“You have such a short fuse!” My husband remarked as I narrated how I was embroiled in an argument with a motorist on my way home. His words bored right into my heart because they were true. I am aware that as a Christian, the scriptures urge me to be temperate, patient, and even long-suffering. Yet I struggle with a short temper.
Let's face it, we all have a couple of weaknesses that easily lead us to sin. Paul calls it the sin that so easily entangles us (Hebrews 12:1). Paul plainly expressed his frustration in his struggle against sin.
He confessed that the things that he wanted to do, he did not do. Instead, he wound up doing the things he hated doing (Romans 7:15). In his letter to the Galatians, we see Paul urging the church to crucify the flesh.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24).
But what does it really mean to crucify the flesh? How can believers accomplish this seemingly arduous task in order to wiggle out of slavery to sin? Here are five things that crucifying the flesh entails.
It Means Walking in the Spirit
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want” (Galatians 5:16-17).
It's no secret, we need help if we are to win over the desires of the flesh. The desires of the flesh are often overpowering, always nipping at our heels. Before His crucifixion, Jesus promised His disciples that he would not leave them helpless like orphans (John 14:18).
He would ask the father who would send them a helper — the Spirit of truth (John 14:16-17). The Holy Spirit would also lead them to all the truth (John 16:13).
In our quest to win over the lusts of the flesh, we are not without help. The Holy Spirit enables us to obey God’s commands. We must therefore walk in the spirit as we seek to crucify the flesh.
Walking in the spirit entails abiding in Christ (John 15:4) through prayer and obedience to His word.
It means yielding to Christ's control and pursuing His will. It is setting our minds on the things of the spirit and shunning away the things of the flesh (Romans 8:5).
It Means Frowning Upon Fleshly Desires
“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3: 7-8).
Paul seems to have left no stone unturned in his pursuit of the real treasure. He treated what he previously held dear with utter disdain and even considered it garbage. Perhaps this is the attitude we need to embrace as we seek to crucify the flesh.
We need to have the right perspective where fleshly lusts are concerned. Pursuing them will only lead to death. The Bible states that there is a way that appears to be right, but in the end, it leads to death (Proverbs 14:12).
On the other hand, pursuing God and His will for our lives will lead to life. Jesus reminded His disciples that the flesh counts for nothing (John 6:63). We need to see the works of the flesh for what they really are. They may offer momentary pleasure, but their end is damnation.
We need to remember that wide is the gate and broad the road that leads to destruction, yet many enter through it. On the other hand, small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Mathew 7: 13-14).
We need to ensure that we are not among the hordes of people headed for destruction by frowning upon the works of the flesh and treating them with utter contempt.
It Means Taking up Your Cross Daily
“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
Wrestling with fleshly desires is a daily exercise. We cannot rely on past victories to cushion us from the struggles ahead. We must relinquish control of our lives each day and yield to God’s will and supremacy.
Denying ourselves is the conscious action of disconnecting from the things that grieve God, no matter how passionately we fancy them.
Taking up one’s cross means absolute surrender to God. It is the strong resolve to obey His commands and pursue His will even if it costs us our lives. Fortunately, we have a perfect example to emulate in Jesus.
The scriptures state that He did not consider equality with God as something to hold on to. Instead, He took the nature of a servant and humbled Himself to death on a cross (Philippians 2:7-8).
It's important to remember that the act of surrender and denying self is not a one-time event but a daily exercise. Paul declared that he died daily (1 Corinthians 15:31). We too must take up our cross daily and follow God.
It Means Setting Your Mind on Things Above
Crucifying the flesh involves shifting our focus from earthly things and setting our hearts on the things above. While contrasted against each other, the two are as different as day and night (Colossians 3:1-3).
We are to set our hearts on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).
Paul depicted the sharp contrast between the effects of having an earthly focus versus a heavenly focus in his Letter to the Galatians (Galatians 5:19-23).
Paul warned the Roman church that those who lived according to the flesh had their minds set on what the flesh desired. But those who lived in accordance with the Spirit had their minds set on what the Spirit desired.
Paul also warned them that the mind governed by the flesh was death, but the mind governed by the Spirit was life and peace. (Romans 8:5-6). We must be conscious of the objects of our focus if we are to crucify the flesh.
It Means Disciplining Your Body
Without self-discipline, it's impossible to crucify the flesh. Take an athlete, for example, they do not live a carefree life.
They constantly exercise, take medical checks, and restrict themselves to a particular diet. They do this to remain in ship shape in their quest to win the race (1 Corinthians 9:26-27, NKJV).
Paul too subjected his body to certain restrictions in order to build his spiritual muscle and to ensure that he stayed on course.
We too need to discipline our bodies as we struggle against fleshly lusts. We need to keep an eye on our spiritual diet and embrace the spiritual disciplines that will enhance our growth. Though disciplining our bodies may feel uncomfortable, it is for our good.
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).
We must crucify the flesh if we are to live fruitful lives. Thankfully, the grace of God that teaches us to say not to ungodliness is available for us (Titus 2:11-12). The Holy Spirit also helps us to keep God’s commands.
For further reading:
What Does it Mean ‘The Spirit Is Willing but the Flesh Is Weak’?
What Does the Bible Say about the Lust of the Flesh?
What’s it Mean to Be Crucified with Christ?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/leolintang
