This is in concert with the “Sin nature” thread.
Any thoughts?
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Our selfish (sinful) nature is tied with our physical body.
When we trust in Jesus we are regenerated with a spiritual nature that connects us with Jesus. However, the flesh can still drive us to seek after self until we mature and grow into Christ-likeness.
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Well? To answer your question cleanly, Scripture uses ‘the flesh’ (sarx) in four distinct ways:
Physical Material/Body (John 1:14; 1 Cor 15:39): Creation itself, which is inherently good and not evil.
Human Frailty & Mortality (Ps 78:39; Matt 26:41): Mankind in its finite, limited, and perishable state.
Human Nature Apart from God (Gal 5:19–21): Humanity operating in self-reliance, governed by fallen autonomy. The “flesh” is not just physical lusts; it includes religious pride, legalism, jealousy, and self-righteousness (Phil 3:4–6).
A Domain or Regime (Rom 8:8–9): The “Old Age” in Adam, contrasted with the “New Creation” in Christ. The key to the “Sin Nature” discussion is understanding that "the flesh"is not our physical skin and bones, but the principle of human autonomy. The self seeking to live, justify, and rule itself independently of the Holy Spirit.
Be blessed,
Peter
J.
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Interesting question @Pater15. Thanx for asking.
Our pastor Peter has pointed out that he has discovered four ways our Bible uses this word “flesh”. Great work. Those are excellent reminders how this idea of “flesh” does not easily submit to simplicity. It may be possible, however, to pull these variegated ideas together with a single thread; it may be that Pastor Peter’s ideas share a commonality.
As we have been discussing (or, should I say, as I mused upon) in the other post you mentioned, the idea of flesh, as used frequently in the bible, can have a similar path to understanding its definition as other biblical concepts like “darkness”, “evil”, “the sin nature”, and even “death”. Darkness, evil, the sin nature, and death are all terms with broad definitions and used in several ways, physical, philosophical, and metaphorical, in our bible. The one thing that I see they all share is that they are defined as the absence of their corresponding opposite. Darkness, in all its manifold uses, is always the absence of light in all of ITS manifold uses, evil is the absence of goodness, the sin nature the absence of The indwelling guidance of The Spirit of God, and death being the obvious absence of life in all its many uses. Light, goodness, Spirit nature, and life all have their corollary. I propose for your consideration that “Spirit” has its corollary too, “flesh”. Flesh may be thought of as that which is living, but not spiritual. Those that bear the image of Spiritual God, but are not God, can be said to be flesh. Flesh is the manifest absence of Spirit; the resultant hole where Spirit is not. (I know I’m going to be “pushback” on this, so let it fly).
Here are some texts for your consideration…
(Mark 14:38)
“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
(Luke 24:39)
“Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."
(John 6:63)
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
(Romans 8:1-14)
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors–not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
(Genesis 6:1-3)
“Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose. And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”(John 1:11-13)
“He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”(John 3:6)
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
I am not opening up any discussion on who these “sons of God” were in the Genesis quote (please!). The point I’m illustrating is as men of flesh began to openly despise the leadership of God, God described this as His Spirit striving with man, “for he is indeed flesh”. God is saying He is Spirit striving with men of flesh. From this I see God revealing the flesh is a created being who is not Spirit.
OK, I’ll be quiet now,
KP
Extra credit
(John 6:53-58)
Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven–not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
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All good answers. Some observations ABOUT our flesh:
Our flesh is the primary context for our hearts during our very short time of testing on this earth. During this very short time inhabiting our flesh on this earth, we reveal to the entire universe what sort of person we choose to be.
And it’s a significant challenge. It’s supposed to be.
Let’s take “Joe” as an example. Joe was born into a wealthy home. He is very good looking. He is big and strong and healthy. None of this is “fair”, right? Because he is bigger and stronger and healthier than anyone else in his family or town or country.
