Our Closest Enemy

[WordSword]

Believing in Christ’s Gospel also means being partakers with His “sufferings” (2Co 1:5)—via our cross in Him (Luk 9:23). We cannot be partakers with Him in the expiation of His Cross, being recipients of its provision, but in our cross we do partake of His sufferings related to it. His Cross “condemned sin” (Rom 8:3); our cross is the “enduring” (2Tim 2:3) of ongoing opposition to His Cross which derives from self, Satan and society.

It has been said that “the lost need saved, and the saved need deliverance!” Deliverance from what? From the opposition to Christ’s Gospel. Our oppositional activity primarily involves that which is closest—self, e.g. us in our old nature. In our Christian walk we are being taught the freedom we have in Christ from not only the guilt of the old man (Rom 8:1) but also from its “rule” and “dominion” of sin (Rom 6:12, 14). The dominion issue is not related to sinning or not sinning but rests in the desire not to sin (which answers to progressively sinning less), meaning believers are kept from personal desire to sin, thus we never sin willfully but rather it’s always against our desire to do so.

From self (e.g. old self or sinful nature) comes the “contrarieties” to God (Rom 7:14-25), which His Spirit opposes in us (Gal 5:17), while we grow in our “walk in the Spirit” (Gal 5:25). Enduring this enemy within is where I believe the greatest proofing and strengthening of our faith occurs, for its indwelling (Rom 7:17, 20) makes it the closest foe with the greatest amount of opposition.

I saw an excellent analogy that related our old man to that of a ship’s captain, who committed such a high crime that the crew was forced into mutiny against him, chose another to be captain, and chained the old captain to the mast until he could be dealt with upon reaching the shore. But as their journey continued they could hear the old captain yelling orders and threats as usual at the top of his voice, but now it had only minimal effect, for they knew he could no longer do anything about it, knowing he remained restrained (Rom 6:6 – “is” continually being crucified).

Satan appeals to us only in our old man, for he is aware that he cannot address us in our new man (new nature). It being in “true holiness” (Eph 2:24) and “renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him” (Col 3:10) is unapproachable, for we in our new nature, or “seed,”—“cannot sin” (1John 3:9).

Society (the world, e.g. unbelievers, which will always comprise the majority of mankind) is more or less just a significant distraction being used by Satan via their old man, which makes him—their “god” (2Co 4:4) and “prince” (Jhn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), which was once the same for us.

NC

[Dennis1209]

Your comments are certainly well thought out. If I were to guess, I'd say you know your Bible pretty well. 

And yes, to summarize your topic, we don't battle against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers in high places.

[Mike Mclees]

3 hours ago, Word-Sword said:

Believing in Christ’s Gospel also means being partakers with His “sufferings” (2Co 1:5)—via our cross in Him (Luk 9:23). We cannot be partakers with Him in the expiation of His Cross, being recipients of its provision, but in our cross we do partake of His sufferings related to it. His Cross “condemned sin” (Rom 8:3); our cross is the “enduring” (2Tim 2:3) of ongoing opposition to His Cross which derives from self, Satan and society.

It has been said that “the lost need saved, and the saved need deliverance!” Deliverance from what? From the opposition to Christ’s Gospel. Our oppositional activity primarily involves that which is closest—self, e.g. us in our old nature. In our Christian walk we are being taught the freedom we have in Christ from not only the guilt of the old man (Rom 8:1) but also from its “rule” and “dominion” of sin (Rom 6:12, 14). The dominion issue is not related to sinning or not sinning but rests in the desire not to sin (which answers to progressively sinning less), meaning believers are kept from personal desire to sin, thus we never sin willfully but rather it’s always against our desire to do so.

From self (e.g. old self or sinful nature) comes the “contrarieties” to God (Rom 7:14-25), which His Spirit opposes in us (Gal 5:17), while we grow in our “walk in the Spirit” (Gal 5:25). Enduring this enemy within is where I believe the greatest proofing and strengthening of our faith occurs, for its indwelling (Rom 7:17, 20) makes it the closest foe with the greatest amount of opposition.

