76 The Spiritual Man
First, “flesh” as applied to the soft part of the human body. We
know that a human body is composed of flesh, bones and blood.
Flesh is that part of the body through which we sense the world
around us. Therefore a fleshly person is one who follows the world.
Beyond simply having flesh, he walks after the sense of his flesh.
Second, “flesh” as applied to the human body. Broadly speaking,
flesh means the human body whether living or dead. According to
the latter part of Romans 7 sin of the flesh is related to the human
body: “I see in my members another law at war with the law of my
mind and making me captive to the law of sin which dwells in my
members” (v.23). The Apostle then continues in Chapter 8 by
explaining that if we would overcome the flesh we must “put to
death the deeds of the body” by the Spirit (v.13). Hence, the Bible
uses the word sarx to indicate not only psychical flesh but physical
flesh as well.
Third, “flesh” as applied to the totality of mankind. All men in
this world are born of the flesh; they are all therefore fleshly.
Without exception the Bible views all men to be flesh. Every man is
controlled by that composite of soul and body called the flesh,
following both the sins of his body and the self of his soul. Thus
whenever the Bible speaks of all men its characteristic phrase is “all
flesh.” Basar or sarx consequently refers to human beings in toto.
How Does Man Become Flesh?“That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” So asserted the Lord
Jesus to Nicodemus long ago (John 3.6). Three questions are
answered by this succinct statement: (1) what flesh is; (2) how man
becomes flesh; and (3) what its quality or nature is.
(1) What is flesh? “That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” What
is born of the flesh? Man; therefore man is flesh; and everything a
man naturally inherits from his parents belongs to the flesh. No