The Spirit Vs. the Flesh: How A Mixed Martial Arts Analogy Could Help Us In Our Christian Walk

The Bible teaches that we once we are “born again” (John 3) we receive a new “nature” in addition to our old “nature”. Our old nature is our sinful human condition – something that belongs to every human being – and the Bible often refers to it as our “flesh” (Not our body per se, but the sinful nature within it). Our sinful nature (or “flesh”) is something that we are both born with (because of the curse brought upon all humanity after the rebellion in the Garden of Eden) and also something we individually choose each and every day. 

“Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you,

 ‘You must be born again.’” John 3:5-7

The new nature on the other hand is what the Bible often refers to as our “spirit” – people’s spirits are dead until they have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit (i.e. being “born again” as Jesus put it). Note that in the Bible a lower case “s” helps us differentiate between our spirit and God’s Holy Spirit (The Third Person of the Trinity).

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:1-6

So the unbeliever does not have a “new nature” yet or the true power of the Holy Spirit working in him and through him. We cannot expect the same type of moral results from an unbeliever as we should of a believer who has both of these things. 

Now Jesus warned us about the battle between the flesh and the spirit: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41

And Paul confirmed it: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Galatians 5:16-17

A friend recently gave me a very helpful analogy on the spirit vs. the flesh. It goes like this – Let’s say that you have been tasked with entering the octagon each day with the fiercest MMA heavy weight of all time (I’ll let you debate who that is) and you must defeat him each and every day. How is that possible?

Well, let’s face it – it’s not possible. But what if we were allowed to control our training, sleep and diet each day? Well we would get stronger and better at MMA but unless we were somehow born with the raw talent and massive size of our opponent, defeat would be inevitable every time. But let’s say we were allowed to control the training, sleep and diet of our opponent! With this ability we can deprive him of exercise and nutrition… and guess what? Before long he would be so weak that we could defeat him easily.

This is the point - if we “starve” our flesh and nourish our spirit we are on a road to daily victory. We starve our flesh by not taking that second look at that attractive person, not watching that soft porn movie on Netflix or not hanging out with those friends who drag us down. We nourish the spirit by walking in step with the Holy Spirit – reading God’s Word, praying and fellowshipping with other believers.

Let us be very clear – there can be no victory over sin or the flesh without the continual grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. And if you read Romans 7 you’ll realize we all fall sometimes. But of course, we must be willing to deny the flesh and allow the Spirit to work in us and through us. 

Christ in Gethsemane, Heinrich Hofmann, 1886

“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:12-13

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” Romans 6:13-14

Interpreting the Gospels and Acts by the Epistles: A Basic Rule of Hermeneutics

Hermeneutics is the art and science of interpreting the Bible. It consists of certain principles and methods of interpreting that prevent us from believing things about the Bible that the Bible, as whole, does not teach. The Bible must interpret the Bible and it must include the whole context. As one writer put it: “The purpose of biblical hermeneutics is to protect us from misapplying Scripture or allowing bias to color our understanding of truth.”

The Bible itself commands all believers to take part in this process:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

As the topic of Hermeneutics is vast, this blog will focus on just one of the principles:  

“Interpreting the historical narratives (such as the Gospels and Acts) 

by the didactic (such as the Epistles)”

The blog will also start off with the assumption that we all agree that the Old Testament must be interpreted through the lens of the New Testament as they are different covenants. If we did not do this we would end up with all kinds of grave errors like those of the prosperity gospel preachers or the idea that the Holy Spirit can be taken away from New Testament believers.

Just as the OT should be interpreted through the lens of the NT, so – as a general rule – the Gospels and the Book of Acts should be interpreted through the lens of the Epistles. Let’s look at two reasons why and then two examples of why:

1) First of all we must recognize that it was the same group of Apostles who wrote the historical narratives (The Gospels and Acts) as those who wrote the didactic books (The Epistles) and, more importantly, the same Holy Spirit who inspired them! As the late theologian, R.C. Sproul, said: “The Gospels (*and Acts) and the Epistles have equal authority, though there may be a difference in the order of interpretation.” 

