Waging War Within
- David Fairchild
- Dec 17, 2006
- Series: Galatians
INTRODUCTION
Over the last few weeks we have been discussing how we actually go about changing. We’ve been taking the truth of the Gospel and applying it to ourselves so that the Gospel is both the objective truth which we trust as well as the subjective power which causes us to change and transform from within.
I’ve attempted to mix the two as frequently as I can so that you and I learn how to see this objective reality become subjectively true in our own personal lives.
The objective truth which Paul has been pounding home this last chapter is the incredible declaration in chapter 5, which began with Verse 1, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
This is incredibly important to Paul, since he sees that our freedom has been won, that we were set free to live as Christ’s free men and women. And freedom according to Paul is the ability to do whatever you want because your desires are in line with God’s desires. True freedom then is to be free to want what God wants. To be in slavery is to want the opposite of what God desires. Paul sees this as nothing more than going back into slavery. Change comes as we subjectively live out our objective freedom.
Last week I spoke about how to preach the Gospel to yourself. We looked at the importance of declaring and announcing certain truths to ourselves actively, rather than sitting back as spectators in our own minds and passively receiving and believing false messages which are contrary to the truth of the Gospel.
In many ways what we are doing is acting as our King’s heralds to take and proclaim a message on His behalf. This is what preaching is: to take what our King has spoken and proclaim it to all people, including ourselves. Now, when a king chooses a herald, he takes this person and makes them an ambassador for himself. He entrusts this ambassador with specific news that must go out to the ends of his kingdom. For the herald to be a good herald, he must honor the king’s message and not obscure its content. He takes the scroll handed to him by the king, sealed with his royal insignia, and opens the scroll to read the news aloud. The herald’s job is not to win the war, or ensure freedom or blessings upon the people, but to announce what the king has already done. In war time, this is critically important because people in the Kingdom didn’t have access to phones or the internet and relied upon the heralds to bring them good tidings and words of peace and victory, without which the people were left in great distress without word from their sovereign.
What we’ve been doing is declaring to you that the King has won His victory, that you can be assured of your standing in the Kingdom, and can rest in the hope of peace. Your heart should swell at the incredible beauty and majesty of your King and stand in awe of His power and splendor, His love and care for all of those named by Him.
But, though the war has been won, though victory is secured, there is still danger because skirmishes and battles are being waged until our King returns from a far off land. With the return of the King, these battles will permanently cease, but until He returns we find ourselves locked in battles for freedom each day till that day.
This is what we are talking about this morning, the war within, the battle on a daily basis to experience our freedom as we await our King’s return.
Paul uses military terminology when he says in verse 13, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
Paul uses the term, “opportunity,” which is in the Greek aphormÄ“n and is a military term for a base of operations. In other words; we must not allow sin to use our freedom in Christ as a beachhead to launch a spiritual attack against us.
The King, having won our victory, has not left us alone in the villages of our own hearts. The incredible love our King has for us is such that He has sent to us a helper to dwell with us, to dwell in us. It is no less than the very Spirit of our King. This Spirit is a Spirit of great power and this Spirit is given to us so that we might not wage these battles alone, but have the resources to see victory when it appears as if the forces are too strong and too many.
This is the point of verse 17: “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.”
The desires of the flesh are launching new attacks daily against the desires of the Spirit. There is a war within each of us that we experience daily. Do you sense this war? Do you feel like Paul when he says:
Romans 7:14-25: “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability (in his own strength) to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”
Paul has a few incredible truths in here but the one that should give us comfort is that Paul himself finds this war waging within him and he can’t stand it. This is a man that recognizes his own personal limitations and inability to win anything on his own strength. The other comforting truth of this passage is that he’s essentially saying that it isn’t me that’s doing this, at least, not the real me. When we sin and feel like we’ve lost the battle, we can rest assured that it is not the real you, it is not what you really want. What you and I want is God and His will to be done.
The war for freedom is waged on the battle of our desires. To win the battle of desires is to win the war of the experience of freedom we so desperately long for. To the degree that we win small victories over our desires, to that same degree we will sense the freedom that the Gospel promises to those who believe.
What is the flesh (sarx)?
Crucifixion of the flesh, resurrection
Signs of Spiritual Decay
Decay literally means to rot, to spoil, to wither, decompose and deteriorate.
What are some of the signs of decay?