I saw an excellent analogy that related our old man to that of a ship’s captain, who committed such a high crime that the crew was forced into mutiny against him, chose another to be captain, and chained the old captain to the mast until he could be dealt with upon reaching the shore. But as their journey continued they could hear the old captain yelling orders and threats as usual at the top of his voice, but now it had only minimal effect, for they knew he could no longer do anything about it, knowing he remained restrained (Rom 6:6 – “is” continually being crucified).

Satan appeals to us only in our old man, for he is aware that he cannot address us in our new man (new nature). It being in “true holiness” (Eph 2:24) and “renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him” (Col 3:10) is unapproachable, for we in our new nature, or “seed,”—“cannot sin” (1John 3:9).

Society (the world, e.g. unbelievers, which will always comprise the majority of mankind) is more or less just a significant distraction being used by Satan via their old man, which makes him—their “god” (2Co 4:4) and “prince” (Jhn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), which was once the same for us.

NC

Our greatest war is between the spirit and the flesh. Galatians 5:16-18  ¹⁴

 

For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵ For that which I do I allow^c not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. ¹⁶ If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. ¹⁷ Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. ¹⁹ For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. ²⁰ Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ²¹ I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. ²² For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: ²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body^d of this death? ²⁵ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.   . Ro 7:13-25

[WordSword]

16 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Your comments are certainly well thought out. If I were to guess, I'd say you know your Bible pretty well. 

And yes, to summarize your topic, we don't battle against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers in high places.

Hi Denni - Appreciate your compliments and comment! And the passage you present is highly applicable. Our opposition is not against people personally but against the "high places" in them (Eph6:12), and against Satan and our sinful nature, all of which exists in a higher plain, which is spiritual, not physical. 

It's more so the Spirit's opposition (Gal 5:17) to the "flesh" (not the body but the sinful nature, which is spiritual) and our's is just to resist and refuse, for the Spirit does all the work.

[WordSword]

13 hours ago, Mike Mclees said:

Our greatest war is between the spirit and the flesh. Galatians 5:16-18  

HI Mike - Thanks for the reply, and your passage is also very applicable, as you can see from the prior post. I believe the nature within us is the seat of the soul, so it's my understanding that it's the nature that is addressed. The quality of a person in their spirit is determined by the nature because the nature is what causes us to decide what to do--it's where our desires lay. This answers to God implanting the new nature (new man) in us at rebirth, which the Spirit uses to teach, guide and enable us to "walk" after Him.

As you've also indicated Romans 7 we can see the dichotomy of the believer which is the conflicting natures, but the Father ensures our desired intentions are always after His "good pleasure" (Phil 2:13), and the Spirit enables us to do so, which is all accomplished via the Lord Jesus' life in us (Col 3:4).

[Dennis1209]

7 hours ago, Word-Sword said:

Hi Denni - Appreciate your compliments and comment! And the passage you present is highly applicable. Our opposition is not against people personally but against the "high places" in them (Eph6:12), and against Satan and our sinful nature, all of which exists in a higher plain, which is spiritual, not physical. 

It's more so the Spirit's opposition (Gal 5:17) to the "flesh" (not the body but the sinful nature, which is spiritual) and our's is just to resist and refuse, for the Spirit does all the work.

Guess that's one of the reasons my old man had to die, and I put on the new man 

[WordSword]

5 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Guess that's one of the reasons my old man had to die, and I put on the new man 

That's how it's often taught, but nowhere does it say it's dead to us just crucified - Rom 6:6, otherwise we could live without sinning. But rather we are dead to it (Rom 6:2; Col 3:3)--concerning its guilt (Rom 8:1) and dominion (Rom 6:12, 14), even though it still tests us. It's that part of us that goes on but cannot cause guilt in us, nor dominate us into desiring it and sin.