Joe has lots of choices. Like every other person, Joe is going to do what he believes in his heart is best for Joe. Does he eat the body and blood of Christ, surrendering all of his blessings to God, or does he spend what he has been given on his own lusts and pleasures, elevating himself over everyone else?
This is the point of Esther. The scripture describes how beautiful and wise and attractive she is. And the King and all his court agreed. She could have relied on all her physical gifts to save herself. But instead, she surrendered all of that and trusted God and Him alone, and by that she delivered a whole nation. She didn’t trust in her flesh. She believed God.
Our flesh is God’s tool that God uses to reveal what’s in our hearts. It’s our relevant definitional context. It changes daily. Slow process, but inexorable.
In Job, God points out Job’s righteousness. “The greatest man in the east.” Satan responds “Change his context and he will curse you.”
He tells God the same thing about each of us. Satan says “yeah she is serving you now, but change her context, and she will forget that you live. Take away her ability to walk, let one of her friends betray her, bring a handsome flirtatious man into her life, let her lose her house, give her a million dollars, give her a mother-in-law from hell. Then the universe will see her real heart. And it won’t be pretty”
Our flesh is the challenge to everything that we believe, and our barrier to greatness.
Comes down to what we do. What we do reveals what we believe.
I have observed a profound change in my senior years, relative to the " attention " I give to the " flesh ", and in fact anything terrestrial, or subject to decay.
In the past, I needed to be deliberate with the attention I devoted to The Spirit.
That has flipped for me, as I find my focus on the terrestrial requires increased focus and intent. As it has taken a much smaller role in my daily life.
I spent too many years of my youth " tasting " all this world provides. No appetite was ignored. And all I got was " indigestion ".
In the most basic sense, the flesh is, well it’s the flesh.
The appetites of the body, broken by sin, are perverted and twisted–and so my desire is twisted and perverted by sin. It is not wrong to desire food to feed the body, but it is a sin to steal bread from my neighbor, or to kill someone in order to gain bread for my body, or to lie and cheat and cause injury in order that I should serve my appetites.
In this way “the flesh” becomes a way to speak of the sinful appetites, the way(s) in which I am, in my mortal sinfulness, a slave to my own desires, a slave to death, and cursed as Adam’s progeny.
It’s not that having physical matter–flesh–is wrong. It’s that my flesh is corrupted, broken, diseased, plagued by sin and death, and so all my appetites and desires are twisted and perverse, turned away from the will of God, and bent and twisted inward to serve myself at the expense of my neighbor. That is the problem, that’s the flesh.
Okay @TheologyNerd I’m not challenging what you’re saying. I’m asking, what about the parts that aren’t “fleshy”? Like, to me the most obvious is our pride.
I believe that God installed a strong desire in each person to elevate himself. We want respect and admiration. It’s a very powerful driver of behavior. That’s a good thing, when we want to be great in God’s kingdom.
But obviously bad when we try to elevate ourself by putting another down. Would you say that some components of our flesh are not carnal in nature, but located somewhere in our motivational fundamentals? Serious question - I know what I think, but I don’t have a ready-made comprehensive answer.
That’s still the flesh, it’s still our desires. This is why I tried to be clear that I’m not talking about the fact that we have bodily matter. Our bodies, solid and material, are the good creation of God. But we have inherited, from Adam, what theologians have often called concupicience.
In Lutheran terminology, we are homo incurvatus in se, “man bent inward into himself”. We are inwardly-bent or inwardly-turned. So that the natural desires have become twisted and perverse. Pride or avarice is just another way in which our desires, our appetites, our inclinations have been corrupted by sin and death. Which we have inherited from Adam.
Thank you for the kind words, and you’ve done a wonderful job applying the classic idea of privation, which we so often see used for concepts like darkness or cold, to help bring clarity to a word as multifaceted as “flesh” (sarx).