2) Sproul also had these wise words to say: “Building doctrine from (*historical) narrative alone is dangerous business.” The point being that historical books of the Bible are recording history and usually a portion of history that is full of change – a time of flux – in the overall Biblical story of redemption. Although there is doctrine to be found in them, their main purpose is to tell a story not teach a doctrine. The Reformers, as well, always held that the Epistles should enlighten the Gospels and Acts. 

> Here is an example from the Gospels as explained by Sproul:

“Jesus lived under a different period of redemptive history than I do. He was required to fulfill all the laws of the Old Covenant, including dietary and ceremonial laws. Jesus was being perfectly obedient to the Father when He was circumcised as a religious rite. If I become circumcised, not for reasons of health or hygiene but as a formal religious rite, I am, by that rite, repudiating the finished work of Christ and bringing myself back under the curse of the Old Testament (Galatians 5:1-3)."   

Christ on the Road To Emmaus
"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself." Luke 24:17

> Here is an example from the Book of Acts as explained by Stephen Voorwinde (who himself said: “It’s always dangerous to base a doctrine on isolated proof-texts from Acts.”):

“As Paul tells the Corinthians, “For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor 12:13). So whether it’s Jesus or the Corinthians or ourselves – we have all been baptised with the Holy Spirit. This is for everybody. It is not a “second blessing” experience for some, but an initial experience for all. It happens to all Christians at the beginning of the Christian life. It doesn’t just happen to elite Christians at some later time in the Christian life. 

This is precisely the pattern that we see in Acts. At Pentecost in Jerusalem, Jews became believers in Jesus and they were baptised with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 8 we have an extension of Pentecost in Samaria. Samaritans had come to believe in Jesus and they were baptised with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10 we have a further extension of Pentecost, this time to the house of Cornelius in Caesarea. There Gentiles believed in Jesus and they were baptised with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 19 we have yet a further extension of Pentecost. This time former disciples of John the Baptist believe in Jesus and they are baptised with the Holy Spirit.

For each group we would have to insist that this was an initial experience. The baptism of the Holy Spirit did not come at some later point in their Christian lives but when they first believed in Jesus. Prior to that, they had been Jews, Samaritans, Gentile God-fearers or disciples of John the Baptist. In each case it was an integral part of their conversion experience. Through the baptism of the Spirit they were incorporated into the church. They became members of the body of Christ. This was a corporate experience for all, not an individual experience for some… So when it comes to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the fact that it happens is primary, the way that it happens is secondary.”

Conclusion:

My hope and prayer is that this blog will help sincere students of the Bible and followers of Jesus to correctly understand what the Bible teaches about various issues by taking the Bible as it is meant to be taken – a whole – and not in little parts that suit our biases. May God bless and guide as we seek His truth – and His Word is Truth.

“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” Jesus in John 17:17

Sources:

“Knowing Scripture” by R.C. Sproul, IVP Books 2009

“How Normative Is Acts?” by Stephen Voorwinde (his full article here) 

C.S. Lewis on the Problem of Evil (from Mere Christianity)

The following are excerpts I have chosen from “Mere Christianity” (Book Two) by C.S. Lewis:

“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such violent reaction against it?...

C.S. Lewis 1898-1963

Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too – for the argument depended on saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my fancies.

Thus in the very act of trying to prove God did not exist – in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless – I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality – namely my idea of justice – was full sense… If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. “Dark” would be a word without meaning.” 

