him," we afterwards find the Lord declaring, "You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do." (John 8:30, 44.) So Simon Magus believed (Acts 8:13), and the apostle tells us that it is possible to have "all faith so as to remove mountains, and yet be nothing." (1 Cor. 13:2.) This natural faith the flesh may possess; but as to what the scriptures call the "spirit of faith," believing in the Son of God so as to receive the end of our faith, even the salvation of the soul; believing in the blood, and love, and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that the conscience is purged from filth, guilt, and dead works to serve the living God; as to any faith that works by love, purifies the heart, overcomes the world, subdues sin, casts out Satan, and gains the victory, so as forever to reign with Christ—such a spiritual, divine, experimental, and saving faith as this never did dwell in the flesh.

Faith, that is, saving faith, is expressly called in the Scripture, "a fruit of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22); and is declared to be "the gift of God" (Eph. 2:8); for indeed it is among those good gifts and perfect gifts, every one of which "is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17.) Indeed how is it possible that a living and spiritual faith can be a fruit of, or dwell in the flesh, which is but a mass of unbelief, atheism, infidelity, and as such, is utterly unable to rise above unbelieving ground into the higher regions of a living faith? In this point then, the flesh and the spirit are contrary the one to the other; for what is so contrary as faith to unbelief? Jacob was not more contrary to Esau, David to Saul, or John to Judas.

3. Nor, again, can the flesh love.Its nature is not to love, but to hate; that is God's own description of it. "The carnal mind" (by which is meant the disposition, inclination, and whole breathing of the flesh,) "is enmity against God." And observe the word "enmity." It does not say "an enemy," but "enmity," that is enmity itself. An enemy may be reconciled, but enmity never. Thus the whole flesh from head to foot, beginning, middle and end, root and branch, in life and death, is enmity, unmitigated, irreconcilable enmity against the pure Majesty of heaven. How then can 'spiritual love' dwell in it? I expressly say spiritual love—for the flesh has NATURAL love, as there are, as all must admit, natural affections. These may rise to a considerable height, and are what we may almost term, the fairest relics of the fall.

There is, for instance, the mutual love of the sexes, which, as issuing in marriage, is the foundation of our nearest and dearest social ties. There is parental love; there is conjugal love; there is brotherly and sisterly love; there is the love of friends to each other, who are not connected by any bond of relationship. How, indeed, could the world hang together, but for these social ties? Society itself would fall into ruin, and an utter blank would succeed to all those tender relationships which sweeten life to thousands, and softens many a harsh track in this rugged world, but for natural love. What would society be if all were monks and nuns? Worldly people are not destitute of natural affection, for that is the last stage of a reprobate mind (Rom. 1:31); no, on the contrary, a large amount of natural affection and kindness and good feeling are often displayed by people who are enemies to the free, distinguishing, and sovereign grace of the gospel. God forbid that we should think they are destitute of kind and affectionate feelings towards each other because they are not partakers of the grace of God. To say so would be to speak in direct contravention of what we daily witness in acts of the greatest benevolence displayed by our fellow creatures in thousands of instances. Whence come our hospitals; the contributions to the amount of hundreds of thousands of pounds to suffering objects in all directions? Or whence come so many affectionate husbands and wives, fathers and children; so many tears dropped over the grave of the departed; so many sacrifices of time, labor, money, and even life itself to alleviate the needs of others, if there be no natural affection in the human heart?

But when we come to SPIRITUAL love there the scene alters; there the flesh still manifests its innate character of being enmity against God. When, then, we test love by this divine touchstone, we find those who display the greatest natural affection to man often are fearfully lacking in affection to God. These, then, are opposed to each other; for the one is earthly and the other heavenly, the one natural and the other spiritual. When leaving earthly love we come to love to God, to his dear Son, to the word, to the people of God, to heavenly things, then we find the flesh so fearfully lacking. Then its true character becomes manifest. But in this very point the spirit specially shines, for here, as shed abroad by the Holy Spirit, the love of God dwells; here Jesus is felt to be near, dear, and precious; here are heavenly affections and pure desires; here is union and communion with the Lord and his people.

4. So with prayer.The flesh is an utter stranger to spiritual prayer. It can make long prayers, as the Pharisees did, can go through a formal round of duties and self-imposed observances, and satisfy natural conscience by drawing near unto God with the lips, when the heart is far from him. But the Spirit of grace and of supplication, prevalency with God in prayer, so that its sighs and cries enter into the ears of the Lord Almighty, and draw down answers into the bosom, wrestling with Jehovah as Jacob wrestled with the angel, and gaining access into the very presence of him who sits upon the throne of grace, so as to be made and manifested an acceptable worshiper of God in spirit and in truth—such prayer as this never dwelt in the flesh. This is a height that the hand of the flesh never reached; which the eye of the flesh never gazed upon; which the ear of the flesh never heard of; nor the heart of the flesh ever conceived; for true, spiritual, and prevalent prayer is among the things "which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man," but are among the things "which God has prepared for those who love him."

5. Nor is there, again, anyspiritualityin the flesh. Men may have a formal, natural, superstitious, and self-righteous religion; may make great sacrifices for their church or creed, and even yield up ease and name, property and life itself for it. How plainly may we see this in innumerable instances both in modern and ancient times. What built up our churches and cathedrals but this natural religion? What carries hundreds and thousands every Lord's day to churches and chapels? What sets up family prayer in thousands of houses? And what raises thousands of pounds on every side—but this spirit of natural religion? In ancient days particularly, how we see this religion in lively action! How ancient warriors, men guilty of every crime, abandoned the world, shut themselves up in monasteries, macerated their body, lashed their back with scourges, fed on coarse food, dressed in sackcloth, and died in what was termed the very odor of piety and holiness; and yet, viewed by the spiritual eye, must we not say that they began in the flesh and ended in the flesh? Where in all this, was Jesus and his blood? Where the work of grace upon the heart? Where a total renunciation of all hope or help in self, and living a life of faith in the Son of God?

All this natural religion, to whatever height it may be carried, whatever form it may wear, or however fair to the eye it may seem, is quite distinct from the work of faith with power, from the teaching and testimony of the blessed Spirit in the heart, and from that vital, spiritual, and saving religion which is the very life and breath of God himself in the soul of his saints. Where, in all this natural and fleshly religion, is there the new birth, without which none can enter the kingdom of heaven? Where is there any manifestation of Christ to the soul, or any shedding abroad of the love of God in the heart? The flesh may rise to a great height, but it never can rise up into anything spiritual, heavenly, saving, and divine. Like water, it can never rise above its own level. It is of the earth, earthy, like the first Adam, from whom it comes by natural descent. It may do for time, but will not do for eternity. It may gain the favor of man, but can never win the approbation of God; it may be crowned with human applause, but will never wear the crown of glory.

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