Finding a single, unifying thread across the physical, moral, and metaphorical uses of “flesh” in Scripture is no small task. Framing it as that which exists and operates apart from the dynamic, life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit captures the exact tension Paul describes in Romans 8, and Jesus speaks of in John 3 and 6. When we rely purely on creaturely effort without God’s Spirit, “flesh” truly is all that remains.
If I could offer one small point for consideration (as you invited!), it’s where this definition meets the doctrine of the Incarnation. In John 1:14, we read that “the Word became flesh.” In Christ, we see someone who is fully human, possessing actual flesh and bones (as He highlights in Luke 24:39), yet at no point was He ever devoid of or separated from the Holy Spirit.
This makes me wonder if we might draw a helpful distinction between two ways Scripture uses “flesh”:
Our natural, physical human existence. In itself, created by God and neutral, capable of being filled and sanctified by the Spirit (as supreme in Christ, and derivatively in believers).
Humanity attempting to live autonomously, operating in self-sufficiency apart from God. Here, your definition shines brightly as the manifest absence and neglect of the Spirit.
I really appreciate the work you put into gathering those texts and framing the concept so carefully. It certainly gives us a great model for understanding why “the flesh profits nothing” when relied upon in place of the Spirit!
Be blessed,
Peter
That phrase homo incurvatus in se nails it, TheologyNerd. It really cuts to the heart of what Pater15 is asking about non-physical “motivations” like pride and self-elevation.
When Paul speaks of “the flesh” in a moral sense, he isn’t just targeting bodily appetites or carnal vices; he’s diagnosing the entire posture of the soul. Pride, self-righteousness, legalism, and the drive to elevate oneself over others are all classic expressions of the self turned inward.
The desire for significance and honor is a god-given drive intended to find its home in God’s approval and kingdom. But when we are “curved inward,” that same drive gets hijacked by autonomy—the self seeking to justify, exalt, and rely upon itself rather than receiving its identity and worth from the Holy Spirit.
So whether it’s blatant physical indulgence or refined spiritual pride, both spring from the exact same root of “flesh”: human self-reliance attempting to live independently of God.
Be blessed,
Peter
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Pastor Peter, @PeterC
You said:
I’m feeling inadequate to express my thoughts on this, concisely, and in a way that can be received, but I’ll try. Please forgive my weakness in this area.
As you pointed out, whereas The Apostle John is careful to say:
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:12-14)
and
By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. (1 John 4:2-3)
The Apostle Paul mollifes any impression that one might adopt that The “Incarnate” Messiah was (or became) “carnal” or subject to “sinful flesh”. A good example of this mollification is found in the Romans passage I shared.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors–not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:1-14)
In this passage (and others) the apostle demonstrates how God “tabernacling” among us in “the likeness of sinful flesh” (v3) “condemns sin in the flesh”. Our savior does not become carnal, but condemns carnality while housed in its image. Even though The Savior bears the image of sinful flesh, He is never subject to it because He is never devoid of The Spirit, because He is The Spirit (as you pointed out). Through His condemnation of sin we too are enabled to abandon walking in the flesh while embracing our gifted ability to walk in His Spirit; leaving the corrupt while receiving the incorruptible. The apostle says it is a “carnal mind” which leads to death, not a body of flesh. Having a carnal mind makes it impossible for us to please God, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” This point must not be overlooked; YOU are not in the flesh but in the Spirit. The apostle doesn’t allow for coexistance, they do not coexist, nor does one slowly displace the other. One is removed and the other moves in. It is Finished!
Before God will indwell the tabernacle, it requires a comprehensive cleaning. (Lev. 16:16-33, 2 Chr. 29:12-19, etc.) Every remnant of sin must be removed before The Spirit of Shekinah Glory will “dwell between the cherubim” (2 Sam 6:2, 2K. 19:15, 1Chr. 13:16, Ps. 80:1, Ps 99:1, Isa. 37:16).