Verses 19-21: “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the
These are 15 words: five are primarily words used for the irreligious and there are ten that are used for the religiously oriented. Paul breaks these down between the irreligious and the religious which is important to remember. Paul considers envy to be just as debilitating and decaying as adultery and sorcery!
Let’s look at them:
Three words have to do with the decay in sexuality. Is sex bad? No, but when it is from the works of the flesh it is decay and rottenness to us and causes us to wither.
1- immorality- “porneia”- sexual intercourse between unmarried people.
2- impurity- “akatharsia”- which means an unnatural sexual practice and relationships
3- sensuality- “aselgia”- uncontrolled sexuality, a continued desire for sex.
There are four that describe the irreligious in the area of addiction:
4- drunkenness- “methe”- intoxication
5- carousing- “komos”- drunken rioting, slavish substance addiction
Now, what is so astonishing is that Paul mixes in ten that are overtly religious and then those attitudes which are found often in an unhealthy church community.
The obvious religious words are:
6- idolatry- “eidolotaria”- worshipping and serving other gods
7- sorcery- “pharmakeia”- worshipping with different substances or seeking after a manipulation of demonic or spiritual forces
The rest of the words are experience often in unhealthy churches and perhaps in
8- disputes- “eritheia”- competitiveness, self-seeking
9- envying- “phthonoi”- coveting, a desire for what others have
10- jealousy- “zdlos”- the zeal and energy that comes from a hungry ego
11- enmity- “echthrai”- hostility, an adversarial attitude
12- strife- “eris”- argumentative, “fight-picking” behavior
13- fits of rage- “thumoi”- outbursts of anger leading to the next one
14- dissensions- “dochostaiai”- divisions between people
15- factions- “haireseis”- permanent division, parties and warring factions
Signs of Spiritual Life
Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
1- Love- “agape”
Definition- To serve a person for their good and intrinsic value, not for what the person brings you.
Opposite- Fear: self-protection and abusing people.
Counterfeit- Selfish affection. Rescuing someone but really rescuing self. Attracted not to the person for their intrinsic value but how that person’s love makes you feel about yourself.
2- Joy- “chara”
Definition- Delight in God and His salvation for the sheer beauty and worth of who He is.
Opposite- Hopelessness and despair.
Counterfeit- Elation that comes with blessings not the Blesser! Mood swings based on circumstances.
3- Peace- “irene”
Definition- Confidence and rest in the wisdom and sovereignty of God more than your own.
Opposite- anxiety and worry.
Counterfeit- Indifference, apathy, not caring.
4- Patience- “makrothumia”
Definition- Ability to take trouble (from others or life) without blowing up. To suffer joyfully.
Opposite- Resentment towards God or others.
Counterfeit- Cynicism. Self-righteousness. “This is too small to be bothered about.”
5- Kindness- “chrestotes”
Definition- Practical kindness with vulnerability out of deep inner security.
Opposite- Envy. Unable to rejoice in other’s joy.
Counterfeit- Manipulative good deeds.
6- Goodness (integrity)- “agathosune”
Definition- Honesty, transparency. Being the same on Sunday as Monday.
Opposite- Phoniness; hypocrisy.
Counterfeit- Truth without love. “Getting it off your chest” for your sake.
7- Faithfulness- “psistis”
Definition- Loyalty. Courage. Principle-driven, committed, utterly reliable.
Opposite- Opportunist. Fair-weathered friend.
Counterfeit- Love without truth. Being loyal when you should be willing to confront or challenge out of love.
8- Gentleness (humility)- “prautas”
Definition- Blessed self-forgetfulness.
Opposite- Superiority: self-absorbed, self-conscious.
Counterfeit- Inferiority: self-absorbed, self-consciousness.
9-Self-Control- “egkrateia”
Definition- Ability to choose the urgent over the important thing.
Opposite- A driven, impulsive, uncontrolled person.
Counterfeit- Willpower through pride or through more “functional” idols.
As a Christian, you have resources that no one else has, and you are empowered to change.
Every line from verse 13-25 is incredibly powerful and important if you want to see change.
What is spiritual resurrection about? It’s not that you turn over a new leaf and adopt a new standard of living, but rather that you are given the Spirit of the God who created you and can change you from the inside.
When you become a Christian, you are given power to change. The deadness in you, the guilt, the struggle, the joylessness, hopelessness, is all changed through this spiritual power so that you have newness of life. The fruit of the Spirit can be evident. You are given the power to change, yet we settle for so little. How much have you really changed? What are you settling for, and how far do you need to go?
