Winning the Battle Against the Flesh

It was Alexander Maclaren that once said, “There is only one thing that will put the collar on the neck of the animal within us, and that is the power of the indwelling Christ.”

In Paul’s letter to the Colossian church he informs them that the commandments and teachings of men are of no value against fleshly indulgence. These teachings may appear wise, or religious, or even seem reverent but at the end they are useless in combating the flesh. It would be like a firefighter showing up to a raging house fire with a couple squirt guns. It just won’t do. The answer to winning the battle against the flesh is realizing you are not your own. You are Christ’s, bought and paid for by His blood. It’s only by His power, His strength, His grace that the flesh is conquered. So, Paul exhorts us to keep seeking Christ, keep setting our minds on Christ, be ...