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. (Revelation 21:3)
The cosmic purpose of God is to dwell WITH (in) His beings who are created in His likeness (image), forever. WE are His tabernacle now, we are His home on Earth, WE are where Heaven and Earth overlap. We are not instructed to try to be light and salt while we patiently wait for Him to return, we ARE light and salt of His presence! (Matt 5: 13 & 14). We ARE light and salt, now, if The Spirit of God (Jesus) dwells in us. An important distinction!
Every remnant of flesh is removed, through blood, so The Spirit can inhabit. “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” Exactly how this miracle of “indwelling” is a sure reality, yet not cognitively experienced by disciples of Jesus is the subject of another discussion.
I hope this is clear.
Your Bro
KP
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Dr. Bob Utley on the flesh.
FLESH (sarx)
Scholars differ on how to characterize the different connotations of this term. There is surely some semantic overlap in meanings. The following is merely an attempt to note the wide semantic field of the term. Remember, words have meaning only in specific contexts. Context determines meaning, not lexicons!
the human body, Luke 24:39; Rom. 2:28; 1 Cor. 5:5; 7:28; 2 Cor. 4:11; 7:5; 12:7; Gal. 2:16,20; 4:13; Phil. 1:22,24; Col. 1:24; 2:5,11; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Pet. 4:6
human descent, John 3:6; 8:15; Rom. 1:3; 4:1; 9:3,5,8; 11:14; 1 Cor. 10:18; 2 Cor. 5:16; 11:18; Gal. 4:23,29; Phil. 3:4
the human person, John 1:14; Rom. 3:20; 7:5; 1 Cor. 1:29; 3:1,3; 2 Cor. 10:3; Gal. 2:16; 5:24
humanly speaking, 1 Cor. 1:26; 2 Cor. 1:12; 5:16; 10:2; Gal. 6:12
human weakness, Rom. 6:19; 7:18,25; 8:3-9,12-13; 13:14; 2 Cor. 10:4; Gal. 3:3; 5:13,16,19-21; Col. 2:18
hostility of humans toward God, related to the consequences of the Fall, Matt. 26:41; Mark 14:38; Rom. 7:5,14; 13:14; 1 Cor. 3:1,3;Gal. 5:13,16,17,19,24; 6:9; Eph. 2:3; Phil. 3:3; Col. 2:18; 1 Pet. 2:11; 4:2; 1 John 2:16
“all flesh” meaning all humans, Luke 3:6; John 17:2; Acts 2:17; 1 Pet. 1:24
“flesh and blood” idiom
a human being ‒ Matt. 16:17; Gal. 1:16; Eph. 6:12
a human body ‒ 1 Cor. 15:50; Heb. 2:14
Jesus’ true humanity ( Gnosticism) ‒ John 1:14; 6:51-5,63; Acts 2:26,31; Rom. 1:3; 8:3; 9:5; Eph. 2:15; Col. 1:22; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 5:7; 10:20; 1 Pet. 3:18; 4:1; 1 John 4:2; 2 John v. 7
It must be emphasized that “flesh” is not viewed as evil in the NT, as it is in Greek thought.
For the Greek philosophers, “flesh” was the source of human problems; death freed one from its influence.
But in the NT, “flesh” is the battle ground of the spiritual conflict (cf. Eph. 6:10-18), yet is neutral. One can use the physical body for good or evil.
However, I would qualify/modify the esteemed brothers words…
Since I think there are a few things being read into Ephesians 6:11 that the Greek itself doesn’t necessarily say.
Paul writes, ἐνδύσασθε τὴν πανοπλίαν τοῦ θεοῦ, “put on the whole armor of God.” Endysasthe is an aorist middle imperative. The middle voice does fit nicely with the idea of “clothe yourselves” or “put it on for yourselves,” so there is certainly a real command for the believer to act. But I would be careful about saying that the aorist itself means urgency or a decisive act of autonomous human will. The aorist aspect does not automatically carry that meaning. The command comes from the imperative, while the context tells us how the command functions.
