Flesh Versus Spirit

In much of western thought the composition of a human being consists of two parts-- body and soul-- "body" being our material existence, and "soul" being our immaterial existence. Sometimes we use the terms "flesh" and "spirit". We run into problems when we put the emphasis on one over the other. Some of the most awful heresies have resulted from these pointed distinctions. One was called "Gnosticism", which taught that the material body was "evil", but the immaterial soul was the highest good and needs to escape from the evil body. The result was adherents of Gnostic systems either indulged the body or deprived the body, neither of which makes for a peaceful existence. In any event, the human composition is thought to be made of these two parts.

The Scriptures are not very much concerned with the human makeup as much as the environment the human being inhabits. This follows more of the contours of Hebraic thought. In Middle Eastern thinking, the human being is a unified whole, and there are no sharp distinctions between "body" and "soul". In fact, when addressing human composition, Scripture actually equates the two terms.

However, two different terms are used to address two different modes of existence of a human being, and these terms are usually descriptive of beliefs, attitudes, and religious environment. The terms are "flesh" and "spirit", and they are never equated in Scripture.

"Flesh" is a term that describes a person who attempts to garner favor with God through pulling himself up by his own bootstraps. "Spirit" describes a person who never depends on his own merit but rests in the knowledge that he is loved and accepted by God unconditionally.

The New Testament employs these terms to make a distinction between the Old and New Covenants. Living by the Old Covenant Law was called living "in the flesh", while living on the merits of Christ and the New Covenant was called living "in the Spirit". The early Christians were in the process of transitioning from being "in the flesh" to being "in the Spirit". This was their struggle. They were simul iustus et peccator, sinner and saint, flesh and spirit, at the same time. This happened because the New Covenant existence was gradually coming to the fore, while the Old Covenant existence was becoming obsolete. The Book of Hebrews really fleshes this out (pardon the pun!).

The meaning for us is that we are no longer living "in the flesh" because the Old Covenant economy is forever collapsed and of no consequence. The New Covenant age, ushered in by Christ, is in full effect. We are now "in the Spirit", all because of what Jesus did. That's why Scripture talks about things such as "The New Heavens and the New Earth", the New Creation, "putting off" the old and "putting on" the new. That's why John the Baptist said, "I must decrease (as a representative of the Old Covenant) while he (Jesus) must increase (as the bringer of the New Covenant). This kind of language typifies the New Testament.

Living in the Spirit doesn't mean that you become invisible to the naked eye. It merely means that our attempts to garner favor with God to avoid God's wrath are unnecessary because God's wrath has been completely spent and God's favor is without condition!