Treasures New and Old
Treasures New and OldSpiritual Warfare: Law of Internal Conflict
I See another Law in My Members
So far in this series we have looked at our kingdom authority as given to all who believe in Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, and we looked at what Paul described and called the “Law of Delight” that causes us to spend our time, money, our “capital” on those things we delight in. The more we delight in something, the more we spend on it to the exclusion of other things.
Romans 7:22-25: “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Verse by Verse Inspection:
Verse 23 Notes: “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
TWO LAWS
- Law: Strong’s G3551: “nomos: to parcel out, especially food or grazing to animals); law (through the idea of prescriptive usage), general (regulation), specifically (of Moses [including the volume]; also of the Gospel), or figurative (a principle): – law”. Expanded to all of God’s Word.
- “Another Law (nomos – principle, rule) in my member”: This law that Paul has identified is the law that says there is a war going on inside his mind between the spirit and the flesh – his members are his flesh. These are described as follows:
- “The law of my mind” is referring to the spiritual man that is his new creature. This would include all the knowledge that he has accumulated from Scripture including the Law of God. This is not an attempt to obey all the Law of God for Paul has made it clear that no one outside of Christ can do that, but what he knows as good, holy, and righteous that he wants to do – this is the law in his mind.
- “The law of sin which is in my members”: Here Paul is referring to the sin nature that specifically desires and does disobey God’s Laws. That is, the old man who can’t be made new and must one day be thrown off for a new and incorruptible body.
THREE ENEMIES:
- The World: 1 John 2:15-17: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”
- The Flesh: Romans 13:14: “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” Galatians 5:16-17: “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
- The Devil: 1 Timothy 5:15: “For some are already turned aside after Satan.” 1 Peter 5:8-9: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”
Verse 24 Notes: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
- Shall the World with its philosophies, strategies, 12-steps plans, psychologies, conferences, medications, various religions?
- Shall the Flesh with our selfish notions, get all the gusto, I can do it myself, self-made man, great educations from established institutions, financial security, isolate ourselves, and other strategies.
- Shall it be the devil – that deceiver, liar, destroyer, accuser, adversary, tempter, thief, wicked one, roaring lion, and other diabolical names?
- Shall our friends, family, and neighbors deliver is from this body of sin when they themselves are bound in the same battle as we are if they are Christians or non-believers? They are of the world and can’t offer anything but the fallen wisdom of the world.
- Notice the name of this sin body he wishes to be delivered from: death. The fleshly body of sin that wars against his mind produces death. All forms. Death eventually to this rotting corrupt physical body. Death to relationships if left unchecked. Death to truth, true wisdom, right behaviors, reasonableness.
- Look at the current state of the world codifying what is clearly against nature and common sense. Homosexuality, transgenderism, multiple genders beyond male and female, adultery, pornography, abortion, drugs, murders, riots, lawlessness, and others.
Verse 25 Notes: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
- Paul declares that there is only one source to solve his problem and to deliver him from this mind war and body of sin called death: that of Jesus Christ. Deliver (rhuomai) in the Greek (Strong’s G4506) means a deliverer, one who rushes to draw another out of danger, to rescue another.
- He further declares, through the help of his deliverer, Jesus Christ, that he is able to serve the Law of God with his mind even if and when his body, his flesh, his old man still sins.
Our Greatest Battle: Mind Warfare
Summary of Different Types of Minds:
- Reprobate mind (Romans 1:28)
- A mind that seeks after earthly, worldly things (Philippians 3:19)
- Mind that is focused on the flesh (Romans 8:5)
- The carnal mind (Romans 8:7)
- A demon possessed mind (Luke 8:26-35)
- A doubtful mind (Luke 12:29)
- A lustful mind (Ephesians 2:3)
- A vain mind (Ephesians 4:17)
- A defiled mind (Titus 1:15)
- A troubled mind (2 Thessalonians 2:2)
- A proud mind focused on “high things” (Romans 12:16)
- A fearful mind (2 Timothy 1:7)
- The Spirit led mind (Romans 8:27)
- A renewed mind (Roman 12:2)
- A mind that is the same as other saints (Romans 12:16)
- A mind single eyed focused on master Christ (Romans 15:6)
- A fully persuaded mind (Romans 14:5)
- A humble mind (Philippians 2:3)
- A mind that seeks to emulate Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:5)
- A fervent mind (2 Corinthians 7:7)
- A willing mind (2 Corinthians 8:12)
- A ready mind (2 Corinthians 8:19)
- A sober mind (1 Peter 1:13)
- A pure mind (Titus 1:15)
- An obedient mind (Titus 3:1)
- A wise mind (Revelation 17:9)
- A sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7)
How Do We Conduct Mind Warfare?
- Warfare is fought on several levels as we battle the world, the flesh (our flesh) and the devil. Consider the following verse:
2 Corinthians 10:3-6: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”
- We do not war after the flesh – our battle is primarily one of our spirit and our mind.
- Our weapons are not carnal – that is, they are not flesh-based weapons; they are, again, weapons we use in our spirit and in our mind.
- Our weapons are able to help us fight on three fronts (all mind related fronts): (Also see 1 John 2:16)
- Pulling down strongholds (lust of the flesh) – habits
- Casting down imaginations (lust of the eyes)
- Casting down high things (pride of life)
- Our weapons are able to help us have victory in three areas (all mind related areas):
- Bringing into captivity every thought into obedience to Christ
- Giving us a readiness to avenge (correct, repent from, seek forgiveness, etc.) of our disobedience
- To fulfill our obedience to Christ
1 John 2:15-17: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”
- First: A key component, or weapon if you please, is to not love the world, but to love the Lord Jesus Christ!
- Luke 10:25-28 (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30): “And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbors as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.“
- Second: A key component, or weapon, is to take on the humble mind of Christ! You can’t do it by yourself, you must do so with His help.
- Philippians 2:5-8: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, be humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
- Philippians 2:5-8: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, be humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
- Elements of His humility include:
- Made himself of no reputation
- Took on the form of a servant
- Became obedient even unto death
- God may never call you to be obedient unto death. Indeed, most Christians are never called to that high calling, but we must learn to be ready in our spirit and our mind to do so.
- Third: A single focus on the Master is required.
- Matthew 6:22-24: “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.“
- When darkness sets into our minds, we can never fully discern how entrapped in that darkness we have become. Like the slow setting of the sun until we realize that we can’t read that book anymore, or see the street very well. Spiritual darkness creeps up on us and ensnares us unawares.
- We must keep our focus on one master, the Lord Jesus Christ, and then sin, the world, and the devil’s attacks will be more noticeable and more easily fought off with the help of the Lord.
- Fourth: Where are our minds drawn, and on what do we think about? How do we renew our mind?
We will dive into this forth aspect of spiritual weaponry for mind warfare next time. Meanwhile consider these verses:
Philippians 4:4-9; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Ephesians 6:10-18; Galatians 5:22-25; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-23; 1 Peter 5:5-9; Ezekiel 11:5; Hebrews 3:13; 2 Corinthians 3:14; 2 Timothy 3:8; 2 Peter 3:1-2; Matthew 22:37-40; 1 Peter 3:8; 1 Corinthians 2:16; Proverbs 23:7; Matthew 12:33-35; & Ephesians 2:1-3
Maranatha!
Bro. Joe
References
Strong, J. Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. Meyers, R. (2005). e-Sword. [computer software] . Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation. (Original work published 1539)