And notice the order of Paul’s argument here.. He doesn’t begin by telling people how to become spiritually alive. He tells those who are already “in the Lord” to be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of His might (Eph 6:10), then to put on the armor of God, take it up, and stand. So yes, the believer is commanded to actively put on the armor, but the armor is still God’s armor. We are appropriating what God provides, not supplying the spiritual resources ourselves.
I also think we need to be careful with the statement that justification leaves us with an “old man” and a “new man” as though Paul is simply describing two natures living inside the Christian. Ephesians 4:22–24 actually speaks of putting off the old man and putting on the new man, with the new man being “created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.” That is certainly about a radical change of life and identity, but the text itself doesn’t say that the old man remains as an ontological entity inside us.
Likewise, I wouldn’t automatically bring Romans 7 into Ephesians 6 as though Paul’s point there settles the question. Romans 7:14–25 has its own exegetical difficulties, particularly concerning who Paul is describing. Whatever position one takes on that, Ephesians 6 itself is making a different point: stand in what God has supplied and resist the devil’s schemes.
And that’s important because Paul doesn’t say, “Satan is trying to keep you from being saved.” His point is that believers are to stand against the μεθοδείας (“schemes” or “wiles”) of the devil. So saying that Satan is trying to keep Christians spiritually defeated may be a reasonable pastoral application, but it goes beyond what the verse itself actually says.
There is also an interesting Old Testament background here. Paul’s armor imagery strongly echoes Isaiah 59:17, where YHWH Himself puts on righteousness as a breastplate and a helmet of salvation. So the picture isn’t simply, “God gives you some equipment and now it’s up to you to fight in your own strength.” The whole emphasis is that the believer stands in God’s provision.
So I would summarize Ephesians 6 this way, having been made alive in Christ, the believer is commanded to stand, to put on and take up what God has provided, and to resist the devil. The Greek certainly gives us an active command, but I don’t think it gives us the larger doctrine of autonomous human will that is sometimes attached to it.
The Greek word behind “autonomous” is αὐτόνομος (autonomos), from αὐτός (autos), “self,” and νόμος (nomos), “law.” Literally, it means “self-governing” or “one who has his own law.” From the same root comes αὐτονομία (autonomia), “autonomy,” meaning self-government or independence from an external authority. So when we speak philosophically of an autonomous human will, we mean a will that is understood as determining itself independently, rather than being governed or determined by another.
Painful, I know.
J.
Topical Lexicon
Overview of New Testament Usage
σάρξ appears across the New Testament with a spectrum of meanings ranging from literal bodily tissue to the ethical sphere that opposes the Holy Spirit. Context alone fixes the nuance: at times morally neutral, at other times describing the fallen orientation of humanity, and occasionally pointing to the saving flesh of Christ Himself.
Material Flesh: The Created Body
The most basic sense is the physical substance covering bones (Luke 24:39; Acts 2:31). Here σάρξ simply affirms the reality of a body fashioned by God. “A spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have” (Luke 24:39) underscores the resurrected, tangible body of Jesus. Likewise, 1 Corinthians 15:39 catalogs differing kinds of σάρξ among humans, animals, birds, and fish, celebrating the diversity of God’s creative work.
Human Frailty and Dependence
When σάρξ is expanded to mean “all humanity,” it stresses creaturely weakness (Matthew 26:41; 1 Peter 1:24 quoting Isaiah 40:6). Jesus warns, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). In apocalyptic contexts the shortening of “days” is “for the sake of the elect, so that no flesh would perish” (Matthew 24:22), reminding readers that human life, left to itself, is unable to endure divine judgment.
