BOOK II

THE COMBAT OF THE FLESH AND

SPIRIT "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want." -Gal. 5:17

The Apostle Paul, in this chapter, begins by exhorting the Galatians to uphold their Christian liberty, and then proceeds to urge them towards various specific godly duties. From verse 13 onwards, he encourages them to serve one another in love and warns against contentions and causing harm to others. In verse 16, he presents walking according to the spirit as the remedy for these sins. In the seventeenth verse, he provides the reason for this remedy, which is as follows: the flesh and the spirit are in opposition to each other.

Therefore, if you walk according to the spirit, it will hinder the flesh from leading you towards causing harm and engaging in contentions, which would otherwise be the case.

In this verse, we need to observe five points. Firstly, there is a struggle between the flesh and the spirit, expressed by the words,

"The flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh."

Secondly, the nature of this struggle lies in the opposing desires of the flesh and the spirit. Thirdly, the cause of this struggle is described as being their inherent opposition. Fourthly, the subject of this struggle is identified as the Galatians themselves. Lastly, the effect of this struggle is indicated by the statement that they are unable to do whatever they want.

Regarding the nature of the combat itself, several points should be considered. Firstly, it is important to understand what the flesh and

the spirit, the two combatants, represent. They have various meanings. Firstly, the spirit can refer to the soul, and the flesh to the body. However, in this context, that is not the intended meaning.

There is no conflict between the body and the soul, as they work together to form an individual. Secondly, the spirit can signify natural reason, while the flesh represents the natural appetite or desires. But this interpretation does not fit here either, as the spirit mentioned here fights even against natural reason, although reason serves to hold a person accountable. Thirdly, the spirit can represent the divine nature of Christ, and the flesh the human nature.

However, that is not the intended meaning in this passage, as it would imply that every regenerated person is deified. Lastly, the spirit can denote a created quality of holiness that is worked in the mind, will, and affections by the Holy Spirit, while the flesh represents the natural corruption or inclination of the mind, will, and affections towards that which is against the law. This is the intended meaning of these terms in this context.

Secondly, it is worth considering how these two, the flesh and the spirit, can engage in combat when they are merely qualities. It is important to note that they are not separated from each other, as if the flesh were located in one part of the soul and the spirit in another. Instead, they are joined and intertwined in all aspects of the soul. The mind or understanding is not divided into flesh and spirit, but rather the entire mind consists of both flesh and spirit, each present to a certain extent. The same applies to the will, which is partly influenced by the flesh and partly by the spirit, with grace and corruption being distinct but not physically separated. It is similar to the air at dawn, which is neither completely light nor completely dark like midnight or noon. The air is not light in one part and dark in another; rather, it is a mixture of light and dark throughout.

Likewise, in a vessel of lukewarm water, the water is not solely hot or cold, nor is it hot in one part and cold in another. Heat and cold are blended together in every part of the water. Similarly, the flesh and the spirit are intertwined in the soul of a person, which is why these opposing qualities engage in combat.

Thirdly, in this combat, we should consider the balance between the flesh and the spirit, the two combatants. It is important to note that the flesh usually has a greater presence than the spirit. The flesh can be likened to the mighty giant Goliath, while the spirit is small and humble like young David. This is why Paul refers to the Corinthians, who were justified and sanctified, as "carnal." He says, "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ." It is only after this life that individuals can become mature in Christ, according to the fullness of Christ's age. The notion sometimes expressed by theologians that the regenerate person has only remnants of sin in them must be understood cautiously, as it can lead to falsehood. In terms of the measure of grace, it remains relatively small since we receive only the first fruits of the Spirit in this life and must await the completion of our redemption in the life to come. Nonetheless, the power and efficacy of the Spirit are such that it can typically prevail against the flesh. The flesh receives its mortal wound at the moment of a person's conversion and continues to die gradually. Therefore, it fights as a disabled soldier. On the other hand, the Spirit is continually confirmed and increased by the Holy Spirit. It is lively, active, and its virtue is like musk—a small amount of which produces a stronger fragrance than many ounces of other perfumes. Some may argue that the godly individual feels the flesh more than the spirit, concluding that the flesh is therefore more prevalent. In response, I would say that we should not assess our condition solely based on feelings, as they can easily deceive us. A person may feel pain in the tip of their finger more acutely than the overall health of their body, yet the health of the body surpasses the pain in a finger.

Furthermore, we feel corruption not because of corruption itself, but because of grace. Therefore, the more individuals perceive their inward corruptions, the greater the indication of their possession of grace.

