Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Victoriously Living Over the Flesh

Theme: Mortifying the Flesh

“Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.

Ro 8:13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, Ro 8:14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:12-14)

Man’s most aggressive enemy, “The Flesh”

Donald Ballar, Reader’s Digest, shared this story of an instructor of student truck drivers.

The instructor gave this scenario to his class.

“You are in an 18-wheeler with a heavy load, barreling down a mountainous two-lane highway.

Ed, your co-driver, is asleep.

There are six trucks behind you, and as you come over the top of a hill, one of the trucks behind you pulls out into the left lane to pass.

As he comes along side you, you see several trucks coming from the opposite direction moving towards you.

One of the trucks coming at you is in your lane because it is passing an on coming truck.

There are five trucks behind and one beside you.

There are several trucks in front of you and the two out front have both lanes blocked.

The question is, ‘What will you do?’

‘The answer is simple’ a student called out.

‘I would wake up Ed.’ ‘Why would you do that?’

asked the instructor.

The student replied with, ‘Because, Ed ain’t never seen a truck wreck like this before!’”

I would propose to you that Christians need not wait for a potential wreck with the flesh before they try to prevent a tragedy from happening.

God’s Word has preventative measures that will keep the child of God from having a tragic accident with his most aggressive enemy, “The Flesh.”

Listen as I read Romans 8:12-14, “Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.

For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”

Let us pray!

Where is this battle with “the flesh” fought and how is victory achieved?

What are our obligations in regards to the price that Jesus paid upon the Cross of Calvary?

Where is the power to overcome “the flesh” to be found?

To whom do Christians have an obligation

All great armies that are victorious in battle are made up of soldiers who know that they have an obligation to fight with all their mind, heart and strength.

To whom do Christians have an obligation?

In Romans chapter 8, verse 12, the apostle moves from instruction to exhortation, from what God has done through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit to what is expected of the child of God in way of response.

There is a strong emphasis on human responsibility in regard to what is truly the reflection of a repentant heart renewed by the Holy Spirit.

(The Expositors Bible Commentary)

The obligation is to God, who created man’s body, mind and spirit.

(Thru the Bible) He gave His one and only Son for the redemption of sinful mankind.

(John 3:16) The obligation is to Jesus Christ who purchased God’s chosen with His own blood.

(1 Peter 1:1-2)

“Obligation” (opheiletes) means to be bound by a duty.

(Practical Word Studies of the New Testament) It is important to note that this is not an ambition, it is a duty (Bishop Handley Moule).

The application is this.

With the position that the child of God has in Jesus Christ comes an obligation to live a life worthy of the gospel.

(Word meaning in the New Testament) The Christian has a debt to mortify the flesh.

(Vines Dictionary of the New Testament) Because of the price that Christ paid for the Christian’s soul the child of God is obligated to surrender his mind, heart, tongue and literally every part of His body to the will of God.

Before a battle can be won, there must be the recognition of an enemy

Before a battle can be won, there must be the recognition of an enemy.

The most continual aggressive enemy the Christian has is the “sinful nature” or rather the “flesh.”

The “flesh” (sarx) or that sinful nature has been compared to cancer.

It is not like a rotten branch on a tree that can be broken off and gotten out of the way, thus protecting the rest of the tree.

No, it lies deep always looking for its opportunity to grow and cause more damage.

Matthew Henry wrote, “Sin is a brat which nobody is willing to own up to, a sign that it is a scandalous thing.”

It is that part in you that always wants to put the blame on someone else.

The apostle Paul writes about the character of the flesh in Galatians 5:17, “For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.

They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.”

The Minnesota Crime Commission recognizes the power of the sinful nature and admits the truth that every person, if left to himself, will be overcome by the power of the flesh.

A few years ago they released this statement.

“Every baby starts life as a [potential] savage.

He is completely selfish, and self-centered.

He wants what he wants when he wants it – his bottle, his mother’s attention, his playmate’s toys, his uncles’ watch.

Deny him these once, and he could go into a rage and aggressiveness, which would be murderous were he not so helpless.

He is, in fact, dirty.

He has no morals, no knowledge, no skills.

This means that all children – not just certain children – are born delinquent.

If permitted to continue in the self-centered world of his infancy, given free reign to his impulsive actions, to satisfy his wants, every child would grow up a criminal…”

Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and the Psalmist wrote, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” (Psalms 51:5)

The Bible tells us of the fruit that comes out of a life that has lost its battle with the flesh.

It says they “…are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; Gal 5:20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions Gal 5:21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21)

Mortification is the special ministry that enables the child of God to overcome those evil desires that could destroy the Christian’s relationship with the Lord

The first step to “Victoriously Living Over the Flesh” is to agree with God that a sinful nature lives in us and the next is to understand what the Bible says about how to walk in victory.

The King James Bible says, “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.”

(Romans 8:13)

The key word to walking victoriously over the flesh is “mortify” (thanatoo).

Mortification is the special ministry that enables the child of God to overcome those evil desires that could destroy the Christian’s relationship with the Lord.

It means to become dead to anything that would feed and give those evil desires strength to overcome you.

(The Expositors Bible Commentary; The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament) When you mortify the flesh you are deadening the desire that comes upon you.

True mortification will rob sin of it’s debilitating and emotional distracting influences.

The Apostle Paul says we are to “…count [ourselves] dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Ro 6:12 Therefore [we are] not [to] let sin reign in [our] mortal [bodies] so that [we] obey its evil desires.

Ro 6:13 [We are] not to offer the parts of [our] body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer [ourselves] to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of [our] body to Him as instruments of righteousness.

Ro 6:14 For sin shall not be [our] master, because [we] are not under law, but under grace.

(Romans 6:11-14)

How can a Christian count himself as dead to sin thus mortifying those sinful desires that come upon him?

Jesus gives a clear teaching that will pave the way of putting to death the sinful nature.

He said, “The eye is the lamp of the body.

If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.

Mt 6:23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.

(Matthew 6:22-23)

There is such a simple truth here that is so powerful and yet many walk blindly to it.

Corporations spend millions of dollars on advertising because of the principle Jesus is talking about here.

They know what goes in the eyes and ears will have an effect on the human heart and thus goes his life.

Movie theaters have promotional ads come up before the movie pointing people’s attention to the snack bar.

They know once it goes through the eyes and supported with the right music it will have their desired effect on their victims causing pop and candy sales to go up.

The snack bar is right in front of you when you walk in to catch the attention of the eye.

The Christian who walks in victory over lust of the flesh is the one who does not feed it through the eye and ears.

He does not feed himself pornography, watch TV commercials, or pay much attention to ads that use sex to sell products.

The one who walks in victory over the sin full nature is the one who does not feed it.

He overcomes improper language because he does feed that sin by what he watches or read.

The Christian who lives in victory over bitterness, worldliness, and the pride of life is one who does not feed those sins by what he allows to influence his life.

Ed Wood shared this story he heard about an Indian who had come to Christ.

When asked about his new found faith he described it as having two dogs living inside him.