SPIRITUAL
DIARY
Date: 10-19-03
My
Worship Time Focus: The war with the
flesh
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: James 4:1,5
1. Message of the verse: “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts
among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your
members?” “Or do you think that the
Scripture speaks to no purpose: ‘He jealously desires the Spirit which He has
made to dwell in us’”? (NASB) “What is causing the quarrels and fights
among you? Isn’t it the whole army of evil desires at war within you?” ‘What do you think the Scriptures mean when
they say that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, jealously longs
for us to be faithful’”? (NLT)
The flesh
is described in many portions of Scripture.
A reading of the seventh chapter of Romans can show that Paul certainly
had a battle going on inside of him between the new nature and the old nature
or the flesh. Strongs gives this as one
of the meanings of the word for flesh. “The
flesh denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine
influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God.” The body is also called the flesh, but the
body is neutral in this battle between the old and new nature. The body can be used to serve the Lord or it
can be used to sin. Galatians 5:17 “The
old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy
Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the
sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and
your choices are never free from this conflict.” (NLT) “For
the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these
things are opposed one to the other, that ye should not do those things which
ye desire.” (Darby) I want to mention that there is a
disagreement with some of the writers that I have read as to whether or not
James is referring to the Holy Spirit or to the spirit in man in verse 5. Our author does not mention this conflict,
and even when he quotes James 4:5 in the NIV he shows us that he is using the
quote from the margin. The old KJV
version uses the small “s” in the word spirit, and the NKJV uses a capital “S”
to show that they are meaning the Holy Spirit.
Dr. MaCarthur give this not from his study Bible; “This difficult phrase is best
understood by seeing the ‘spirit’ as a reference not to the Holy Spirit, but to
the human spirit, and translating the phrase ‘yearns jealously’ in the negative
sense of ‘lust to envy.’ James’ point is
that an unbelieving person’s spirit (inner person) is bent on evil (cf.
Gen.6:5, 8:21; Prov. 21:10; Eccl. 9:3; Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:21-23). Those who think otherwise defy the biblical
diagnosis of fallen human nature; and those who live in worldly lusts give
evidence that their faith is not genuine (cf. Romans 8:5-11; 1Cor. 2:14).” As
believers we are to live in the power of the Holy Spirit and not the flesh or
old nature, for if we live our lives by the flesh we will be at war with
God. Romans 8:7,8 “because the mind set on the flesh is
hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is
not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (NASB)
2.
Spiritual meaning form my life today:
Yes I do know that there is a battle going on inside of myself, and I
know that this flesh of mine is tricky, it is selfish, and it always wants its
own way.
The Word of God was convicting to my heart as I read it
today and though about how many times I have yielded to the flesh in my life.
My
Steps of Faith Today: To
worship the Lord in such a way that it will be pleasing to Him. To prepare myself for worship, and to yield
to the Spirit and not the flesh.
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