This is what we can gather about the nature of the fight itself. Now, let us turn to the manner in which this fight takes place.

The fight is carried out through lusting. In this context, to lust means to generate and provoke inclinations and impulses in the heart, whether towards good or evil.

Lusting can be divided into two categories: the lusting of the flesh and the lusting of the spirit.

The lusting of the flesh has two actions. The first is to generate evil thoughts and passions such as self-love, envy, pride, unbelief, anger, and so on. James says that people are enticed and drawn away by their own desires. This enticement occurs through the suggestion of negative thoughts and desires. It is this action of the flesh that led

Paul to say that he was carnal, sold under sin.

The second action of the flesh is to hinder, suppress, and overpower all the good impulses of the spirit. Paul experienced this in himself when he said, "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin."

Because of this action of the flesh, a regenerated person is like someone in a slumber who is troubled by sleep paralysis or "the mare." They feel something heavy lying on their chest, as if it were a mountain, and they desperately try to remove it with their hands and voice, but they are unable to do so.

On the other hand, the lusting of the spirit entails two other actions.

The first is to generate good thoughts, inclinations, and desires in the mind, will, and affections. David speaks of this when he says, "My reins also instruct me in the night seasons." It means that his mind, affections, will, and entire soul, sanctified and guided by the Spirit of God, provide him with considerations of the path he should walk.

Isaiah prophesies about the Church of the New Testament, saying, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it." This voice is not only the outward preaching of ministers but also the inward voice of the Spirit.

The second action of the spirit is to hinder and suppress the bad impulses and suggestions of the flesh. John says, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him," referring to the grace wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, which resists the rebellious desires of the flesh.

To have a clearer understanding of the manner of this fight, we must examine it more closely, particularly within the two special parts of the soul: the mind and the will.

In the mind, there is a double combat. The first is between the knowledge of God's Word and natural ignorance or blindness. Since our knowledge in this life is partial, the knowledge of truth must necessarily coexist with ignorance in those who are enlightened.

These two, being contrary to each other, strive to overshadow and prevail over one another.

This explains why excellent theologians may differ in various points of religion. It is because, in this combat, natural blindness still remains to a greater or lesser extent. Just as people with impaired vision cannot discern things clearly without glasses, and therefore would have different opinions about something seen from afar, so too those enlightened and regenerated in this life only see "in a mirror, dimly." This should also prompt all students of theology to be cautious about their opinions and defenses, recognizing that even those with the soundest judgment have a mixture of light and darkness in their understanding. They can only see partially, like the man in the Gospel who, when Jesus partially opened his eyes, saw people walking as trees. Furthermore, this should remind all who read the Scriptures to invoke and call upon the name of God, asking

Him to enlighten them with His Spirit and dispel the fog of natural blindness. The prophet David, who was profoundly enlightened with the knowledge of God's Word and surpassed the ancients and his own teachers in wisdom, still acknowledged his own blindness and frequently prayed in the Psalms, "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."

Due to this ongoing battle, when natural blindness prevails, a child of God who is truly enlightened with knowledge of everlasting life may err not only in minor matters but even in the very foundations of religion, as the Corinthians and the Galatians did. Just as one person can err, so can a hundred people, even a whole specific church. And just as one church can err, so can a hundred more. In light of this combat, the condition of all individuals is the same. Hence, it is evident that the earthly Church in its struggle is susceptible to error.

However, just as bodily ailments can be of two kinds—one curable and the other incurable, leading to death—so can errors. Although the Church may experience various falls, it cannot err in foundational matters leading to spiritual death. The errors of God's children are curable. Some may argue, "If all individuals and churches are prone to error, then it is not advisable to align with any of them, but rather to separate from all." I reply, even though they may and do err, we must not separate from them as long as they do not separate from Christ.

The second combat in the mind is between faith and unbelief. For faith is imperfect and mixed with contrary elements of unbelief, such as presumption and doubt. As the man in the Gospel says, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief."

As a result of this struggle, when unbelief prevails, even the child of God may experience fits and bouts of despair, as Job and David did in their trials. David, at one point, contemplated the prosperity of the wicked and exclaimed, "Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence." This despair can become so intense that it weakens and consumes the body more than any illness. It should not be considered strange for a child of God to experience this. Although they may despair of their election and salvation in Christ, their despair is neither total nor final. It is not total because they do not despair with their entire heart, as faith still contends against despair in that very moment. It is not final because they will recover before the end of their earthly life.

To continue, the combat in the will is as follows. The will partly desires and partly rejects what is good in the same moment.

