Ch. 2
The Flesh Nature Is The Nature of Satan
When man broke fellowship with God, the judgment of God rested on all mankind: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Rom. 5:12). Today all the world walks in the image and likeness of Satan, because they all have this cursed nature. Everyone loves their selfish nature until they see the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ and repent. The flesh nature and the nature of Satan are the same. Therefore, they are in total agreement. When your heart loved this flesh nature, your motives were the same as Satan’s: selfishness and self-love. Satan controlled your life because your heart loved this selfish and cursed nature. The flesh nature is hostile to God and will not subject itself to the law of God. (Rom. 8:7)
The deeds or fruit of the flesh represent the character and nature of Satan. Because this nature is rooted deeply in the hearts of all mankind, their only motive will be to satisfy the desires of their flesh and live for themselves. The Lord Jesus Christ obviously has to do something about this flesh nature, or we would never be able to be obedient to the Spirit of God. This is why the Spirit of God leads us to put to death the deeds of the rebellious flesh (Rom. 8:13, 14; Gal. 5:16,24). In the new covenant, the Lord Jesus Christ enables us to overcome this flesh nature in order to be conformed to the image of Christ. In the following illustrations we will see how we may know the motives of a man’s heart by the words that proceed from his mouth. This is called discernment. Jesus has clearly warned us that we will be able to identify the body of Christ or false teachers by the fruit or words of a person’s mouth, because their words originate from their hearts. It is with the heart man believes unto righteousness, or with the heart he believes unto unrighteousness. Therefore, if we are going to use the Scriptures to show how the Church has fallen away from the faith, it is very important that we understand what the Lord is teaching about the heart and its fruit. A form of godliness has clouded these Scriptures in such a way that no reference is made to them. However, when we understand these Scriptures, we can begin to see the thing that Jesus warned us about today.
In the first illustration, we will see a man of the world before he comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ. The Second illustration will be this same man after he has repented and made Jesus Christ Lord of his heart. The Spirit of God has led him to overcome the flesh nature. He now bears the fruit of the Spirit of holiness. The last two illustrations will be men who come to Jesus, but without true repentance. They do not overcome the flesh, but walk in double-mindedness. You will know them by their fruit. Study each illustration carefully and return to these illustrations often as you read the book in order to have better understanding of these Scriptures.
In this first illustration, we see the worldly man whose heart loves the fleshly nature of Satan. We can understand the motives of his heart by the words that proceed from his mouth. The evidence of a heart that loves this selfish nature will be the fruit of the flesh. In other words, the fruit of his heart will be words that he speaks from his mouth, which are evidence that the nature of Satan and selfishness are controlling his heart: “For from within, out of the heart of man, proceeds evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things comes from within (the heart) and defile the man (Mark 7:21-23).
“For of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Luke 6:45). This man’s heart loves the selfish nature of Satan, and you will know him by this satanic fruit. God calls all the works of the flesh sin, because this fruit is the evidence of a heart that is in rebellion to God. The works of the flesh are the very opposite of loving your neighbor and loving the nature of God. These deeds of the flesh are the very sins we repent and turn from to follow Jesus. “Their tongue is an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceable to his neighbor with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait” (Jer. 9:8). When anyone loves the flesh nature, he will use and exploit his neighbor because he seeks his own selfish interests. This is why everyone in the world is full of distrust and suspicion towards one another. People of the world know one another’s motives are selfish and deceitful. They will never have understanding of their dilemma until they turn to God, their Creator, and hears the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. God is the source of all true knowledge and wisdom. God tests the hearts of all mankind by giving them a choice to seek knowledge and wisdom from Him, or to be lord of their own lives. Everyone who does not turn from loving this selfish nature is wise in his own eyes.
ILLUSTRATION:
ROOT: THE FLESH NATURE OF SATAN
The root is the motive that controls a man’s heart: If a man loves the flesh nature more than he loves God, the selfish motive of the flesh nature will fill his heart.
FORM OF GODLINESS:
EVIDENCE: SELFISHNESS
* Verse to show this man: “Do not ye understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth, goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man (Matt. 15:17,18).
** End of ILLUSTRATION **
When anyone loves the flesh nature, Satan will be his master because he will be able to control his heart and life through thoughts and suggestions, which fulfill his selfish desires. The powers of darkness will lead him to seek the selfish opportunities of the world because he lives for himself. Since he loves selfishness, the powers of darkness will begin tearing down all his relationships with suggestions and thoughts of jealousy, distrust, rejection, suspicion, and unforgiveness toward others. He will welcome these thoughts since he seeks his own self-interest rather than the interests of others. He will seek to gain an advantage and be deceitful in all his deeds like his master, Satan, until he has a change of heart. This change of heart is called repentance.
When anyone loves the nature of Satan, he does not love others. Since God demands that we love others as ourselves, every word or act that does not show love for God and for others is sin and rebellion. God made a provision through the last Adam, Jesus Christ, to restore us to fellowship with Him when Jesus Christ took all of ours sins on Himself at Calvary. A man becomes a totally different person when he comes to God in repentance and receives Jesus Christ as his new Lord and Master. The Spirit of God then leads him to be perfected in Love. He has seen the judgment and destruction that is on every man who loves and walks in the ways of Satan and the flesh.
He also understands that God is demanding that he love Him with all his heart instead of loving the flesh nature of Satan. Since he now loves the Lord instead of the selfish flesh nature, his motives have changed from selfishness to love. Previously, the root or motive of his heart was to please the selfish desires of the flesh. Now the root or motive of his heart will be to please the Lord Jesus Christ with all of his heart.
ILLUSTRATION:
ROOT: THE LORD
JESUS CHRIST
The root is the Motive that controls a Man’s Heart. If a Man loves Jesus Christ with all his heart, he will put to death the deeds of the flesh because all of his motives are to please Jesus Christ more than the flesh nature.
GODLINESS:
* Verse to show this man: A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits, ye shall know them (Matt. 7:17-20).
**End of ILLUSTRATION **
Jesus then leads him (this above man- with the Root of Jesus Christ) by His Spirit to overcome the flesh, the world, and the devil, in order to purify his heart and perfect him in love. The Spirit of God will lead him to put to death the deeds of the rebellious flesh, one by one, until he has a pure heart. This is how he becomes an overcomer. His mind will be renewed by the Word of God so that he can walk and talk like Christ instead of like Satan. This man has now been perfected in love and conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. He has a totally new heart and a renewed mind. His heart has been cleansed by God’s Word, and he now walks and talks like our Lord. He has the mind of Christ and no longer walks after the flesh. Paul identifies this man and the body of Christ by saying: “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal. 5:24). We see then “…all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Gal 5:14). The Spirit of God leads us to put to death the deeds of the flesh, so we will love others as Christ has loved us.