Hi CL,each time it will be harder to close, because the hearing the Spirit becomes duller each time
I like your post! For the most part. This part above, I don't know. It seems to me that the dulling of the hearing of the Spirit is itself an "opening of the door to the flesh", as it were.
I think rather than it being harder to stop walking according to the flesh, I mean, we can do that in the moment we realize we have been, by turning in faith back to God, no, this idea that the flesh takes on power, that it's harder to resist, I don't know about that.
I know that there are physical aspects to temptations to sin, like the ex-addict who still gets cravings for the drug. So then someone gives in to temptation, and it can strengthen the flesh in that sense. But in power over our spirit? Or the Holy Spirit?
I think that any failing to hear the Holy Spirit would be from the deception of the flesh, which is actively against us.
But in faith we walk in the spirit, the new man, and the new man is united to God. His Spirit testifies With our spirit that we are children of God. When we turn in faith to Him we find there is no breach, and there has been no breach, which is the true meaning of justification.
Much love!