Likewise, it desires and rejects what is evil because it is partly regenerated and partly unregenerate. The affections, which reside in the will, also partly embrace and partly avoid their objects. For example, love partly loves and partly does not love God and things that should be loved. Fear is mixed and not pure, contrary to what some scholars have believed. It is partly filial and partly servile, causing the child of God to stand in awe of God not only for His mercies but also for His judgments and punishments. The will of a regenerated person is like someone with one sound leg and one lame leg. In every step they take, they do not fully limp or fully walk upright but partly walk upright and partly limp. It can also be likened to a person in a boat on water. They move upward because the vessel carries them upward, but at the same time, they move downward because they walk downward within the same vessel simultaneously.

If anyone argues that opposites cannot coexist in the same subject, the answer is that they cannot if one of them is in its full strength at the highest degree. However, if the force of both is delayed and weakened, they can be joined together.

Due to this combat, when corruption prevails against grace in the will and affections, a certain deadness or hardness of heart arises in the godly, which is simply a lack of sense or feeling. Some may view this as a fearful judgment, but the answer is that there are two kinds of hardness of heart. One kind possesses the heart and is never felt.

It pertains to those whose consciences are seared with a hot iron, who, due to habitual sin, have become unfeeling and also despise the means of softening their hearts. Indeed, this is a fearful judgment.

The other kind of hardness of heart is felt, and it is not as dangerous as the former. Just as we feel our sickness through the contrasting experience of life and health, the felt hardness of heart indicates the presence of grace and a tender heart. David frequently lamented about this in the Psalms, and the children of Israel spoke of it when they said, "Why have you hardened our hearts from your ways?"

This concludes the discussion of the particular manner of combat.

Before we proceed further, let us consider the outcome, which is as follows: the spirit prevails against the flesh at two times—during a person's life and at their end. However, there may be some setbacks along the way.

I affirm that the spirit prevails not in a single moment but throughout a person's entire life. As Saint John says, "He who is born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him," indicating that the grace of God in the heart typically prevails. Paul also describes it as the characteristic of a regenerated individual to walk according to the spirit, which entails maintaining a consistent course of godliness.

Just as someone traveling from Berwick to London may occasionally veer off track but quickly returns to the right path, the overall trajectory is correct.

Furthermore, the spirit prevails at the end of a person's life. At that point, the flesh is completely abolished, and sanctification is accomplished, for no unclean thing can enter the kingdom of heaven.

It must be understood that when the spirit prevails, it does not do so without resistance and striving. As Paul testifies, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." This passage should not be understood solely in terms of thoughts and inner motions, as some suggest, nor does it refer only to specific transgressions. It encompasses the general practice of fulfilling one's duty or calling throughout the entire course of life. It is comparable to a sick person who, having recovered from a severe illness, takes a few steps around their room, saying, "Ah, I would like to walk freely, but I am unable to." The statement does not imply an inability to walk at all but signifies that the person cannot walk as they would wish due to weakness and fatigue.

I added further that this prevailing is accompanied by foils. A foil occurs when the flesh momentarily overcomes and subdues the spirit. In such a case, a regenerate person is like a soldier whose skull

has been cracked by a blow, leaving them lying bewildered and unable to fight. They are also similar to someone experiencing an epileptic seizure, who temporarily lies motionless like a lifeless body.

This raises the question of whether the prevailing flesh extinguishes the spirit and thus cuts off a person from Christ until they are grafted back in. The answer is as follows: There are two types of Christians.

The first merely professes Christ in appearance and name, and such a person is no more a member of Christ's mystical body than a wooden leg attached to the body is a true member. If they fall, they cannot be said to be cut off because they were never grafted in. The second type is the one who, in name and deed, is a living and active part and member of Christ. If they fall, they may be and are cut off from Christ, but it is important to note how. They are not entirely severed but only in certain aspects, particularly with regards to their inward fellowship and communion with Christ, though not their connection to Him. It is akin to a person's arm affected by severe paralysis, hanging without receiving heat, life, or sensation from the rest of the body or the head. Nevertheless, it remains united and connected to the body, and can be restored through treatments and remedies. Similarly, after a grievous fall, a child of God may experience a lack of internal peace and comfort, being plagued in conscience with the tremors of spiritual paralysis due to their offense. However, before God, they still remain a member of Christ and will be restored to their former state through sincere repentance.

