May we come down to the exposition of God's holy word and congregation. Let me ask you, please, to take your Bibles out at this time and turn back to Ephesians chapter 6. Ephesians chapter 6, as we continue in our exposition of this book and we find our place in Ephesians 6, beginning with verse 10. And let me read in your hearing verses 10 through 13. where we have this section introduced regarding spiritual warfare and the need for God's people to take up the whole armor of God in that warfare. Paul writes in Ephesians 6 and verse 10, he says, finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and the power of his might put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Let's now join together before the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you as we come again to your word, that you as a God who has revealed your truth to us, has given us this record revealed inerrantly and infallibly, that we may look into your precious word and find truth to live by. Father, we come today and we pray that you would grant to us again the ministry of your Spirit, that he would teach us and instruct us in your truth, that we as God's people would be receptive and humble before it, seeking to embrace it, obey it, understand and believe what it says. And Father, it is our prayer that you would add to your church, that you would bless your people, and Father, that you would receive all the honor and all the praise and all the glory. And we pray all of this in Jesus' holy name. Amen. As we come again to this text, we said last week that we are dealing with the issue of spiritual warfare. Paul addresses this issue of spiritual warfare. The Bible teaches that our world is not a fun amusement park in which we just enjoy life. Rather, this world in which we live is a deadly spiritual battlefield. We have very real adversaries, very real enemies. They are not imagined. They're not something fabricated. They are real foes for the people of God. And we as God's people must be aware of them. We must be on guard against them. And we must seek by the grace of God and by the enabling of the spirit to stand against them in our Christian walk. This is true for individual believers in Christ. It is true for the church. in a world that hates our Savior. Now, last week we turned into Ephesians chapter 2, and we noted there that we have a warfare, but it isn't a singular front. We have a three-fold front of warfare that we as believers are engaged in. We engage in a warfare against the world, the flesh, and the devil. Last week, we talked about the first of those three. That is, we have this warfare against the world. And we asked and answered several simple, straightforward questions about this warfare with the world. First of all, we asked the question, what is the world? And we said that this is this idea of the current satanic system and Christless culture that we are in. as believers. We said, what is the course of this world? And we said, Isaiah chapter 5, we live in a world that denies sin, that redefines sin, and that seeks to create new sins that is of its own imaginations. We said, well, number three, who is the ruler of this wicked world system? And we said, it is no one other than Satan. Satan, who is not the legitimate ruler, he is a usurper, yet he is the ruler of fallen mankind. And he is the ruler of this fallen world system, which is indeed satanic. We ask the question, what did the Lord Jesus say about this world? Well, he said that just as the world hates him, The world is going to hate true Christians. We recognize that we live in a world that is hostile towards our Savior, and so it will be hostile towards believers in Jesus Christ. We ask the question, what is our attitude regarding the world? Well, we are told that we are not to love the world, nor the things in the world. Indeed, those who love the world, they are those who hate God. We ask the question, what is our confidence as we engage in this warfare in the world? Well, praise be to God, our confidence is not in ourselves. Amen? Our confidence is in Jesus Christ who has overcome the world. And just as He has overcome the world, so we in Christ also will be victorious because we are in Him, our conqueror, Jesus Christ. We said, what is our strategy regarding the world? And we looked at Romans chapter 12 and verse number 2. We are not to be conformed to what? The world. but rather we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. And so we are transformed by the Word, not conformed to the world. Rather than having the world squeeze us into its mold, We are to be transformed by the truth of God's Word so that we do not mix with, we are in the world, but we are not of the world. Our attitudes, our opinions, our positions, our perspectives are contrary to the ways of this world. Now, today we want to consider the second of those three battles. And if you're in Ephesians 6, turn with me back to chapter 2 of Ephesians. And we consider that not only are we engaged in this warfare against our Christless culture, this satanic world system, but we have another front of battle and warfare. And it is, of course, we said, secondly, the flesh. It is the flesh. Notice what Paul says in Ephesians 2 verse 3. He