Ongoing Inner Conflict

[Netchaplain]

It is essential that we take a moment to consider the inward conflict of the growing child of God. It may be said, “What if a man knows his sins to be forgiven and more, liberty” (which some call “sanctification,” “deeper life,” etc.), “then, surely, every spiritual desire must be gratified, and thenceforward, till heaven be gained, there can be nothing more to be wished for it.

In things spiritual, as in things natural, when children have grown up to manhood, to ripe age, or, as Scripture says, are “perfect,” they do not find that thenceforward there is nothing to do, nothing to suffer. Quite the contrary; in one sense they may be said to begin life only when perfect. Until the great and terrible “I” be held by grace to have been crucified with Christ, the believer can hardly be said to have begun to live the new life in its liberty; but liberty obtained, inner conflict is certain to be entered into.

Before we were brought into Christian liberty, the enabling of the indwelling Spirit was not known, but, being delivered from the thrall of the old man, we are in the moral position which should gain the victory day by day. Not that the position itself is victory—it is the vantage ground for victory; freedom from the domination of sin is obtained by the Spirit. Still, it is no little good to know what the vantage ground is, and a greater thing to occupy that ground.

The Spirit of God dwelling within us energizes the desire of the new life which He has implanted in us. He leads to humility, gentleness, and courage, and all in a divine way. We do not mean such qualities apart from the Spirit, which in that case may be merely traits of the Adamic life.

When our old man stirs us up to desire its old things, the Spirit of God does not remain passive in us, but occasions conflict within: “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would” (Gal 5:17). He restrains the believer from doing the things which the flesh likes, and constrains him to do the things which the Father loves, and effects this by acting upon the new man. The believer is not, and never will be, free from having sin in him in this world; nor will he be free from the danger of committing any kind of evil: and he is never, practically, safe except when he realizes his weakness, and walks in dependence upon the Holy Spirit.

Should he say, “I cannot help doing evil,” then he denies the Spirit of God in him as the enablement for righteous living, and remains in the mire of sin. Should he say, “I am holy, or spiritual, or heavenly,” and in his heart think of what he is in himself, then it is the old man at work in another and more dangerous form, and he has denied the Spirit of God in His ability to produce spirituality, and heavenly mindedness. This last is worse than the first, for the first is unbelief in God and the last is belief in himself. The truth is, there is constant conflict proceeding within the growing child of God, and the Spirit is continually restraining from evil, as well as leading to good.

The flesh in its pride would say, “I can live to God by means of law-keeping and religious observances”; and the flesh in its lusts would say, “I am safe for eternity, and thus can live for myself.” The new life the Father has given us has no affinity for either the one or the other of these evils, and the Spirit of God opposes the flesh in each.

– HF Witherby

 

[daq]

The flesh in its pride would say, “I can live to God by means of law-keeping and religious observances”; and the flesh in its lusts would say, “I am safe for eternity, and thus can live for myself.” The new life the Father has given us has no affinity for either the one or the other of these evils, and the Spirit of God opposes the flesh in each.

– HF Witherby

The flesh says to the man, "I can do nothing in Messiah so why even try" but then he also is a hypocritical anthropon-countenance because from the other side of his mind he says to himself in quiet praise to the works of his hands, "Although I have a mere 414 posts in total; my thread start count is a full one quarter of all my posts, which now stands at 111 threads with my name on them; and therefore I do the will of God! Therefore my 'latest update' is of course; My Threads!" Yet there is no possible way such a one could maintain every one of his threads if indeed all of them were suddenly responded to at one time because he has multiplied the seeds of his own doctrines like rabbits multiply their young. If in fact all of his threads were to be responded to at once he would likely flee as a hired servant who in truth cares nothing for the flock he claims to feed. And if he did indeed actually care about any one of them he would offer up more discourse and exchange with each interaction than a measly average of two responses per thread. The Spirit says to such a one; "Can the leopard change his spots? I have known from whence thou art!" :lol:

 

[Netchaplain]

The flesh says to the man, "I can do nothing in Messiah so why even try"

Hi Daq - I believe the flesh (nearly all the time the word "flesh" is used in Scripture is refers to the sinful nature (old man). Not saying this is you but many mistake it for the physical body, which is "pure" because it is a thing.

Man in his prideful, sinful nature often attempts the concept that he can please God by his works--apart from the Holy Spirit. With the Spirit indwelt, He and not the believer does the work of God--through and by the believer, which legalism is opposed to because its concept is that the believer does the word with the Spirit's assistance.

