Fast 40: Practicing the Ancient Spiritual Discipline of LentSample

So far, we have spoken about two of the three enemies of the Christian: the world and the devil. But there is a third, arguably the most difficult to destroy—the flesh.

Now, as with our previous distinction of two "worlds," there is the flesh and there is the Flesh. When Paul writes here about the Flesh, he is using the term in a technical or theological sense. Paul isn't saying our bodies are evil or that matter itself is evil—that is a heresy called Gnosticism (later called Manichaeism).

No, what Paul means by Flesh is our human nature—body, soul, and spirit alike—which was corrupted by the fall of man in Genesis 3. That depraved human nature is separated from knowing God (Ephesians 2:1) and is called the Flesh.

So Paul will contrast throughout his writing between the fleshly man and the spiritual man. He'll also use language like old man and new man (Ephesians 4:22–24), which helps clarify the meaning of what Jesus said to Nicodemus: "You must be born again" (John 3:1–21).

When we believe in Jesus and are baptized, an ontological shift happens within us. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we become a renewed person; we are regenerated.

But even after baptism, the Flesh still lingers within us. It remains a secondary identity, even though it is no longer our primary identity. So as we grow by grace in the Spirit, we can overcome the Flesh and eventually win the war for our soul.