The flesh is a term used in the New Testament, especially in the writings of the apostle Paul, that is given to describe the fallen human nature that everybody receives from conception from our parents, from their parents, from their parents etc. all the way back to Adam and Eve our first parents. This nature is basically selfish or self-serving and isn't focused on pleasing God or seeking his glory as was the case for Adam and Eve before they fell and when they were still in fellowship with God. The flesh nature is also focused on physical satisfaction of the body and satsifying the senses rather than seeking godly spiritual satisfaction, and seeking the things of heaven and eternity. The flesh also is focused on the things of this life and the things of time as that is the world that the flesh seeks to gratify and that is associated with the senses. The self exalting part of the flesh also seeks mystical or legalistic religion or spirituality rather that yielding to the creator God and seeking his glory and will and to follow his word the Holy Bible. The flesh since it is self centred can not please God or earn salvation or eternal life from him but we need to trust in Jesus who through his virgin birth bypassed the flesh but was still God come in a fully human person and died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead so we could have new life in the Lord Jesus Christ by His then indwelling Holy Spirit that helps us live in this new life for God above the self centred old nature of the flesh. The apostle Paul also sometimes uses the word "carnal" to describe the fleshly nature. Although myself and other born again Christians have the new nature in Christ and theoretically could live the rest of our lives in this new nature even in this life in practice none of us is able to unfailingly, fully resist all aspects of the flesh in this life and that is why even true Christians still sin but it shouldn't be as much as those that aren't saved and we won't be comfortable when we commit sin because the indwelling Holy Spirit will not allow us to delight in sin like the unsaved that don't have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. It is impossible to get to heaven if we are still only have the flesh nature and are not born again with the Holy Spirit indwelt and empowerd new nature in Christ.
Although it is quite popular with many Christians especially evangelical Christians to pay significant attention to the verses also in Galatians 5 about the fruit of the Holy Spirit and this is certainly worthy of attention, there should probably be more attention given than is the case to the works of the flesh to understand, detect and overcome them in the lives of the believers instead of often being oblivious to them or excusing them. The degree to which we still have works of the flesh active in our lives will cause a corresponding hindrance to the working of God by His Holy Spirit of the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the believers or of the initial reception of them as well as the initial reception of the Holy Spirit in the unsaved person that is seeking God and Jesus and to have a relationship with him. It should be kept in mind that most if not all of these works of the flesh or sins can be manifest or expressed in thoughts, words or deeds. Although much time could be spent on each of these works of the flesh I will give just a brief explanation of each of them although some are clearer than others. Adultery is sexual unfaithfulness of a husband to a wife or of a wife to a husband through the husband having sex with another woman or the wife having sex with another man. Fornication means sex between people that aren't married although this would also include homosexuality as God in neither the Old Testament or New Testament recognizes same sex marriages or relationships but sees it as an abomination (intolerable). Uncleanness means excessive sexual thoughts or desires. Lasciviousness means sexually lustful actions in general. Idolatry partly means the making, worshipping or invoking gods or goddesses through idols such as of wood, stone, gold or silver but can also means any thing visible or invisible that we put in a higher place than the Triune creator and living God of the Bible. Although other (Old Testament) scriptures means the use of sorcery, enchantments, astrology, fortunetelling, contacting spirits such as spirit guides or what the Bible calls familiar spirits or spirits of divination or other occult or Satanic activity, the reference here in Galatians 5 is from the Greek work Pharmakeia. This word in other parts of the New Testament is translated sorcerer(s) as in the book of Revelation. This word pharmakeia means the use of drugs as related to magic, in other words use of drugs such as is done now with what are called mind-altering drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine, crystal meth, herion, LSD etc as well as excessive use of over the counter drugs. These can and are used to get into a higher state of consciousness where evil spirits can gain control of the individual taking these drugs. This is also another aspect of traditional witchcraft and sorcery. Hatred means having an excessive or unreasonable dislike of someone. Variance means arguments or discord. Emulations means jealousies means someone excessively not wanting to give up something they have to someone else. This could be