The works of the flesh may seem old-fashioned, but the term still has something important to teach us today. So, what are the works of the flesh exactly?
Wouldn’t it be nice if we no longer struggled with sin after we accepted Jesus as our Savior? Unfortunately, that won’t be the case until we have eternity with Him. Even though are saved by the blood of Jesus because His blood was shed for us, and we are no longer slaves to sin, we still continue to fight against the sinful nature until Jesus returns.
But that doesn’t mean we are doomed. It simply means we must remain aware of what this battle looks like. We must remain on guard and alert, pulling from God’s power within us to overcome. We must remain aware what the works of the flesh looks like -those actions and behaviors that go against God’s will and can lead us toward spiritual decline,
How can be overcome the works of the flesh?
We can start by seeing what the Bible says about these works of the flesh.
When the Bible refers to “works of the flesh,” it describes the actions and behaviors that draw us away from God. These are contrary to His Will and are byproducts of our sinful nature. If we do not gain control over sin and learn ti walk by the spirit, temptations and actions become destructive and lead us away from God.
In Galatians, Paul writes to Jewish Christians the falling away from the Lord and gravitating back toward sinful lifestyles. Galatians 5, teaches us about the importance of putting our sin to death and instead “living by the Spirit. This chapter lists these vices as sexual immortality, impurity, and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, selfish ambition, dissension, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.” (Galatians 5:19-21). This list is followed by Paul’s admonition that “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:21)
We see so many of these actions and behaviors going on today. It breaks my heart the amount of suffering these individuals will have to endure. Yet so many are blinded by the works of the flesh.
These acts are seen as sinful and detrimental to our spiritual growth and development. The Bible also speaks about the works of the flesh in Romans 8:5-8 and Ephesians 5:3-7. In these verses we learn that the works of the flesh hinder us from living a life that pleases God. They leads us away from holiness and closer to sinfulness. Romans 5:8 reminds us that “those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
We need to recognize when we are engaging in works of the flesh; that way, we can repent and turn back toward living under God’s will, and cover of protection.
Does ‘Flesh’ Meal All Worldly Things?
The term “works of the flesh” can be confusing. Some might automatically think that all acts of the body are sinful. But, that’s not exactly what the Bible says.
When the Bible mentions the “works of the flesh,” it refers to the acts of our sinful nature. If we look at the list of these sinful behaviors -such as lying, stealing, cheating, and hatred – we see that these actions are self-centered. They bring harm to not only us but others around us as well.
Since God had given us free will, we can make our own choices in life -for better or for worse. But will we use this freedom of our flesh to please God or Satan?
When we struggle with knowing whether an action displeases God, we should ask ourselves: “Will this behavior, action, or thought please God or displease Him? If I follow through with this choice, will it reap my spiritual life or spiritual decay.?”
When I was younger I remember seeing bracelets with “W.W.J.D?” on them. A reminder to any that wore or seen them to ask themselves, what would Jesus do?
God will forgive us 50 times a day, but He won’t won’t do it if we don’t ask for repentance and turn away from our sin. Galatians 5:22-23 reminds us that if we follow the Spirit which include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goo, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control wr will be following the Spirit.
We have been called to live in freedom, but we shouldn’t use that freedom to satisfy our sinful nature. Instead we should use that freedom to serve one another in love. If we let the Holy Spirit to guide our lives, then we won’t be doing what our sinful nature craves.
God doesn’t except us to be perfect, but He does except us to be choosing to do the right things, and work on pleasing Him instead of Satan.
From Pity to Praise 