On No Condition

QA: Sarx 1

Sarx is the Greek word for 'flesh' and it refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.

An ONC sister messaged me about battling with backsliding (slipping back into the lifestyle of sinning) 'avoiding' God, struggling to love and serve Him.

Some of the direct words were: Even though I've repented, it seems harder to love and serve God. I keep doing what is wrong, and what's worse is that I'm afraid to read the Bible because I'm scared of what God will ask of me. One of my biggest fears is that I don't love God the way I should and it scares me.

It's not exactly a question but there is a need for an answer. I decided to make it a post because I feel many people will benefit from this.

Now, the reason why it seems hard to love and serve God is because your flesh doesn't want you to serve God. Your flesh (the natural man, the old nature, sarx) is always in opposition to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in our spirit and our flesh are fighting to take over the mind. Whoever has the mind is the boss since it will be two against one. 

1 Peter 2:11 says:

(Living Bible)
Dear brothers, you are only visitors here. Since your real home is in heaven, I beg you to keep away from the evil pleasures of this world; they are not for you, for they fight against your very souls.

(Amplified Bible)
Beloved, I implore you as aliens and strangers and exiles [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges (the evil desires, the passions of the flesh, your lower nature) that wage war against the soul.

There is nothing new under the sun, not even temptations and sin. Apostle Paul also struggled with what many people are struggling with. He said in Romans 7:14-25 (Living Bible):

[14]The Law is good, then, and the trouble is not there but with me because I am sold into slavery with sin as my owner.

[15]I don’t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can’t. I do what I don’t want to—what I hate. 

[16]I know perfectly well that what I am doing is wrong, and my bad conscience proves that I agree with these Laws I am breaking. 

[17]But I can’t help myself because I’m no longer doing it. It is sin inside me that is stronger than I am that makes me do these evil things.

[18]I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn I can’t make myself do right. I want to but I can’t. 

[19]When I want to do good, I don’t; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway. 

[20]Now if I am doing what I don’t want to, it is plain where the trouble is: sin still has me in its evil grasp.

[21]It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 

[22]I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned; 

[23](23-25) but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant, but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.

So you see how it is: my new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I’m in! Who will free me from my slavery to this deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free.

I know you can relate. Many of us have been in similar situations. Your flesh doesn't want you to love God but why you feel bad about it is because God is inside you making you want to obey Him. The Good News is that He is also giving you the strength to obey Him. You have to choose to rely on Him to be victorious.

To fight this deadly disease, you to study the Word not run away from it. God won't ask you to do anything that is not good for you. If He tells you to do something, it's because it will profit you. If He tells you not to do something, it's because it's dangerous for you. God always has our best interests at heart. 

The devil will try to deceive you to believe his lies: You're a sinner and God will judge you. God won't forgive you. You can't ever be good. You'll keep sinning and end in hell. The devil is a LIAR! He's an expert at manipulating. He can take Truths and twist them into lies like he did to tempt Jesus. He is very cunning.

God is a Judge and will judge the whole world at the end of the world but as long as we're alive, we're in the era of Grace and Mercy. It's the time for forgiveness and second chances but once death or rapture comes, mercy gives way to judgment. You can't bribe God to give you a favourable sentence. Eternal condemnation would have been the fate of everyone but Jesus' Sacrifice has given us a choice.

The devil is not happy about this because he sinned and has already gotten his sentence. For that reason, he deceives, fights and tempts people so that they will join him in hell. What you have to do is to "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). To resist him, put on the whole Armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-18).

One thing you must not joke with as a Christian is the Word. It is your Sword. If you don't have it, you won't be able to fight. You can't afford to run away from the Word as long as you're on earth as a Christian. It's risky to not be Worded because when you're Worded, you're loaded with your spiritual firarms. When you're loaded, you're lighted. When you're lighted (being full of the Spirit and God's Light in the Word), darkness will not be able to survive around you. 

"And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it]. (John 1:5; AMP)

Rev. William Okoye said that: the more you're filled with the Word, the stronger you are to do the right thing. The more you do what God wants you to do, the more you paralyze the flesh and the more you become stronger spiritually.

You won't know what you're to do if you don't look into the Word. It's not enough to carry the Bible around without reading it or only depending on what others tell you about God. You have to know Him for yourself by spending time with Him, and one way to do it is to study His Word.

(There might be another post about the benefits of the Word from a sermon I've listened to or I'll just post the transcript of a sermon.) 

(To be continued)