power, money or fame or to some extent possessions but it is of course right for a husband to be jealous of his wife and vice versa but not to the point of vigilantiism. Wrath means outbursts of anger. Strife means arguments than lead to physical violence. Seditions means causing or encouraging unwarrented divisions especially in the church. Heresies means false teachings especially when people aren't aware they are teaching, condoning or following these false teaching or not doing it deliberately. Apostasy is the term for deliberate false teaching. Envying is wanting something someone else has. Murders are killing other people especially due to hatred. Drunkeness is excessive partaking of alcohol that leads to intoxificaton and the lack of inhibitions although this could refer to other drugs which can have similiar affect such as to get an artifical "high" such a marijuana, cocaine etc. Revelling means what we call partying where there is often wild or unrestrained behaviour sometimes due to alcohol or drugs but could also refer to some riots. There are also some other works of the flesh not mentioned here such as lying and deception as the apostle Paul says this list is not exhaustive when he says and such like. A warning is then given that those who do or practice these works of the flesh especially who aren't repentant or seek God's forgiveness of them and to seek God's strength to stay away from them will not inherit the kingdom of God. True believers or Christians can sometimes when getting away from God or Jesus can commit some of these sins but shouldn't be comfortable in them or practice them and should want to turn back to God from them when they are committed or else there could be some question whether the conversion is genuine. The scripture reference from Galatians 5 of the works of the flesh is as follows:
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of which I tell you before, as I have told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21
The beginning of this passage mentions that God has quickened or made alive those who have trusted in God through receiving His Son Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour. This means that we have God's eternal life and that we can additionally have his peace and love and joy in this life when we resist sin and the lust of the flesh even if we are still being affected by it but if we resist it constantly, fully and long enough we can be freed from the lust of the effects of the lust of the flesh as long as we don't make an effort to give in to it. Before true or Bible believing Christians trust in the Lord Jesus Christ we were as non-Christians still are that we walked according to the course of this world which means the ungodly and anti-Christian world system. We also walked as others still do according to the prince of the power of the air that is after the devil and other demons and their temptations to live without or against God in self-indulgence. We were as other people who haven't trusted in Jesus yet the children of disobedience. True Christians can still be disobedient to God at times in this life but we won't be as comfortable in our hearts as unbelievers because the Holy Spirit who indwells only true Christians will make it clear he is not pleased with being drawn through non-Christian behaviour. This affect of the world system on the fallen and selfish or ungodly nature of unsaved people which is their only nature or the old nature of born again Christians can be openly such as what non-Christians openly do, or say towards other non-Christians or Christians or it can be covert or hidden such as by the ungodly prayers of non-Christians such as those in the occult or actions of evil spirits seeking to work up fleshly lusts or temptations in other non-Christians or on the old nature of true or born again Christians. These can affect our body or our minds. However as born again or indwelt of the Holy Spirit or true Christians if we live in the new nature in Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit long enough and steady enough or perhaps by rebuking the spiritual beings tempting us if we are seeking to be freed from the temptation we can be freed of it unlike non-Christians who need to initially trust in the Lord Jesus Christ that that are sinners and that he died for all their sins and rose again from the dead to give them new life and then seek to live in that new life and seek God's deliverance by the HOly Spirit and living in the new nature in Christ to be delivered from some of the strongholds of the fallen fleshly nature if they are to be freed from it. People that haven't yet and never end up truly receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and SAviour and to know God through Him are children of wrath and in danger of experiencing his eternal wrath in hell if they don't trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as soon as possible in this life according to the Bible. The scripture reference of the effects of the world system and the prince of the power of the air the devil or Satan on unbelievers or on the old nature of true Christians through the fallen fleshly nature in Ephesians 2 is as follows:
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation (manner of life) in times past in the lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. Ephesians 2:1-3
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