says, Among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the loss of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. There was a time before our conversion when we were enslaved to the world of flesh and the devil. And praise God, we have been liberated, emancipated from that slavery to those three things. But these three things are still our enemies. Amen. They still are the things that we battle against, even as transformed believers. And in verse 3 we see this phrase there, it is this loss of our flesh, desires of the flesh and of the mind. That speaks of this second of these three fronts of our warfare. Now whenever we think about flesh, if you just ask the average person walking down the street, well what are you talking about? You're talking about the flesh. They immediately are going to think about the physical body, aren't they? They're going to think about, well, you have bones, and then on top of your bones you've got muscles and tissue and skin, and that muscle and tissues and skin, that's the flesh. We talk about somebody showing up at an occasion or at a meeting and say, well, they were there in flesh and blood. And what we mean by that is they were physically there at that place in their bodies. And so when we think about this warfare with the flesh, We need to distinguish different meanings of this idea in the New Testament. And so what I want to do is I want us to consider this by looking at some different Greek words and how they're used. So a little bit of a word study this morning. First of all, we're going to talk about the word soma, the Greek word soma, S-O-M-A. The word soma is the word that generally means physical body. Secondly, we're going to talk about the word sarx, S-A-R-X. Sarx is another word that can refer to the physical body. It can also refer to the flesh in the sense of remaining sin. And so we want to distinguish these different uses by the Holy Spirit. So, turn with me in your Bibles. First of all, turn back to Matthew's Gospel, Matthew chapter 5. Matthew chapter 5, I want to look at a couple of examples of the use of this word soma. Soma, that word that refers to the physical body. And this is the general way which we think of when we think about the word body. The words of the Lord Jesus, Matthew 5 and verse 29, he says, If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, Cut it off and cast it from you for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell. Jesus is not literally talking about plucking out literal eyes and chopping off literal hands. He is talking spiritually about having a radical approach to dealing with sin in our lives. So don't go from here and say, well, the pastor says that we're to be plucking out our eyes if it causes us to sin. No, that's not the literal meaning. It is that we are to have this sense of how serious sin is that we radically eliminate sin in every occasion but what I want you to notice is that both in verse 29 and verse 30 you have there at the end of the verse that phrase about one of your members perish then quote for your whole body the word they were looking at is the word body your whole body to be cast into hell. Again at the end of verse 30, your whole body to be cast into hell. This is referring obviously to our physical bodies themselves. There is no connotation of sinfulness or fallenness. It simply means your physical body. This is seen again here in Matthew 5. Look over in chapter 6 verse 25. Here Jesus gives this word of reassurance and this this caution that we should not worry in this life and Jesus says Matthew chapter 6 verse 25 therefore I say to you do not worry about your life what you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body there again is the word soma that Greek word soma your body What you will put on is not life more than food and the body more than clothing. Well, that's just a couple of quick examples. This is found over and over repeatedly in the New Testament. The idea of the body, the word soma referring to the physical body. But now let's move to that second Greek word that we want to really dial in our understanding. And it is the word sarx. which is normally translated as flesh, but it can have two different meanings in the New Testament. So look with me, please. You're in Matthew. Let's turn over, please, to John's Gospel, Chapter 1. One of the ways in which the word sarx, flesh, is used is that it can simply refer to the physical body, just like Soma. Basically, it's almost like a synonym for Soma, our body. And we read this in John chapter 1, and we'll just take up our reading in verse 1 here as we have this beautiful prologue to John's gospel. where John speaks about Christ as the Logos. He is the Word who came in the Incarnation. And so we read in John 1 verse 1, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He begins his gospel like Genesis 1.1, in the beginning God created and then he says in God's new creation, in redemption, the Word has come and the Word, speaking of Jesus Christ, this is God in the flesh. Verse number 2. He was in the beginning with God and all things were made through him and without him nothing was made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light, which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world and the world was made through him and the world did not know him. 