Article of Faith: Your body or your soul?, By Femi Aribisala

“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:16-18).

A man travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho was attacked by armed robbers and left on the road for dead.  The priest (the flesh) did not help him. But the Samaritan (the spirit) helped him. The Samaritan had him hospitalised and put everything on his account. The man is now indebted to the Samaritan and not to the priest. He was now indebted to the spirit and not to the flesh.

“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors — not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:12-14).

It is imperative for the believer to be more interested in the spirit than in the flesh.

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” (Romans 8:5-7).

Perilous times will come not because men will suffer, but because they will not be spiritual. No man ever died spiritually because he suffered. But most die spiritually because they attend to the body and neglect the soul.

Jesus met a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. He told him: rise up, take up your bed and walk.   Some people met him and said, “It is not lawful for you to carry your bed on the Sabbath.” The man replied: “The person who made me well told me to carry my bed.” Why should I listen to you? Your laws never healed me.

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:3-4).

Jesus is the shepherd and Bishop of the soul. The devil is the shepherd and bishop of the body. Your body or your soul; which do you prefer? Esau chose his body and lived to regret it.

When God loves somebody, he punishes his body.

“For whom the Lord loves, He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” (Hebrews 12:6).

God is a Father and not a mother. He prefers to make people cry rather than to make them laugh. Solomon says sorrow is better than laughter because sadness has a refining influence on the soul.  God so loved the chief young ruler that he made him sorrowful.

The goodness of God leads to repentance.  When God wants to be good to you, He is more likely to make you cry than to make you happy. Your flesh will hate the goodness of God, but your soul will delight in it.

If the Psalmist says, “Bless the Lord, O my body,” he would not have obtained a prompt response.  But when God is really good to a man, he is not good to his body: he is good to his soul. The psalmist does not say, “Bless the Lord, O my stomach.” He does not say, “Bless the Lord, O my wallet.” He says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul.”

The blessings of the soul might be unpleasant and uncomfortable to the flesh.  But that does not detract from its goodness. The flesh is expendable, but the soul is not. Paul says of the man having sexual relations with his father’s wife:

“Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” (1 Corinthians 5:5).

There is a battle raging within between flesh and spirit.  It is a battle for supremacy.

“For we naturally love to do evil things that are just the opposite from the things that the Holy Spirit tells us to do; and the good things we want to do when the Spirit has his way with us are just the opposite of our natural desires. These two forces within us are constantly fighting each other to win control over us, and our wishes are never free from their pressures.” (Galatians 5:17).

The body hates everything spiritual. It would rather eat than fast. It would rather watch TV than pray. It would rather read novels than read the bible. It would rather fight than turn the other cheek. It would rather answer back than keep quiet. It would rather win than lose. It would rather be praised than abused. It would rather be approved of visible men than be approved of an invisible God.

If your flesh is pleased, then know something for certain. God is not.

“So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” (Romans 8:8-9).

If you received flesh satisfaction, then the Lord is not in it. If it ministered to your pride, or it enhanced your self-esteem, or it made you feel good about yourself, then it is of the flesh and not of the Spirit. God is not in it.

But if you felt bad about doing it, or if you hated doing it, then it is of the Spirit. Let your light so shine that they may see your good works and not glorify you. It must be clear that it is not you, but God.

“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.” (1 Corinthians 15:50).

There is a battle raging within:

“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 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 which is in my members.” (Romans 7:21-23).

“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Galatians 5:17).

The spirit is calling the believer to righteousness, while the flesh is calling the believer to unrighteousness.  The spirit is calling the believer to spiritual disciplines, while the flesh is calling him to carnality.  Therefore, the believer should have no confidence whatsoever in the flesh.

“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3).

Do you still have confidence in the flesh, wittingly or unwittingly? Please note that all flesh is grass.

“In the morning it flourishes and grows up; in the evening, it is cut down and withers.” (Psalm 90:6).

Nothing good can come out of the flesh. Your flesh is irredeemable.

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.” (Romans 7:18).

“So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8).