Galatians 5:16: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Paul doesn’t say to live by the Spirit and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. Paul says to live by the Spirit and you won’t gratify the desires of the flesh.
Paul says that if you do something you won’t gratify fleshly desires. There is a spiritual dynamic and discipline that goes deeper than just trying harder.
Also, your main target if you want deep change and to have the Gospel go deep into your heart, you need to remind yourself of this: in verse 16 it says to live by the Spirit and you won’t gratify the “desires” of the flesh. This word we have covered before and it is epithumia. It is an over-desire, a hyper-desire, a super-desire. Every one of the pastoral epistles deals with the problems in our life which are ultimately epithumia, over-desire. Paul is saying that this is the secret. You are to bring all the resources to bear on what you over-desire.
We always think over-desire is wanting something bad too much. The problem is that this is misleading. Paul is saying that we simply desire something too much, whether that thing is intrinsically bad or good. It is an over-desire for something good that has become your ultimate.
For instance, some of you are musicians and you spend every last penny on a new amp or a new guitar or something else. It is what you crave, what you serve, what you pursue with all you have. It has become the ultimate. It is what makes you feel better when you’re down. It is what calms you when you’re nervous. Music isn’t bad, but it is when it’s become an idol that has taken the place of the only One who can truly give you joy, peace, and hope.
What is the root of your over-desire?
What is living by the Spirit opposed to? It is opposed to gratifying the over-desires.
In verse 18 it says being led by the Spirit is opposed to being under the law.
In Paul’s mind to be under the law or wrapped up in these over-desires is the exact same thing.
Being under the law doesn’t mean obeying it since obeying it isn’t bad. If you obey the law you’re not in sin. Getting out from the law doesn’t mean to no longer keep it, it means that you’re not relying on it. To get out from under the law you no longer rely on the law to get your salvation. Your performance, your achievement, your clean record is what keeps you under the law. When you rely on your performance and achievement, you’re being driven by the law to keep it in order to live up and be accepted. Paul sees this as the root problem for all that ails us. That is what creates the over-desires of the flesh. If you’ve been part of a legalistic church, you know that the harder you try to be good, the worse your temptations seem to be. The harder you try, the more your heart will produce those impure desires and temptations.
The reason you have the problems that you do is because something in your heart is still relying on the old way of working to make yourself beautiful before God.
So what are we to do? Two things are mentioned in verses 24 and 25.
To crucify the flesh is a powerful image. He didn’t say to “spear” or “cut off with a sword” your sinful nature. He says to crucify it.
Paul is saying that if you want change, you’re going to have to look at the things in your life that have become too important for you, whether it’s family, friends, looks, sex, music, food, or any other thing. You have to look at it in light of the cross and see Jesus Christ dying for you. You have to see your false Messiahs for who they are and say, “if I have a Savior that will die for me, why do I need a savior like this?” “Why do I want a savior that says that I need to do all the work when I have One that hung on a cross and said it was finished?” “If Jesus Christ values me so much that he would die on a cross to get me, why would I need to pursue such a false lover?” You have to demote this fleshly desire and crucify it by taking it to the cross.
But listen, this isn’t a “just say no” kind of mentality. A deeper process has to take place beyond just will-power. Paul says “crucify” the sinful nature AND walk in step with the Spirit.
It’s not just the flesh that has desires, the Spirit also desires. The Spirit lusts too, but it lusts for those things that will lead you to freedom. The Spirit will cause a lust in you that will drive out all lusts. He will create a desire in you that will drive out all desires. The Spirit desires Jesus. The Spirit adores, reveres, admires, and worships Jesus and causes us to do the same. The Spirit desires and leads our desires for God’s glory and for His freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:12-18: “Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding (this means contemplating) the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
Because of the Gospel, that which could not come into Moses’ life at this time, when looking to Jesus Christ, the glory that Moses could not see now shines in our hearts. We will see Jesus’ beauty and His love in such a way that shows us His glory and transforms us into His image. This comes from the Spirit who is the Lord Himself.
The Spirit desires to show you the beauty and glory of Jesus which will drive away all those things that shackle you.
Crucify those sinful desires and turn to the desires of the Spirit which will cause us to want our lusts removed and replaced with that which the Spirit yearns for.
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