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. And then notice verse 14. And the Word, speaking of Jesus Christ, the Word became flesh. And there's our word sarx in the New Testament Greek. 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. Here we see the use of this word Flesh, sarx, it is not referring to fallen nature in man, but rather to the human nature of man. It is basically John saying that the Word, the Logos, Jesus Christ, He came truly in the flesh in the Incarnation. Now, congregation, He had to come in the flesh. Amen? He had to come and take on humanity in order that He could die as our substitute and representative as those who are in sin. But here the use of the word sarx in verse 14, flesh, it in no way is trying to suggest that Jesus took upon Himself a fallen nature. That is heretical, that is wrong and wicked. No, he simply is saying, when he says, Sark's flesh, Jesus took upon himself true humanity as the unique God-man, Jesus Christ. John Calvin says it this way, he says, quote, the word flesh is not taken here for corrupt nature, but rather for mortal man. And that's what Jesus did. Another example of this use of sarx is found over in Romans. Turn to Romans chapter 9. Paul uses this idea of sarx in an interesting way as it relates to race or ethnicity. Race or ethnicity. Romans chapter 9, and I want to read the first five verses. Paul says, Romans 9 in verse 1, I tell you the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have a great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ, For my brethren, my countrymen, according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises of whom are the fathers, and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. Notice please, if you will, in verse number three, Paul speaks of the flesh, his brethren, his countrymen, or you could say his relatives, according to the flesh. And there again is another use of that word sarx, the word for flesh. But here, Paul is using this term to refer to his fellow Jewish countrymen, members of the same racial group. Paul had this special affection for his fellow racial countrymen. He loved them in a special way. This was Paul post-conversion. It wasn't like, well, yes, he loved his race, but then he got saved and disloved those who were his brothers. No, he loved his racial people, his kinfolk, according to the flesh, after he was converted to Jesus Christ. He loved them so much, his kinsmen after the flesh, that he says, I wish I were accursed for the sake of them. Congregation, there is no inherent sinfulness in loving your own people. Amen? If that is true, then the Apostle Paul is a horrible, wicked sinner by even suggesting something like this. He loved his fellow countrymen, his fellow racial identity, and that did not cease. whenever he became a believer and an apostle to the Gentiles of the Lord Jesus Christ. So here again you see this use of the word flesh, sarx, but it is referring not just to humanity, not just to our bodies, but used by Paul to refer to those who was his lineage, his kinsmen according to the flesh. Turn with me, please, in your Bibles over in 1 John chapter 4, and we see another use of this word sarx as it relates to our physical bodies or to humanity. 1 John chapter 4, verses 1 through 3. Now here again, this is referring to Christ and the incarnation, but notice the use of the word flesh. John writes, and he says, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God. Because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, there's our word, is of God. And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, There again is our word, is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world. Here you have this test that John the Apostle gives in identifying those who are not true prophets. False prophets, how do you know them, John? Well, they are those who do not confess, they do not believe and teach and acknowledge that Jesus has come in the flesh. And it is that word sarx again. Again, it is referring simply to Christ taking upon Himself humanity. That He came in the flesh. He was a real man who came and took humanity upon Himself. Physical incarnation. So, the word sarx can be used to refer to the physical body. But now, our real interest this morning is the second use of that word sarx. That is the use of the word flesh that's not simply talking about our physical bodies. No, it is referring to something even more specifically. It is referring to our fallen nature. It is referring to that remaining corruption or that remaining sin that we still deal with, even as believers. So, turn with me, please, back to the book. Well, let's look in Romans. Turn to Romans, chapter 7. This is one of those classic passages. Romans, chapter 7. You recognize that Romans 7, where Paul talks about this struggle with the flesh, this is a very difficult chapter. And good people have interpreted it different ways. Some have said that, well, this is a description of Paul before he was converted. And there are good people who hold that view, like Martin Lloyd-Jones and John Murray and his fine commentary on Romans. They say that the struggle with sin and the