Familial Descent and Ethnic Identity
σάρξ can signify kinship ties. Paul would forfeit his own standing “for the sake of my brothers, my own kinsmen according to the flesh” (Romans 9:3). Circumcision “in the flesh” marks Israel’s covenant identity (Ephesians 2:11), yet Paul demonstrates that true belonging is “not merely outward and physical” (Romans 2:28). In Philippians 3:4 he catalogs his pedigree “in the flesh” only to deem it loss compared with knowing Christ.
Christological Significance: The Word Become Flesh
John 1:14 proclaims the central miracle: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” Here σάρξ confesses a full assumption of human nature without sin, positioning the Incarnation as the cornerstone of redemption (Hebrews 2:14). The same term anchors Eucharistic discourse: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life” (John 6:54). Far from endorsing cannibalism, Jesus links His forthcoming sacrifice to covenant participation, just as Hebrews 10:20 portrays the veil as “His flesh,” opening access to God.
Soteriological Tension: Flesh versus Spirit
Paul’s theology introduces a redemptive polarity. To live “according to the flesh” is to operate within a realm shaped by indwelling sin (Romans 8:5-8). “The mindset of the flesh is death” (Romans 8:6); it is hostile to God and cannot submit to His law. Conversely, life “according to the Spirit” produces righteousness and peace. Importantly, the apostle distinguishes between the believer’s ongoing embodiment (“in the body”) and existence “in the flesh” as a ruling principle. Regenerate people still occupy mortal bodies (Philippians 1:24) yet are no longer under the dominion of σάρξ (Romans 8:9).
The Works of the Flesh
Galatians 5:19-21 lists visible manifestations of the sinful nature: “The works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry…” Those who practice such things “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The catalogue mirrors vice lists in Greco-Roman moral teaching but grounds transformation not in self-effort but in Spirit empowerment (Galatians 5:24). Romans 13:14 therefore commands, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.”
Circumcision of the Flesh and of the Heart
Paul juxtaposes external circumcision (ἐν σαρκί) with the “circumcision of Christ” performed “by the Spirit” (Colossians 2:11). Physical ritual, though once mandated, could not conquer the rebellious σάρξ; only the cross severs sin’s mastery. Thus Titus need not be compelled to “put confidence in the flesh” through surgery, and neither should Gentile converts (Galatians 6:12-13).
Flesh in Christian Ethics and Sanctification
σάρξ explains the believer’s ongoing moral struggle. “I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh” (Romans 7:18). Yet victory is certain: “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13). Practical holiness involves discerning between legitimate bodily needs and sinful cravings (1 Corinthians 6:13). Marriage unites two into “one flesh” (Ephesians 5:31), illustrating covenant faithfulness and Christ’s union with the church.
Resurrection and Eschatology
Although “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 15:50), this does not abolish bodily hope. Paul speaks of an imperishable, transformed physicality. Revelation envisions judgment on rebellious humanity as birds feast on “the flesh of all people” (Revelation 19:18), a grim counter-image to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Ultimately, redeemed bodies will be free from corruption; unredeemed flesh meets destruction.
Historical Reflection
Early church fathers upheld the Incarnation against Gnostic denial of real flesh; Ignatius insisted that Christ “was truly born, ate and drank.” The Reformation sharpened the Pauline contrast between flesh and Spirit, stressing justification by faith. Modern debates occasionally redefine σάρξ as merely social structures, yet Scripture consistently includes personal moral agency.
J.
In Romans 7:15, the apostle Paul writes, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” Here, Paul confesses that he does not understand why he continues to sin. He wants to do righteousness, but he does not do it. Rather, he finds that he commits sin, the very thing he hates. This is sin nature.
Both unbelievers and Christians can identify with the words, “What I want to do I do not do.” Anyone who has the smallest desire to do what is right often finds himself doing what is wrong. The sin nature is a powerful force, and, as Romans 3:23 says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We do what is wrong because we are sinners. Even our good intentions (“what I want to do”) are thwarted!
Unfortunately, we cannot claim ignorance. We know what displeases God, yet we still do it (Romans 2:9).
