What is the conflict of flesh vs. spirit?

We have in ourselves two different powers, the old nature (the flesh) and the Spirit and these two are opposed to each other, "The flesh lusts against the Spirit; and the Spirit against the flesh." The flesh will never like the guidance of the Spirit, a very important thing to realize. For besides new life we still have the flesh, the old and evil nature (the old man, our standing before conversion, has been taken away, but the sinful flesh remains), the power and the guidance of the new life being the Holy Spirit. Flesh and Spirit are opposed to each other. Whenever we wish to be guided by the Spirit to fulfil the will of the Lord, there is the flesh which says 'No'. Whenever we are feeble and weak and tend to follow our flesh there is the Sprit Who says, 'Do not do that. Follow the Lord'. So whatever we do, whether we are liable to sin, or whether we try to live in the new life as guided by the Spirit, there is always a power in us opposite to it, there is always this internal controversy, "that ye should not do those things which ye desire".

The translation of the last clause of this verse, as may be seen from the Revised Version, is altogether faulty. Taking it as it stands, it would teach that both the Spirit and the flesh are equally impotent, or rather that the result for the believer of their mutual antagonism is that he cannot do anything, that, whatever his desires, the desires of the new nature, even though indwelt by the Holy Ghost, he is utterly helpless, cannot do the things he would. An examination of the context (v. 16, for example) shows at once that such a thought is wholly alien from the mind of God; and, in fact, the words should be rendered, "that ye should not do those things which ye desire." This at once clears away the difficulty. The Galatian saints were not walking according to the character of their calling. Losing the sense of grace, they had put themselves back, through the influence of Judaizing teachers, under law; and the consequence was, that the flesh assumed its old dominant place in their lives. (v. 15.) The only remedy for this, as the apostle points out, was to "walk in the Spirit." (Compare Rom. 8:13.) Thereupon he takes occasion to bring before them the abiding character of the flesh, and its irreconcilable contrariety with the Spirit. "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other." The two are, and must ever be, opposed. The flesh will always be evil, and cannot be ameliorated, improved, or changed; and the Spirit, blessed be God, is holy; and it is impossible therefore that the two can be in agreement. The flesh "lusteth" against the Spirit, ever antagonizing, and ever seeking, in opposition to the Spirit, to gratify its own inclinations. The Spirit, on the other hand, is ever in opposition to the flesh, and seeks to repress its activities, and thus to lead the believer according to God. The question then is, To which shall the believer yield? If by grace he walks in the power of the Spirit, he will not fulfil the lusts of the flesh (v. 16); but if, on the other hand, he surrenders himself to the dominion of the flesh, there is then, as verses 19-21 indicate, no sin, however abominable, into which he may not fall. Give the Spirit His place in our souls, He will produce the beauteous fruit mentioned in verses 22, 23. But then, as the apostle warns these saints, it is a characteristic of those "that are Christ's," that they "have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." If, therefore, any were allowing the sway of the flesh, let them take heed lest, after all, they had but deceived themselves with a vain profession, and did not really belong to Christ. If we live in the Spirit, let it be seen — for this is the force of the exhortation — by our also walking in the Spirit. E. D.

"The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary one to the other, so that ye may not do the things that ye would" (Gal. 5:17). "May not" is the literal rendering of this passage — not "cannot," as the common version reads. The constant opposition between "flesh" and "spirit" is to hinder the man who has the Spirit from doing what he would. If it said "cannot," it would deny the power of the Spirit to control the flesh. On the contrary, the apostle says, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh." But the flesh is still there for all that; ready, alas, ever to assert itself. How solemn in this way to find, when spiritually interpreted, after the water from the rock, the conflict with Amalek!

Now we find there are two dwelling within us who are utterly opposed to each other. The flesh is passionately opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit is passionately opposed to the flesh; so I find that within me there is a war going on, more bitter, more determined, and lasting longer than any war on earth. The flesh is always wanting to have its own way, and do its own will; the Holy Spirit who dwells in me is always opposed to my flesh. If I listen to the flesh, and yield my members to it, then the flesh quickly makes itself manifest in me; but if I walk by the Spirit, and let the Spirit lead me, then I will not at all listen to the passionate cravings of the flesh.

[2] In the King James translation it says, “so that ye cannot do the things that ye would,”but that is a wrong translation. The new translation and other versions clearly show that. The point is that ‘ye should not do those things that ye desire.’What we really desire, according to the Spirit, according to the new nature, is opposed by the flesh, but it is not impossible, (as the KJV states), for we have the new nature connected with the Spirit: He will do those things that God asks, loving and serving one another, for example. So this verse is a description of the conflict between the flesh and the Holy Spirit, but also a new spirit in the believer connected with the new birth or the new nature while the flesh is still in us and thus there is this conflict.