flesh, this could never refer to a believer It must be Paul speaking biographically of that struggle he had with sin before he came to Christ. There are others who say, well, no, this is referring to a believer's struggle with sin. But this is referring to a very carnal, sinful Christian. Some Christian that just really isn't doing what he ought to be doing and so he's just living in all kinds of wicked iniquity. Is that what's going on here? And then the most predominant interpretation and the view that I take and our confession takes is that no, this is a description of a mature believer who is taking sin very seriously and he realizes in dealing with sin that there still is remaining sin still to be conquered in His life. And I believe that is the correct understanding of this passage. And we read here about this struggle with the flesh, sarks, that we are talking about when we say we have a warfare with the world, with the flesh, and with the devil. So let's take up our reading in Romans 7 and verse 14. Paul says, for we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, notice the present tense, not past tense. What I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice. But what I hate, that I do. Notice that idea of what he wills to do. That is the will of God. Verse 16. If then I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. Those who agree with the law are those who believe in God. They're believers. Verse 17. But now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. There's the idea, sin dwelling in us. For I know that in me, and here's our phrase, that is in my flesh, sarks, nothing good dwells. For to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do, but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. He says in verse 21, I find then a law that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. Now that again is a clear reference that this is a converted person. He delights to do the law of God according to the inward man. That's a converted believer in Christ. Verse 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. O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, with my mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh, there's that word flesh again, sarks the law of sin. Here we see, notice in verse 23, Paul says as he estimates his present situation, he says that there is this war going on. That's the warfare that we're talking about. He says in verse 23, I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind. It is a present warfare going on as it relates to the flesh. He speaks of this idea of flesh, verse 18. He speaks of this idea of flesh, verse 25. He says, in the mind I serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Paul here is describing this struggle that Christians have with the flesh. As new believers in Christ, we are new creatures in Christ. We have a definitive sanctification. We have a radical transformation. And yet we do not have absolute perfection in our salvation this side of glory. There is still remaining sin in our lives. Not reigning sin, but remaining sin. And that sin that remains is called in the Scriptures this flesh that remains. Listen to what John MacArthur says, and I quote him. He says, quote, The flesh is our unredeemed humanness. It is that complex of sinful passions that sin generates through our bodies. It's one remaining domain. And that's simply what Paul is saying here. He says, with my mind, I serve the law of God. But there is this one remaining domain of sin, where remaining sin and corruption is present, and it is the flesh, this unredeemed humanity. Now, if you'll look in chapter 8 of Romans, I want you to notice that Paul also speaks of this idea of the flesh enslaving those apart from Jesus Christ. He says in verse 1 of Romans 8, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, that is primarily, 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. And for verse three, 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. He's talking about this contrast with unbelievers. He says, and the key thing I want you to notice there is in verse 8, when he talks about in verse 8, those who are in the flesh. Now, we as believers still struggle with the flesh, as Paul has already acknowledged in chapter 7. But he does not call a believer in the flesh, and that's the difference. Those who are apart from Christ, who are unconverted, they are in the flesh. They don't simply have remaining sin, they have reigning sin in their lives. And so that's the contrast that's going on. A believer can manifest the deeds of the flesh, but they can never be in the flesh in terms of their position. Turn with me, please, in your Bibles over to Galatians, chapter 5. Galatians, chapter 5. Again, we're talking about this idea of this warfare with the flesh. We war against the world, the flesh, and the devil, and so we consider this idea of warring against the flesh. Paul says that he has this warfare, Romans 7. He says that unbelievers are enslaved to the flesh, Romans 8. Notice in Galatians 5 and verse 13, we note the possibility related to a believer allowing the flesh to take hold. He says, Galatians 5, 13, for you brethren have been called to liberty. Only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh. Now, when