God permits these foils for weighty reasons. First, it is so that individuals may be humbled and confounded within themselves, considering their own wretched nature, and learn not to swell with pride because of God's grace. Paul mentioned that after being caught up to the third heaven, a messenger of Satan was sent to afflict and beat him, preventing him from being excessively exalted. Second, it is to teach us to deny ourselves and cleave to the Lord wholeheartedly. Paul said that he was afflicted with a severe illness so that he would not trust in himself but in God, who raises the dead.

This concludes the discussion on the manner of the combat. Now, let us turn to the cause of it.

The cause is the inherent opposition between the flesh and the spirit, as Paul states, "The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God."

Hence, we are taught that since the fall, there is no free will in human beings when it comes to spiritual matters concerning the worship of God or attaining eternal life. The flesh represents our natural disposition, and by nature, human beings are nothing but flesh. The spirit, on the other hand, comes later through grace, and yet the flesh is completely contrary to the spirit, which leads us to do what pleases God. Therefore, the will, by nature, is a complete slave to sin.

Furthermore, we can learn from this that practicing religion is not an easy task. It involves living according to the spirit, which is as contrary to our natural disposition as fire is to water. Therefore, if we desire to obey God, we must learn to overcome our nature and exert effort in performing godly duties. It may require us to exert ourselves, sweat, and work hard in this pursuit.

Lastly, we can understand the nature of sin from this. The spirit is not a substance but a quality, and therefore, the flesh, which is nothing but original sin and is contrary to the spirit, must also be a quality. This is because one contrary is of the same nature as the other. In every person, there is the substance of body and soul, and neither of them can be sin. Otherwise, the spirit would also be the substance of a person. In the substance, there are the faculties of body and soul, and they cannot be sin either. Otherwise, every person would have lost the faculties of their soul due to Adam's fall.

Lastly, within the faculties, there is a contagion or corruption that inclines them to go against the law, and that is what sin and the flesh truly are—contrary to the spirit.

The fourth point concerns the individuals in whom this combat takes place. Paul indicates who they are when he says, "So that you cannot, etc.," revealing that those who experience this struggle must be like the Galatians, individuals who are justified and sanctified. However, not all who are justified and sanctified experience this combat, but only those who have reached the age of maturity. Infants of the faithful, though we consider them to belong to the kingdom of heaven and thus be justified and sanctified, do not engage in this combat of the flesh and spirit, which involves action. As for the unregenerate, they have never felt this fight. If anyone claims that even the worst person in the world, when about to commit a sin, experiences a struggle and fight within them, it is indeed true.

However, that is a different kind of combat, one between the conscience and the heart. The conscience terrifies the individual from sinning, while the will and affections urge and pull them towards it. The will and affections wish and desire that sin were not sin and that God's commandments were abolished, whereas the conscience, with a clear voice, proclaims sin to be sin. This fight was present in Pilate, who, due to the force of his conscience, feared condemning Christ, yet was willing and yielded to condemn him in order to please the people.

Furthermore, this combat is experienced by the regenerate only during this earthly life. Those who are perfectly sanctified do not feel this strife. If anyone argues that this combat was present in Christ when he said, "Father, if it be thy will, let this cup pass from me; yet not my will but thine be done," indeed, there was a struggle, but of a different kind. It was the fight between two different desires. One desire was to fulfill his father's will by accepting the death of the cross, while the other was a natural desire (not a sin but a mere weakness of human nature) through which, in his humanity, he desired (as is the inclination of nature to seek self-preservation) to have the cursed death of the cross removed from him.

The fifth point is the effect of this combat, which is that the regenerate person cannot do the things they would, both in good and

evil matters.

Firstly, he cannot do the evil that he would for two reasons. First, because he cannot commit sin whenever he pleases. As S. John says,

"He that is born of God does not sin, nor can he sin, because he is born of God." In other words, he cannot sin at his own will or whenever he desires. When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar's wife to commit adultery, the abundance of God's grace in him prevented him from sinning. He responded, saying, "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" Similarly, Lot, with his righteous heart grieved by the abominations of Sodom, could not sin as the people of Sodom did. From this, it becomes evident that individuals who live in the continual practice of sin against their own consciences, even if they profess the true religion of Christ, lack genuine grace within them.

