1.14.2008

Conquering the Flesh

It's obvious that most Christians don't understand the flesh problem. I'm talking about the battle to be spiritual-minded, not carnal-minded. I'm not talking about the meat under your skin; I'm talking about the way the bodies desires tempt your soul to sin. Most people seem to equate carnality with sexual sin and they think that because they're not failing in that area then they're alright. Well, think again.
Did you ever see that game in the arcades called "whack-a-mole"? A little mole pops it's head out of a hole and the object of the game is to whack it on the head with a little mallet. When you whack it at one hole, it pops up from another hole somewhere else and you get points depending on how many times you hit it on the head. That's the way most Christians fight the flesh. They fight their flesh and deny it in one area and think they're OK. But then it pops up in another area and they fight it there. And then it pops up in another area and they have to fight it there too. The cycle is endless and very tiresome. No one can keep it up for long!
We must understand that the flesh is a many-headed beast. If you only kill one head, another one will pop up somewhere and it will feed through that one. Many Christians will deny their flesh when it comes to sexual sin, or drugs and alcohol, or maybe stealing. But then they will gorge themselves at the dinner table and they don't realize that gluttony is a work of the flesh and therefore their over-eating is keeping their flesh alive! It's like trying to kill a bee in a mason jar. If you don't plug every air hole, the bee will not die. He may get a little weaker, but if there is any hole left through which it can get air, it will continue to live!
The answer is to deny the flesh in every area. We must cut off all it's heads at one time. We mustn't give in to any temptation (even if we feel it is a "small" thing) or the flesh will live on. If you know that something is a temptation to you, stay away from it! If it's something you have failed at in the past, avoid it! Don't give place to the devil by allowing him to use your desires against you. The devil will use even legitimate desires (like food and sex) by tempting you to excess in those areas. Be wise and be careful. Think and pray.


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