he uses that word flesh there, that is sarx. He's not talking about the physical body. He's talking about that remaining sin. He says, do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love, serve one another. Acknowledges here, it is possible to use our liberty as an opportunity to satisfy the flesh. He says, don't do that because that is a possibility. Again, if you will look with me in your Bibles over to first Peter, you say, what does this have to do as it relates to waging warfare? We see Paul had this warfare going on. Believers have really they're just submitted to the flesh and they live according to it. We notice in first Peter, chapter two, first Peter, chapter two. Notice here this this word of exhortation, the apostle Peter gives as it relates to the flesh. First Peter two verses 11 and 12. Peter says, Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, Glorify God in the day of visitation. Here, Peter gives this admonition, this exhortation. He says, abstain from fleshly lusts. Well, what's the implication there? Fleshly lusts, they can't take hold in our lives. Amen? It's a serious enemy that we are to be dealing with. In fact, how are we to deal with it? We are to recognize that these things, verse 11, they are warfare. They wage war against the soul. And so we are to be waging war against the flesh, because the flesh is waging war against us. So when we think about this idea of the flesh, we would say, that the New Testament uses this word sarx in two different ways. It refers to the flesh as simply our human physical bodies. We have flesh, our bodies. But then it also uses it in terms of man's fallen nature, of remaining sin, of remaining corruption, still present, not reigning, but remaining before we are glorified ultimately in glory. At this point I want us to look at our confession of faith. So let me ask you please to take out your hymnal and I want us to turn in the Trinity Hymnal to page 677 because the Trinity Hymnal addresses this under chapter 13 as it relates to the doctrine of sanctification. Now, we are justified, the idea of justification is that we are justified by grace, it is the gift of God, and our justification, that is a declarative reality. We are justified immediately, and it's not partially that we're justified. Whenever we are justified, that is a total reality of declaration. Amen? justified by faith, so that we are in the sight of God righteous on account of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. But then when it comes to sanctification, sanctification is a process whereby we progressively are working out our position in our practice. And that is at various stages and progression throughout our lives. So, looking here at chapter 13 on page 677, we have a description of sanctification. It says, ìThey who are united to Christ, effectually called and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them through the virtue of Christís death and resurrection, are also farther sanctified really and personally through the same virtue by his word and spirit dwelling in them. The dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified and they more and more quickened and strengthened in all saving graces to the practice of all true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Here our confession affirms definitive sanctification. That is, when we are saved, we've been transformed. We have been made new creatures. We have new appetites. We have new desires. We have new goals and pursuits. And so we have had this radical transformation. And so it says there that we are sanctified really and personally. And yet it also notes there that it is a process. As it says in the middle of that chapter that these lusts are more and more weakened and mortified. And they more and more are quickened and strengthened. So that is a process of sanctification. But now I want you to look at paragraph number two. In paragraph number two, it moves from a description of sanctification to talk about some of the distinctive realities of it. And in this second paragraph, it talks about the struggle of sin that we still have, even though we have been saved. The paragraph says, this sanctification is throughout the whole man, yet, yet imperfect in this life. There abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part, Whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable, what? War. The idea of warring with the flesh. A continual and irreconcilable war. The flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. So here the writers of our confession are very clear that even though we are saved and sanctified positionally, we still struggle with the flesh, with remaining sin in this life. There abides, it says, these remnants of corruption. That's that remaining sin, that flesh. And notice that it says in that paragraph, speaking of the nature of it, there is this continual and irreconcilable war. That is, we never grow in the Christian life this side of glory where we will one day get so mature in Christ that we no longer have a struggle with the flesh. That's not biblical Christianity. Now there are those who teach a kind of a second blessing. This is found in Pentecostalism. The idea of entire