Paul’s candid admission establishes a principle of empathy. So, instead of acting “holier than thou,” we should remember that everyone is saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone Ephesians 28-9
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The major clue is the movement of the argument. In Romans 6, Paul says, “our old man was crucified with him” (6:6), that believers have been “freed from sin” (6:7), and that they are now “alive to God in Christ Jesus” (6:11). Then Romans 7:4 says, “you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another.” Paul then contrasts the former condition “when we were in the flesh” (7:5) with the new life of the Spirit.
Romans 7:14–25 certainly sounds intensely personal, I give you that, “I am fleshly, sold under sin,” “what I want to do I do not do,” and “who will deliver me from this body of death?” But Paul can use the first person rhetorically to embody the experience of the person under the law. The particularly important statement is Romans 7:14, “I am fleshly, sold under sin” (egō sarkinos eimi, pepramenos hypo tēn hamartian). That sits rather awkwardly beside Romans 6’s description of the believer as no longer enslaved to sin.
Then comes Romans 8, which gives the resolution: “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death” (8:2). And in 8:9 Paul says, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.” That “you, however” (hymeis de) is a significant contrast with the condition described in chapter 7.
So I would not use Romans 7 as though Paul simply says, “This is what every regenerated Christian necessarily looks like.” That’s an interpretation that needs to be argued, not assumed.
Love the OJB Translation here.
Rom 7:7 What then shall we say? That the Torah is considered as chet (sin)? Chas v’shalom! Nevertheless, I would not have experienced chet (sin) except through the Torah; for I would not have known chamdanut (covetousness, greediness) if the Torah had not said, LO TACHMOD (“Thou shalt not covet” SHEMOT 20:17).
Rom 7:8 But Chet (Sin), seizing its opportunity through the mitzvoh (commandment), stirred up all manner of chamdanut (covetousness) in me. For in the absence of the Torah, Chet (Sin) is dead.
Rom 7:9 And in the absence of the Torah I was once alive. But when the mitzvoh (commandment) came [BERESHIS 2:16-17), Chet (Sin) became alive,
Rom 7:10 and I died. The mitzvoh (commandment) intended as the Derech L’Chayyim (Way to Life) proved for me a means to mavet (death).
Rom 7:11 For Chet (Sin), seizing its opportunity through the mitzvoh (commandment), deceived me and, through the mitzvoh (commandment), killed me [BERESHIS 3:1-6].
Rom 7:12 So that the Torah is kedoshah (holy) and the mitzvoh (commandment) is kedoshah and yasharah and tovah.
Rom 7:13 Did that which is good, then, become mavet (death) to me? Chas v’shalom! But Chet (Sin), it was Chet, working mavet (death) in me through that which is tovah, in order that Chet might be shown as Chet (Sin), and in order that Chet through the mitzvoh (commandment) might become chata’ah gedolah ad m’od (utterly sinful).
Rom 7:14 For we have da’as that the Torah is Ruchanit (Spiritual, of the Ruach Hakodesh); but I am of the basar (fallen humanity) sold under the power of (slave master Chet Kadmon) Chet.
Rom 7:15 For I do not have da’as what I do. For that which I commit is not what I want; no, it is what I hate that I do!
Rom 7:16 But if that which I do is what I do not want, I agree with the Torah that the Torah is good.
Rom 7:17 But now it is no longer I doing this, but [the power of] Chet (Sin) which dwells within me.
Rom 7:18 For I have da’as that there dwells in me, that is, in my basar (my fallen humanity enslaved to Chet Kadmon) no good thing; for the wish [to do what is right] lies ready at hand for me, but to accomplish the good is not.
Rom 7:19 For I fail to do good as I wish, but HaRah (The Evil) which I do not wish is what I commit.
Rom 7:20 But if what I do not wish is that which I do, it is no longer I doing it but [the power of] Chet (Sin, Chet Kadmon, Original Sin) which dwells within me (cf. Ro 8:7-8).
