The Spiritual Man

(^4 4)
The Boastings of the Flesh
The Other Side of the Flesh
Do the works of the flesh include only what we
hitherto mentioned? Or are there other fleshly works? Is
the flesh now inactivated under the power of the cross?
Up to this point what we have stressed has been the sins of the
flesh which are the lusts of the human body. But our attention now
needs to be drawn to another side of the flesh. You will recall we
stated earlier that the flesh comprises the works of the soul as well as
the lusts of the body. Thus far we have touched upon the body side
only, leaving the soul side nearly unscathed. The believer, it is quite
true, must rid himself of the defiling sins of the body, but he also
needs to resist the works of his soul; for these are no less corrupt in
the eyes of God than the sins of the body.
According to the Bible the works of the “flesh” are of two kinds
(though both are of the flesh) : the unrighteous and the self-righteous.
The flesh can produce not only defiling sins but also commendable
morals: not only the base and the ignoble but the high and noble as
well: not only sinful lust but good intention too. It is this latter side to
which we must address ourselves now.
The Scriptures employ the word “flesh” to describe man’s corrupt
nature or life which embraces soul and body. In the creative act of
God soul is placed between spirit and body, that is, between what is
heavenly or spiritual and what is earthly or physical. Its duty is to
mingle these two, according each its proper place yet making them
intercommunicative, that through such perfect harmony man
ultimately may attain full spirituality. Unfortunately the soul yielded
to temptation which arose from the physical organs, thus releasing
itself from the authority of the spirit and embracing instead the