sanctification where someone lives the Christian life and then they truly submit to the Spirit and they have entire sanctification. Well, congregation, we're not going to get that this side of glory. Amen? There is, in fact, as our confession says, a continual and an irreconcilable, not just, you know, kind of friends are together, but know a war that is going on. That's the idea of warfare that we're talking about. It is the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. These are the combatants. in this warfare that's being described, the flesh and the spirit. Interestingly, the writers of our confession, as they use various scriptural citations to buttress these statements, one of the references they use here in paragraph 2 is Romans chapter 7, verse 18 and verse So there the writers of our confession very clearly understood Romans 7 not to be referring to Paul and his pre-conversion sinful lifestyle, but Paul as a converted believer dealing still with remaining sin. The third paragraph has to do with the progress of grace that it is indeed, notice at the beginning of paragraph 3 he describes it as a war in which war Although remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome. We will grow and perfect holiness, the paragraph says, and of course that will be our walk progressively until we are in glory. So this idea of this warfare against the flesh, it's not only rooted in scriptural citation, we see our confession affirming this idea in chapter 13 on sanctification. We are at war with the flesh, the war and the spirit are in this irreconcilable, continual warfare which you and I are engaged in in the Christian life. Now, as we conclude this morning, I want to give just a few points as we think about this warfare. We've established that we have this warfare with the flesh. We are at war against the world. We said that last week. But we also not only have this war on the outside of us, that is around us, we've got this internal warfare going on within us. How do we wage this warfare? Well, turn with me back to Romans, and I want to look at a couple of passages as we conclude. Asking and answering the question, how are we to wage warfare against the flesh? How are we to wage warfare against the flesh? Turn with me to Romans chapter 8, verses 12 and 13. Romans 8, verses 12 and 13, number one, In our waging warfare against the flesh, we are called to mortify sin relentlessly. Mortify sin relentlessly. We're in Romans 8, but we didn't read down to this portion. Look with me please at verse 12 and 13 of Romans 8. Paul says, 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. Here we see very clearly that we are not to live according to the flesh. That leads to death. What we are to do is by the Spirit be putting to death the deeds of the body. That speaks again of the flesh, putting to death that flesh that remains, that remaining corruption. It means that we identify sin in our lives. Now, you know what? Weíre very good, and some of us have special spiritual gifts at identifying the sins in other people. Have you ever noticed that? They're very good about that. They have this special knack. It's almost like a radar. They can tell you every sin someone else has. But congregation, we're to be concerned about our own sins. Amen? That's what we need to be concerned about. And we need to be identifying our own sins and owning them, renouncing them, repenting of them, and resolving that we will not continue in them. That's what we mean by mortifying sin relentlessly. It is this idea of putting it to death, verse 13. Not having a kind of, you know, boxing with gloves where we're not making sure no one really gets hurt and we wear our helmets so that no one really gets that damaged in the battle. No, we are to be killing sin. We are to be putting sin to death. in our mortal bodies. John Owen said it this way, he said, quote, be killing sin or it will be killing you. And that's how we need to see our sin. It is serious and we are to be dealing with it. A death blow daily, recognizing what our sins are. being concerned and being experts about our own hearts and our own corruptions and dealing with our own sins, realizing that's where this battle with the flesh is to be our engagement. I would highly recommend the book by John Owen, The Mortification of Sin. If you don't have a copy of that, get a copy. You can get a paperback edition of that. You don't have to buy the 22 volume set, the works of John Owen. Just get a little paper book, The Mortification of Sin. It's an excellent resource. Be killing sin. Put to death the deeds of the body. Secondly, not only are we to mortify sin relentlessly, you're hearing Romans 8, turn over to Romans chapter 13. Romans chapter 13 and verse 14. Number two, not only mortify sin relentlessly, but don't give sin the opportunity. Don't give sin the opportunity. Romans 13 and verse 14. Paul says, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts. He says, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh. There again is that word sarked. The idea of remaining sin. He's not saying make no provision for your physical bodies, obviously. We're to take care of our bodies, we're to bathe our bodies and feed our bodies. No, flesh is that remaining