No Obligation to Our Flesh

November 26th, 2024
by Dr. D. Lance Waldie

Romans 8:12-13 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Paul’s next point is that, since the Holy Spirit dwells in true believers (vv. 9-11), Christians are “under obligation,” or debtors (ESV), “not to the flesh,” or to live in accordance with fleshly desires. For those who are in the flesh, living by the “sin nature” (NIV), cannot please God (8:8). In other words, God does not draw sinners to Christ (John 6:44) so that they can continue in sin; He draws them to Christ and saves them that they might live holy lives to honor and glorify Him. Since Christ paid sin’s penalty with His very life, all who truly love Him will honor Him.

The Apostle Paul lists many works of the flesh in his writings. In Galatians 5:19-21 he lists sexual immorality, idolatry, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 he also lists adultery, homosexuality, and thievery as works of the flesh. In both passages he warns that “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:21). In the Romans passage at hand he says likewise: if you are living according to the flesh, you must die (v. 13). The point is that living in sinful, fleshly ways does not entail an early death per se; rather, it concerns life after death, whether in heaven or hell. Living in sin today entails a forfeiture of God’s kingdom in eternity (1 Cor. 6:10). One will recall back in Romans 6:21 Paul said, “But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.” Continuing in 6:22, he says, “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.”

Christians, therefore, have the daily “obligation” (Gr. opheiletēs) to be “putting to death” (Gr. thanatoō) “the deeds of the body”—to “mortify” (KJV) and execute sinful desires. The Greek verb suggests continual action, for this is indeed a daily task, an ongoing struggle made possible by the indwelling Holy Spirit (vv. 9-11). For the Spirit that believers possess, possesses them! This becomes evident in their lives as they learn to submit to the Spirit day by day as they read and heed the words of Scripture—words written by the Spirit Himself (2 Peter 1:20-21).
Now although Christians still sin (1 John 1:8), the Spirit keeps them from a lifestyle of sin (1 John 3:9) as they learn to submit to Him. For obedient Christians are continually busy being instructed by the Spirit through Scripture reading. They therefore have no heart to slip into habitual sin. There may be times in their lives when a snapshot might reveal a moment of fleshly living, but over time the evidence for their living in the Spirit becomes more and more prominent (Phil. 1:6). Growing in holiness becomes their daily quest. It is not only their aspiration and objective (1 Pet. 1:15-16), it is their destiny (Rom. 8:29-30; cf. Phil. 3:12-14; 1 John 3:2).

Food for Thought

Without the Holy Spirit there is no hope of overcoming addictions, sexual temptations, and sinful habits. We are dying and will die—like a sorry football team with a weak quarterback, a slow running back, a butter-fingered wide receiver who drops everything, and an inept defense. We lose every game! But with the Holy Spirit we gain an experienced knowledgeable quarterback who has a sure-fire playbook (the Bible) from a strong coach, a powerful running back, and a wide-receiver that outruns all defenders. In short, we sign as our new coach the Triune God with all His power and authority! Now, instead of getting beat every game we are the ones with all the victories. So it is with those of us who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are under His power. We are no longer being killed by the flesh; instead we mortify sin in our flesh.