Flesh vs. Mind
by Mike Rule

…I do not do the good that I desire; but the evil, which I do not will, that I do. But if I do what I do not desire, it is no more I working it out, but sin dwelling in me. I find then a law: when I will to do the right, evil is present with me. For I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin being in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then with the mind I myself serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:19-25)

There is a law at work within us that causes conflict. It is the battle between the mind and the flesh. In our minds we love God and His commands while in the flesh we hate God and His commands. This leaves us in a wretched condition because we are caught in a battle between good and evil. My flesh wants to take control and lead me into unrighteousness, but my mind wants to take control and lead me into self-righteousness. Paul says the good that he wants to do he cannot do, but he seems to continually fall into the evil that he wants to avoid. We all know God’s law is good, but we have NO ability to follow that law without becoming very proud and self-righteous. Therefore, God has blessed us with the flesh and the inability to escape our weakness that comes with it.

Without flesh we would become totally independent of God and never turn to Him on a daily basis. It does not work to overcome unrighteousness with self-righteousness. We cannot out-compensate evil with good. That is a worldly view and is not according to Christ. Christ has already overcome ALL things and has imparted HIS righteousness to us. We don’t need to establish our own.

Paul ends his thoughts on this battle by pointing out the path of escape between what we know to be right and our continual failures. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Christ is the cure for the endless chasing of ourselves in circles. The bottom line is this: I know God’s way is best and He will let me go as far as I need to until I come to the place of seeing my own inability and my own utter depravity apart from Him. When we get sick of our own thinking and sin, we are ready to turn to Jesus in FAITH and receive all that He has to give. Are you sick of you yet? Then let Jesus turn your eyes to Himself. Delight yourself in Him, and He will give you the deepest desires of your heart.