corruption, that remaining sin that is present. We are not to make provision for it. We are to recognize we have a responsibility to be proactive as it relates to our sin. What does it mean to not make provision for the flesh? It means that we are to avoid all occasions and situations that would tempt us to sin in the flesh. That's essentially what he is saying. Whatever sins that we struggle with, and we should know our remaining sin very well as we study ourselves and our sin. We should be proactively avoiding placing ourselves in situations where we will be tempted to sin. If you struggle with gluttony, well, don't go to the all-you-can-eat buffet. That's a temptation. And I say that as we're going to have a fellowship after the service today. Just be careful if you struggle with that sin, especially around the desserts. If you struggle with lust, well, you need to avoid those things that will tempt you in that area. Deal with those things in your life. So we are to not give sin the opportunity. We are to give ourselves constantly to being proactive in this activity. Now, turn with me please over in Galatians chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5. We not only are to mortify sin relentlessly, not give sin the opportunity, but number three, be controlled by the Spirit continually. Be controlled by the Spirit continually. Notice what Paul says in Galatians 5 verse 16. He says, I say then, walk in the Spirit. And you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. There's that struggle with the flesh again. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. That sounds just like Romans chapter 7, doesn't it? What Paul was saying about himself. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Verse 19, he gives a list of those kind of things of the flesh that we are to avoid and we are to renounce. And then notice, if you will, look at verse 22. He says, in contrast to that, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law. And those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Verse 25, ìIf we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.î And so here you have this contrast again. It is this contrast between the Spirit and the flesh. How do we mortify? How do we wage war with the flesh? Well, we are to be controlled continually with the Holy Spirit. Walking in the Spirit is submitting to the Spirit's control. It is obeying the Scripture's commands. People always ask, well, what does it mean to walk in the Spirit? What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? Well, it's not some sort of ecstatic, experiential type of thing. Walking in the Spirit is living in a manner that is conducive to what God has commanded. It is having the Word of God in your life and living according to what Christ has commanded in His Word. That's living in the Spirit. It is obeying the commands of Scripture. That's how you deal with sin. You know what your sins are, you identify them, you have a warfare with them, you recognize you are to be proactive against them, and you realize that they are sins in accordance with what Christ has said in His Word. So that when you're tempted to fall into that sin, what do you do? you start quoting scriptures to yourself that show and remind you that's a sinful thing. I am to avoid that sin of the flesh. It is what we read in Psalm 119, verse 11. Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God, against you. That's what we are to do. If we are to do this according to God's will, We, first of all, must be united to Christ and be delivered from reigning sin. Some of us do not struggle with sin because sin is still reigning within. And if sin is reigning within, then you need to turn to Christ, who is the Redeemer. And you need to accept Him, trust in Him, put your faith in Him, and you will be delivered from that doom that sin certainly will receive in judgment, and you will be enabled to live in accordance with what Christ has commanded. Congregation, we are to be in a war with sin, with the flesh, and that is our duty as God's people. Let's bow together in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, we thank You so much for Your Word today. What a helpful, practical Word that we need to hear and be reminded of as we think about this warfare with sin. We are in a very real battle. And our battle is not in identifying the sins of others and calling them out and trying to look as if we're not sinners. and trying to point out other people's failures and foibles. No, we are in a warfare about dealing with our own sins and recognizing our own inner corruptions. Help us that we would deal with them, that we would renounce them, that we would be at war continually with them, not in our own strength, but in the strength that you provide as we walk in the Spirit as we apply Your Word and as we live in accordance with Your will. Father, we pray that You would draw sinners to Yourself even today. Those who are apart from Christ, we pray that they would be enabled by Your grace to run to Christ, to embrace Him and believe in Him. And may in that they engage in that warfare which we all are engaged in this side of glory. Father, bless your people, we pray. We ask all of this now in Christ's holy name. Amen. Amen.