I believe the Spirit does not help nor needs help, but that all is under His doing and control within the believer.

 

[jiggyfly]

Hi Daq - I believe the flesh (nearly all the time the word "flesh" is used in Scripture is refers to the sinful nature (old man). Not saying this is you but many mistake it for the physical body, which is "pure" because it is a thing.

Man in his prideful, sinful nature often attempts the concept that he can please God by his works--apart from the Holy Spirit. With the Spirit indwelt, He and not the believer does the work of God--through and by the believer, which legalism is opposed to because its concept is that the believer does the word with the Spirit's assistance.

I believe the Spirit does not help nor needs help, but that all is under His doing and control within the believer.

Yes indeed, if we would only surrender.

 

[daq]

Don't get me wrong, I thought the article was pretty fair. However, the distinction needs to be made more clear between the "old man" (spirit) and the man himself, (soul). The "old man" is an anthropon-man-faced countenance:

"And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain wealthy anthropon brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my granaries, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Afron! this night the soul of you they shall demand of you: but what you have prepared, to whom shall it fall?"

The two are not the same entity was my point. The "old man" must therefore be "mortified" . . . :)

 

[Netchaplain]

Don't get me wrong, I thought the article was pretty fair. However, the distinction needs to be made more clear between the "old man" (spirit) and the man himself, (soul). The "old man" is an anthropon-man-faced countenance:

The two are not the same entity was my point. The "old man" must therefore be "mortified" . . . :)

I believe the "old man" is the nature of the spirit (person), which isn't an entity such as the spirit or person is. I also believe the soul is the rational (thinking, decision making ability) part of the person. Thanks for your reply.

 

[daq]

I believe the "old man" is the nature of the spirit (person), which isn't an entity such as the spirit or person is. I also believe the soul is the rational (thinking, decision making ability) part of the person. Thanks for your reply.

One must see him as an entity to understand Torah, the Gospel accounts and teachings of Yeshua, and likewise Paul.
Kind of like "know your enemy" added to "your worst enemy is yourself" . . . :)

 

[Netchaplain]

One must see him as an entity

I understand what you mean and maybe I'm being too technical considering the old man as an it, because it's not an actual man.

 

[[email protected]]

The inner conflict, as someone has said, is the flesh warring against the spirit.

Christ has provided the answer to the conflict in the cross. In as much as we are willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus we will resolve the conflict and put the flesh to death even as we walk in life.

No man can flirt with sin and expect to be victorious over it. Sin must be destroyed without mercy, for without mercy it wishes to destroy us.

and that's just me. hollering from the choir loft...

 

[daq]

The inner conflict, as someone has said, is the flesh warring against the spirit.

Christ has provided the answer to the conflict in the cross. In as much as we are willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus we will resolve the conflict and put the flesh to death even as we walk in life.

No man can flirt with sin and expect to be victorious over it. Sin must be destroyed without mercy, for without mercy it wishes to destroy us.

and that's just me. hollering from the choir loft...

And that's a holler I can hear! Divide the devils with their doctrines and they are "seven mountains" according to the Word, (for that genos does not come out but by prayer and fasting). Then have faith like a mustard seed, look into the mirror, and say to the mountain staring back at you; "Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the Sea!" (in the name of Yeshua) and it shall come to pass. Likewise are the evil figs and the branches bearing no fruit. :)

 

[Netchaplain]

The inner conflict, as someone has said, is the flesh warring against the spirit.

Christ has provided the answer to the conflict in the cross. In as much as we are willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus we will resolve the conflict and put the flesh to death even as we walk in life.

No man can flirt with sin and expect to be victorious over it. Sin must be destroyed without mercy, for without mercy it wishes to destroy us.

and that's just me. hollering from the choir loft...

Hi RJP - This "conflict" is between our sinful nature (flesh, not our physical body but our spiritual nature) and the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:17), which I see it more as an opposition than a conflict because the "old man" (sinful nature, flesh) is powerless against the Spirit of God in the believer.

This is that nature which we were born with, which Paul wrote of (Rom 7:17, 18, 20, 21,23, 25) and it is not shown that he resists it but is aware of it and leaves it to Christ (v 25) and himself to the "law (will) of God" (v 25).

I believe the Christian's part (as shown by Paul) is not to struggle against our sinful nature but to be aware (v 24) of its presence and allow (yield--Rom 6:13) the Spirit to deal with it as He guides (1 Cor 2:13) us in God's will.