The flesh describes the physical body. All flesh is not the same. There is a flesh of men, animals, fish, and birds (1 Corinthians 15:39). When flesh refers to the physical body, it relates to the tent in which a person resides. The term “flesh” may also relate to the sphere in which a person conducts the manner of his life.
Christ’s physical body (flesh) did not see corruption for He was raised before it was permitted to start to stink (Acts 2:31).
The sin nature resides within the flesh. Therefore, the works of the flesh are a product of the desires from the sin nature (Romans 7:20).
When a person believes that Jesus Christ died on behalf of our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scripture, he is washed of his sins, born again, and immersed into the Christ by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12–13; 15:3–4; Titus 3:5).
One aspect of this change regarding salvation concerns the flesh. Since we are now joined with God in spirit, we are no longer in the sphere of the flesh (Romans 8:9). This means our frame of mind and the focus of our lives do not relate to the desires and appeasement of the flesh. Through salvation, our debt to the flesh has been removed; therefore, we are not to continue to life according to the flesh (Romans 8:12). A Christian who continues to conduct his life according to the desires from the flesh puts himself in a dangerous position, for those who live according to the flesh are about to die (Romans 8:13). However, when we put to death (separate ourselves from) the works of the body, we will live.
A mind that is focused on fleshly things does not have the ability to please God (Romans 8:8). When a saint has a fleshly frame of mind, his mind is at enmity with God (Romans 8:7) and can only produce works unto death (Romans 8:6). Works unto death are works of the flesh that produce separation from God and ultimately bring physical death.
The grace believer now walks in the realm of the spirit—his rational, logical center. When we were in the flesh, the sinful passions of the flesh were aroused in us by law to work out fruit unto death (Romans 7:5). Nothing beneficial dwells within our flesh because it was corrupted by Adam’s sin (Romans 7:18). Through the flesh, we cannot be justified before God (Romans 3:20). Therefore, we fulfill the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus when we walk according to the Spirit (Romans 8:4).
The desires from the flesh are contrary to the desires from the Spirit. When we walk (govern our lives) according to the desires from the Spirit, we will not fulfill the desires from the flesh (Galatians 5:17).
We have been circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh (Colossians 2:11). Therefore, let us put on Christ as an outer garment and make no provisions for the flesh to fulfill its strong desires (Romans 13:14).