Secondly, the regenerate person cannot sin in the manner they would, and there are two reasons for this. First, they cannot sin with full consent of the will or with their whole heart, because the regenerated will resists and draws back. Even when a person is driven by the passions of the flesh, they experience contrary motions of a regenerated conscience. It is a true principle that sin does not reign in the regenerate. The more grace is present in the mind, will, and affections, the weaker the strength of the flesh becomes proportionally. Therefore, when they commit any sin, they do it partly willingly and partly against their will. It is comparable to the sailors who willingly cast Jonah into the sea during the tempest, for they would not have done so otherwise. However, it was also against their will, as evidenced by their prayers, casting their goods out of the ship, and their efforts in rowing against the tempest, all of which occurred long before they cast him out. This difference can be seen between two individuals committing the same sin, one being regenerate and the other unregenerate. The latter sins with their whole heart and full consent, while the former does not. Secondly, even if the regenerate person falls into sin, they do not remain in it

for long but quickly recover themselves due to the presence of grace in their hearts.

Therefore, it is evident that sins of weakness are committed only by those who are regenerate. As for the unregenerate person, they cannot commit sins of weakness, contrary to what some falsely believe. This is because they are not weak but completely dead in sin.

Sins of weakness, on the other hand, arise from constraint, fear, hastiness, and similar sudden passions in the regenerate. Although they often sin due to the struggle within their spirit, it is not always the case. They may also sin knowingly and presumptuously against their own knowledge and conscience.

Moving on to the second point: the regenerate person cannot do the good that they would because they cannot do it perfectly and completely according to God's will as they desire. As Paul says, "For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out."

In this aspect, the godly person is like a prisoner who has escaped from jail and desires with all their heart to run a hundred miles in a day to avoid the grasp of the keeper. However, due to the heavy and restrictive chains on their legs, they cannot crawl past a mile or two, even with great effort that results in chafing their flesh and tormenting themselves.

Similarly, the servants of God wholeheartedly desire and strive to obey God in all His commandments, just as it is said of King Josiah that he turned to God with all his heart, soul, and might, following all the laws of Moses, and so on. Yet, because they are burdened by the limitations of the flesh, their obedience is performed slowly and weakly, with various stumbles and falls.

This concludes the discussion of the combat. Now, let us consider the practical implications of this understanding.

First and foremost, we learn from this that the state of a Christian in this life is not one devoid of evil thoughts, rebellious inclinations,

and movements of the will and affections, or free from all manner of mistakes in their life and conduct. Anyone claiming to be such a person is merely an invention of human imagination and cannot be found on earth. Instead, a true Christian is one who, feeling burdened by the corruptions of their sinful and rebellious nature, laments them from the depths of their heart and vigorously fights against them by the grace of God's Spirit. Additionally, this refutes the erroneous Catholic belief in merit and justification through works of grace. It is as follows: Works correspond to their cause. The cause of works in a person is their sanctified mind, will, and affections, in which the flesh and the spirit are mixed, as previously explained. Therefore, even the best works of grace are mixed works, partly holy and partly sinful. This clearly shows that they do not meet the requirements of the righteous law and, therefore, cannot merit eternal life or justify a person before God. If someone argues that good works are works of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, perfectly righteous, I respond that it is indeed true that they originate from the Holy Spirit, who cannot sin. However, they also stem from the corrupt mind and will of humans, and in that regard, they become sinful, just as water from a pure fountain can become corrupted when flowing through a filthy channel.

Thirdly, we learn from this that concupiscence or original sin is truly and properly sin even after baptism, despite the contrary decree of the Council of Trent. After baptism, it is in direct opposition to the Spirit and rebels against it. Some Catholics argue that it is removed through baptism. I reply that original sin or the flesh is removed in the following manner for the regenerate: It consists of three aspects

—the guilt, the punishment, and the corruption. The first two are completely abolished through the merits of Christ's death in baptism, while the third, the corruption, still remains. However, take note of how it remains: it remains weakened and is no longer imputed to the believer's person.

Lastly, we are taught by this to be vigilant in prayer. "Watch and pray," as Christ said, "for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

When Rebecca experienced the strife of two twins in her womb, she was troubled and sought the Lord's guidance, likely through a prophet. Similarly, when we feel this internal conflict, the best course of action is to turn to God in prayer and seek strength for the spirit against the flesh. Just as the Israelites, by circling the city of Jericho for seven days and blowing rams' horns, caused its walls to crumble, so through earnest invocation of God's name, the spirit is fortified and the strongholds of rebellious flesh are demolished.

The voice of a person:

1. Carnal:

Evil: "I do what is evil, and I want to do it."

Good: "I do not do what is good, and I do not want to do it."

2. Regenerate:

Evil: "I do the evil that I do not want to do."

Good: "I do not do the good that I want to do."

3. Glorified:

Evil: "I do not do what is evil, and I do not want to do it."

Good: "I do what is good, and I want to do it."

Praise be to God.

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