“Goodness is, so to speak, itself: badness is only spoiled goodness…

And do you now begin to see why Christianity has always said that the devil is a fallen angel? That is not a mere story for the children. It is a real recognition of the fact that evil is a parasite, not an original thing…

I know someone will ask me, ‘Do you really mean, at this time of day, to re-introduce our old friend the devil – hoofs and horns and all?’ Well, what the time of day has to do with it I do not know. And I am not particular about the hoofs and horns. But in other respects my answer is “Yes, I do”…



“God created things which had free will. That means creatures which can go either wrong or right… and free will is what has made evil possible. Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having…

Of course God knew what would happen if they used their freedom the wrong way: apparently He thought it worth the risk. Perhaps we feel inclined to disagree with Him. But there is difficulty about disagreeing with God. He is the source from which all of your reasoning power comes: you could not be right and He wrong any more than a stream could rise higher that its own source. When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all: it is like cutting off the branch you are sitting on.”

Christ on the Cross by Rembrandt

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, 

God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 

He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, 

by triumphing over them in him.” Colossians 2:13-15

For You: In Memory of D-Day

“For you” is a song written by Canadian Country star, Paul Brandt, and Steven Jon Rosen for the soundtrack of the 2002 movie “We Were Soldiers”. It was sung as a duet by the legendary Johnny Cash and Dave Matthews. I find it a very appropriate song to reflect on as we remember the blood shed and lives given for our liberty 75 years ago...

"Into the Jaws of Death" taken on the morning of June 6th, 1944 by Robert F. Sargent

“For You” is a lyrically deep and rich song with the theme of selfless sacrifice for others. It tells the tale of the brave soldier who gives his life for the many but ultimately it is clear that it reflects Brandt’s own personal faith in Jesus Christ as the one who gave the ultimate sacrifice for all. It also quotes a portion of the famous 23rd Psalm. 

Cash lends his rich and weathered voice to the ballad along with his own personal faith in Jesus and Dave Matthews’ haunting vocals cap it all off. It has always been one of my very favourite songs and apparently one of the co-writer’s as well. In a 2015 interview, Paul Brandt was asked about the highlight of his career. He says: 

“Hard to pick just one for me, there have been so many fun times.  While I love performing, I think I’m a songwriter at heart.  I was asked to write a song for a music project which promoted the major motion picture “We Were Soldiers” by Mel Gibson.  I wrote a song called “For You” with a great collaborator and friend of mine named Steve Rosen.  We turned the song in at the deadline, and not only were we were selected for the project, our song was recorded by Dave Matthews, and Johnny Cash. My grandmother was still alive when that happened, and she was a great encouragement and supporter of mine.  She used to mail order Johnny Cash music to the house so she could learn to play the guitar when she was younger, and was a huge fan of his. When she found out Johnny Cash had sung something I’d had a hand in writing… let’s just say that took her excitement with my career to a whole new level.”

https://canadianbeats.ca/2015/05/05/2-in-1-interview-dean-brody-paul-brandt/

As we reflect on the 75th anniversary of D-Day and on other heroic sacrifices throughout history let us soak in these lyrics and have a listen to the song below. As Jesus himself said: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 

We have all personally received the blessings and freedom that came from that mighty sacrifice 75 years ago, may we also receive the blessings and freedom that come from the mightiest sacrifice over 2000 years ago. After all, it was for you...

For You

I will drink the cup,

The poison overflowing.

I will lift you up,

Watch over where you're going.

The first one in,

The last one gone,

I'll be the rock to stand upon,

For you,

For you.

My spirit aches,

And I can't stop this river flowing.

In fear I take

Each laboured breath I draw in, knowing

That this could be my life,

My final hour.

But faith and hope and love

Give me the power,

For you,

For you.

Interlude:

Yea, though I walk through the valley

Of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

You are with me.

I'll be your salvation,

Though the storm's surrounding.

There are no conditions,

Lay my body down.

In the wake abandon, willing sacrifice.

I'll walk through the canyon,

Bring the shadows light.

For you,

For you.

I will drink the cup,

The poison overflowing.

I will lift you up,

Watch over where you're going.

The first one in,

The last one gone,

I'll be the rock to stand upon.

The first one in,

The last one gone,

I'll be the rock to stand upon

For you

For you

For you

For you

For you

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”  Jesus (from the Gospel of John chapter 3)