191. Crucified Flesh
Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
We are not asked to crucify the flesh; we are to reckon that the flesh is crucified already by faith in Christ. If we are Christ’s we have crucified the flesh. Crucifying is something that God does and has already done; it is not something that we do. It is wrong for us to tell ourselves or others that we must crucify the flesh. We cannot do something that has already been done. The emphasis of the promise is that the verb is in the past tense (have crucified). Paul also says, “Reckon yourselves dead.” In other words, believe it is so.
The flesh with its sinful desires, its selfishness, its love curved in on itself has affections and lusts. We cannot deny these desires, for being flesh is a part of being human. The flesh is there and it cannot be changed or improved. I must be killed, and it has been, crucified with Christ on the cross. The flesh with its lusts seems to have life and power, but if it is regarded as dead it does not have power over the true and eternal life, God’s life, that is also within us. We are able to recognize the two powers in us when faced with the temptation to sin versus the desire to do what is right. The flesh and the spirit are warring; one is life and the other is death. The simple believer chooses life and spirit. Jesus says, “My words are spirit and life.” We listen to Jesus. The blessing of right choices is a wonderful life. The promise of a crucified flesh helps immensely in making wise choices.The flesh will lie continually, saying, “This is really living. This sin will make you alive.” We can answer, “You are dead. You are lying. You don’t know what you are talking about.” We recognize that we cannot crucify the flesh with its lusts, and we are too weak to argue with it. So we believe God has done it; He has crucified my flesh with Jesus. He overcomes the temptations of the flesh when we believe the Gospel. When we lose, we repent again, daily.