So they (and we) are told, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (v.16). This is turning thoroughly from self-interest, self-exaltation, self-sufficiency and all that is of self, to fix the eye upon Christ, the Object with whom the Spirit of God would engage each of us. This does not involve fleshly determination, but a genuine turning from ourselves, to place all value on what God is and what God has done. The Spirit of God dwells in every believer (Rom.8:9). Therefore we are simply required to submit to His leading and power, and the flesh will have no occasion to work. It is really a most simple truth, but one of great difficulty for Christians to lay hold of because of our natural pride that delights in taking credit for well-doing, instead of giving all credit to God. Indeed, even when there is a recognition that the Spirit of God only can produce fruit for God, there is too often the conception that this is mixed with some inherent good in ourselves, The resulting conflict is seen in Romans 7 - "I" against "I", the flesh determined to put itself down, while actually this means opposition to the Holy Spirit's work.

The flesh and the Spirit are contrary one to the other: there is no point of agreement. The work of the one leaves no room for the work of the other. God will not give His glory to another, and the flesh will not abandon its dishonest selfishness. If God is to be allowed to work, the energy of the flesh must cease. In fact, it is only God's own voice that can quiet the soul so that His work might be seen and rejoiced in, but when the flesh is active, we will have no spirit of thankfulness, no recognition of God's true glory. The last clause of verse 7 shows that the flesh is too strong for us: "you do not do the things that you wish." There is no suggestion that it is impossible to do what is pleasing to God, but the activity of the flesh tends toward not doing what we want to do. It is only God, by His Holy Spirit, who can gain the victory in this battle. My struggling does not help at all, for this would be only the flesh trying to subdue the flesh. The Spirit of God within me accomplishes what I cannot do because He draws my heart to the Lord Jesus to depend totally on Him and have no confidence in the flesh.

Verse 17. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh;" etc. We have in this very important declaration a fresh argument of the utter futility of the law as a means of human perfection, or even amelioration. For the law is, as he has insisted elsewhere, "spiritual;" but the flesh, to restrain which the commandment was delivered, is declared to be in constitutional and essential antagonism to the Spirit. The things themselves are natural contraries, and man, if regenerate, is subject to the influence of both. With his flesh he serves the law of sin, and cannot serve any other, seeing that sin has the sovereign mastery of his flesh, that is, of his old and corrupt nature and its wills. Now the man in Christ is to be distinguished from what belongs to him His life is Christ, and Christ who is his life not only abides for him in the presence of the Father, upon His throne and in His bosom — hidden in God — but is in him also, as the effect of that true faith which receives with meekness the engrafted word. But as long as he is in an unchanged body he is in the flesh experimentally, though neither of the flesh nor after the flesh, as respects his proper generation as a child of God, but distinctively spiritual — "not in the flesh, but in the Spirit" (Rom. 8:5-9). Hence conflict is the normal condition of a saint while in this mortal body. He rejoices in his liberty, he groans being burdened, and longs to be clothed upon with his new and eternal house from heaven (2 Cor. 5:4). Solicited incessantly by his old nature and its lusts, he is sustained against it by the Spirit, who reveals to him the things of Christ, and gives him desires of a godly sort. There is moreover a divine intention in this state of things. It is part of the purpose of Him who has called us into the grace of Christ to exercise both faith and patience in His saints. We must all be tried, as Abraham our father was. The issue of this trial is not doubtful; since our very calling is to inherit a blessing. God's calling is without repentance, and its prize is in the full view of our faith; while our hope is none other than the Lord Himself, who is personally both our righteousness and strength. If we are tried, it is for the evoking and proving of that which, in the sight of Him who gave it, is far more precious than gold which perishes at last, though able to withstand the fire (Rom. 11:29; 1 Thess. 5:24; 1 Peter 1:7).

But the Galatian believer having read the apostle's argument thus far might wish to say, "Well, Paul, we thought that the way to repress the lusts of the flesh and promote holy living was by diligent observance of the law. If it is not the way, tell us plainly what is." The apostle answers in verse 16, "This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." In verse 17 he adds that there are the two opposing forces in the believer, the flesh and the Spirit. They are contrary and totally opposed, and the Spirit of God is the superior power, so that under His influence we may not do the things that otherwise we should.

Here then we have conflict indicated. Yet while the conflict is inevitable, since the nature and desires of flesh and Spirit are altogether contrary, it is not supposed that the conflict is continuous; but rather the reverse. The point is that walking in the Spirit one is lifted above the desires and activities of the flesh, and for so long as the believer does walk in the Spirit he is not in conflict but in deliverance and liberty.

But, apart from the allegory before us, do the scriptures countenance the idea that christian conflict is between the old life and the new? Certainly not! The conflict is between the old life and the Spirit. "The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." It is not, "The old life against the new, and the new against the old."* The apostle states in plainest terms," That our old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed." (Rom. 6: 1‑11) It is perfectly plain, then, that in God's sight, and now to faith, our old nature came to its end on the cross. We know, of course, as a matter of painful experience, that the old nature we have still exists, and is no feeble thing. And, further, if it be not constantly watched and judged, it will prove a source of ceaseless trouble, both to ourselves and others. But when, through our unwatchfulness, it does rise up, it is met in conflict, not by the new life, but by the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the Christian.

When our flesh stirs us up to desire its old things, the Spirit of God does not remain passive in us, but occasions conflict within: "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other [in order] that ye should not (lit.) do the things that ye would." (Gal. 5:17.) He restrains the believer from doing the things which the flesh likes, and constrains him to do the things which God loves, and effects this by acting upon the new man.