126 The Spiritual Man
opportunity to sin, it is willing to do good; and if once the
opportunity to perform good is provided, the flesh will soon revert to
sin.
Here Satan deceives God’s children. If believers would habitually
maintain the attitude of the flesh being crucified Satan could have no
chance; for “the flesh is Satan’s workshop.” If the flesh in whole, not
just in part, is truly under the power of the death of the Lord, Satan
will be totally dis-employed. He is consequently willing to allow the
sinful part of our flesh to be offered unto death if he may only
deceive us into retaining the good part. Satan is quite aware that
should the good side remain intact the life of the flesh will continue
to be kept alive. He still has a base from which to operate to recover
that side which he has lost. He knows very well that the flesh could
win and regain its victory in the realm of sin if the flesh succeeded in
squeezing the Holy Spirit out in the matter of serving God. This
explains why many Christians fall back into the service of sin after
they have been set free. Should the spirit not actually be in complete
and continuous control in the matter of worship, it will be unable to
maintain dominion in daily life. If I have not yet entirely denied
myself before God I cannot deny myself before men, and therefore I
cannot overcome my hatred, temper and selfishness. These two are
inseparable.
Through ignorance of this truth, the believers at Galatia fell into
“biting and devouring one another” (Gal. 5.15). They attempted to
perfect by the flesh what had been begun by the Holy Spirit, for they
desired “to make a good showing in the flesh” in order that “they
might glory in (their) flesh” (6.12,13). Naturally their successes were
very scanty in performing good by the flesh, while their failures in
overcoming evil became quite numerous. Little did they realize that
as long as they would serve God with their strength and ideas they
doubtlessly would serve sin in the flesh. If they did not forbid the
flesh to do good they could not prevent it from doing evil. The best
way to keep from sinning is not to do any good by one’s self. Being