How to Die to the Flesh!

By: Daniel Idehen

For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

(Rom 8:13 NIV)

In yesterday’s Call to Prayer, I revealed how the instruction Jesus gave us to take up our cross and follow Him is an indication of the commandment for us to die to the flesh (Matthew 16:24-26). For the cross is an instrument for which we are crucified. Again, I said we die to the flesh when we obey the Spirit’s instruction (both His spoken and written instruction). That is, we die to the flesh when we say no to its desire and say yes to the Spirit’s leading. The flesh and the Spirit are opposed to each other (Gal. 5:17), and it will take an empowered (human) spirit to say no to the flesh and yes to God. Gaining this empowerment is the answer to how to die to the flesh.

In our key scripture for today, Paul’s statement, but if by the Spirit you put to death, suggests that it is our responsibility to put to death the misdeeds of the flesh, and the Holy Spirit is a means (a Helper) by which we can do so. The first key on how to empower your human spirit is by fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit. The more we spend time reading the word and praying (communicating with Him), the more conscious we will become of His presence. Therefore, saying yes to His instruction will become easier.

Again, all that we have in Christ becomes available to us by knowledge (2 Peter 1:3). What do we need to know in this regard? By faith, we were in Christ Jesus when He was crucified, which mean our bodies have been crucified along with Him. This was what Paul alluded to in Galatians 2:20, when He proclaimed ‘I have been crucified with Christ, I no longer live’. By him saying he is crucified with Christ, it means he is dead to sin (Rom. 6:2). Like Paul, count (regard) yourself dead to sin in your mind, then confess it with your mouth, then it becomes a reality in your life (Romans 6:11, 10:10). Spending time meditating on this truth will help to make it reside in the mind. Which then will cause it to come out naturally in your mouth, leading to freedom from sin. Another knowledge that we need to have is that the Holy Spirit lives inside of us (1 Cor. 6:19). Being conscious that God is in you empowers you to say no to the flesh and yes to God. This knowledge also strengthens (quicken) our mortal bodies to be able to walk righteously; to follow the Spirit’s leading (Rom. 8:11)

Furthermore, setting our minds on things above helps us to be dead to the flesh (Romans 8:6-8). We set our minds on things above when our goals, our ambitions, and plans are things of the Spirit. If we set our minds on things of the flesh, it generates lusts in us that empowers the flesh (James 1:13, 14). Setting our minds above is similar to seeking the kingdom first (Matt. 6:33).

Lastly, a lifestyle of fasting is a good way to kill the flesh. Reading Luke 5:34-35, it will be clear that fasting helps us to be conscious of the presence of God (The Holy Spirit), which empowers the Human Spirit to be able to access God’s mind and to be obedient.

Prayer Point:

Let’s ask God to help members of the body of Christ to die to the flesh and be alive to Him.

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God Bless you all