Rom 7:21 I find then it be a law that for me who wishes to do HaTov (The Good), that for me HaRah (The Evil) lies ready at hand.
Rom 7:22 For I rejoice, I have simcha Torah in the Torah of Hashem, so far as the inner man is concerned,
Rom 7:23 But I see another Chok (decree, law) in my natural capacities at milchamah (war) with the Torah of my mind and making me a prisoner to the Chok (law) of Chet (Sin) which is [a power] in my natural capacities.
Rom 7:24 Wretched man am I! Who will deliver me from the body of this mavet (death)?
Rom 7:25 Hodu l’Hashem (thanks be to G-d) baMoshiach Yehoshua Adoneinu. So then I myself with my mind serve the Torah of Hashem and with my basar I serve the Chok of Chet (the Law of Sin). [T.N. The total spiritual turnaround here described is when the conviction of the intellect, emotion, and will “obey from the heart the form of doctrine laid out here in Scripture” as we are born anew in the humanity of the new Man and die to the old depraved Adam.]
J.
Well said Pastor. And the root of this? Believing that we can, in my opinion.
While our lives are very short (and getting shorter the longer we live!), the chain of events in our lives are not “immediate”. Very often, outcomes happen “eventually”. So we might actually believe that we can just indulge ourselves in an unrighteous way without any significant loss. Looking back, we regret and grieve over the very real losses that were totally inevitable, and completely avoidable.
I doubt many would willingly choose a particular sin if the consequences were instant. We think that somehow we can get away with evil with no repercussions.
Seems to me that we are prone to believe lies with scary regularity. We desperately need help from our Helper, God’s Spirit who abides in us. Without Him, we would be in a hopeless condition, utterly unable to navigate this evil world in this broken flesh.
Proverbs 3
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
No, the faith is strong with you. You are wrestling with a profound theological distinction that often confuses: the difference between physical human nature (“flesh” as creation/body) and ethical carnality (“flesh” as the fallen, sinful principle operating in rebellion against God).
I believe you are 100 percent correct when saying Christ truly took on physical human flesh (sarx), but only in the “likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), meaning He shared our full, weak human physical existence without taking on a fallen, carnal nature. You are arguing for a sharp, binary shift in the believer’s status: you are no longer “in the flesh” ethically, but “in the Spirit.”
I believe you correctly observe that Paul uses the word “flesh” (sarx) in a moral/ethical sense rather than just a physical one. To be “in the flesh” in Romans 8 means to be under the power and mindset of sin (mronēma tēs sarkos), not merely to have a physical body. Christ came “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (en homoiōmati sarkos hamartias). He took full physical humanity, but was never dominated by the fallen carnal power.
I loved your connection to the Old Testament Tabernacle imagery (cleansing before indwelling) highlights a rich biblical-theological thread: God’s holiness requires a cleansed vessel for His Holy Spirit to dwell.
That being said, may I offer a gentle clarification? You state:
While you are spot-on regarding the positional reality of the believer (we are no longer under the domain/reign of the flesh; Romans 8:9), Paul’s epistles simultaneously recognize an ongoing experiential struggle in the life of the Christian:
Positionally, believers are “in the Spirit” and dead to sin (Romans 6:11, 8:9). Experientially, believers are instructed to “put to death the deeds of the body” (Romans 8:13) and “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
The presence of the Spirit guarantees our new identity, but the presence of fallen physical mortality means believers still wait for the “redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23).
Be blessed, be a blessing.
Peter
All this wrangling over the precise meaning of the word " flesh ", reminds me of an experience some 30 yrs ago, early in my " walk " with our Lord.
I was told of a form of contemplative prayer, whereby we eliminate ALL thought, memory, or opinion which is not The Creator. In otherwords, eliminate all that is created.
Kind of like coming to find our Good Lord, through the process of deduction. By eliminating the " terrestrial "