The mind set on the flesh
[Romans 8:5-8]
Look at Romans 8:5-8: “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” In this verse, “the mind set on the flesh” appears three times: “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh” (v. 5), “For the mind set on the flesh is death” (v. 6), and “the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God” (v. 7). Here, what is “the mind set on the flesh”?
First, what is “the flesh”?
The flesh refers to the fallen human nature. Adam and his wife Eve, the first human beings mentioned in Genesis, disobeyed God's command and sinned by eating the forbidden fruit. And because of that sin, they were depraved. Not only them, but all the people of mankind born after them were corrupted by sin and were depraved. Look at Romans 5:12 – “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” This fallen depraved man is also called the “old self” (Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9). The flesh refers to a person before believing in Jesus. In other words, the flesh refers to a person before being born again or a person before being regenerated. These people are referred to as those of the flesh (1 Cor. 3:3; Note: Heb. 7:16) or those who live according to the flesh (2 Cor. 5:16; 11:18). The flesh ultimately refers to Satan. In Romans 8:5-8, the Apostle Paul contrasts “flesh” (this word occurs 4 times) with “the Spirit” (this word occurs 3 times), where “the Spirit” that is opposed to “the flesh” refers to the Holy Spirit, not our human spirit. The Apostle Paul is contrasting “the flesh” with “the Holy Spirit.” But if we only refer to this “flesh” as simply our fallen nature or our old self who was not born (or regenerated) before we believed in Jesus, then the contrast with “the Holy Spirit” is not sufficient. Therefore, “the flesh” in contrast to “the Spirit,” the Holy Spirit, ultimately refers to “Satan.” In other words, the Apostle Paul contrasts “the flesh” and “the Spirit,” that is, Satan and the Holy Spirit. Satan is the only one. Satan is a creature of God, and a fallen angel created by God. Therefore, when it is said that Satan exists in unbelievers who do not believe in Jesus (unregenerated), the evil angels who are all the same with Satan are in them since Satan is not omnipresent and omnipresent like God. Therefore, “those who are according to the flesh” (Rom. 8:5) refer to those who follow Satan. In other words, those who follow the flesh are those who are governed by Satan, those who are ruled by evil angels and follow those evil angels. In other words, those who follow the flesh are ultimately those who follow Satan. Here we can think of two followers of the flesh:
(1) Those who follow the flesh obey the devil and follow the evil ways of the world.
Look at Ephesians 2:2 – “in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.” Those who follow the flesh are those who follow Satan and evil angels.
(2) Those who follow the flesh live in the lusts of the flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind.
Look at Ephesians 2:3 – “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” Those who do not believe in Jesus and follow an unregenerate body are ruled by Satan and are following Satan and evil angels.
Even among those who have been baptized in the church and serve diligently as office bears, there are those who do not believe in Jesus and follow the flesh without being born again. There are people in the church who do not know whether they have been regenerated or not. Just as a newborn baby does not know when he was born, there are spiritually infant-like members in the church who do not know when they were born again. What we need to make a clear distinction here is the fact that 'one does not know whether one has been regenerated' and 'one is not regenerated' are two different things. It seems that mainly believers who were born a Christian family don't know that they have been born again.
Second, what are “the things of the flesh” (Rom. 8:5)?
In other words, what are the Satan's works? In other words, what do people who do not believe in Jesus and have not been regenerated, that is, old people do?
(1) The things of the flesh are the work of killing.
What Satan did to Adam and Eve in Genesis caused them to disobey God's covenant command not to eat of the forbidden fruit, which ultimately resulted in the death of both (death spiritually and eternally). As a result, Satan killed all those born after that. Look at Romans 5:12 – “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” If the work of Satan is to kill, the work of the Holy Spirit is to save. The works of the flesh are the breaking of peace. Satan broke the peace between Adam and Eve and created a discord. Look at Genesis 3:9-12: “Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.’ And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.’” Although Adam, before he sinned, clearly said of his wife Eve, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh” (2:23), after he sinned, he complained to God about his wife Eve, saying, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate” (3:12). Even now, Satan's work is destroying the family (the church and the country as well) by breaking the peace and causing discord. But the work of the Holy Spirit is peacemaking and reconciliation.
(2) The things of the flesh are to commit all sins.
Satan is working to make Adam and Eve, as well as all those born after them, commit all sins. This is what the Apostle Paul said about the works of the flesh: “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21). But regenerated Christians who believe in Jesus who walk by the Spirit (v. 16) bear the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; …” (vv. 22-23).
Third, what is “the mind set on the flesh” (Rom. 8:6, 7)?
(1) The mind set on the flesh is death.
Look at Romans 8:6 – “For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” The mind set on the Holy Spirit is life and peace, but the mind of the flesh, the mind set on the flesh which is contrary to the mind set on the Holy Spirit, is death. Look at Philippians 3:19 – “whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.” The mind set on the flesh is destruction. It is eternal punishment, eternal death, and eternal destruction.
(2) The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God.
Look at Romans 8:7a – “because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; ….” The mind set on the flesh is not at peace with God (this is the mind set on the Holy Spirit) but falls into the temptations of Satan and commits sin, so it becomes an enemy of God. Look at Romans 5:10 – “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
(3) The mind set on the flesh does not subject itself to the law of God.
Look at Romans 8:7b – “… for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.” The mind set on the flesh does not obey, and does not submit to the law of God, nor can it do so. The people in the flesh cannot obey God's law. How could those under Satan's control (those who were enemies of God) keep (obey) God's law? Only those who have been regenerated with the mind given by the Holy Spirit can keep and obey God's law.
(4) The mind set on the flesh cannot please God.
Look at Romans 8:8 – “and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Those who are in the flesh cannot please God because they are carnal-minded and are enemies of God. Only the children of God who think of the Holy Spirit can please God. Only faith can please God. Look at Hebrews 11:6 – “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” We must become like Enoch, a man of faith. Look at Hebrews 11:5 – “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” Enoch was a man who pleased God. He walked with God (Gen. 5:24). The modern Korean Bible translated that Enoch was a man who lived in deep communion with God. Like Enoch, we too must live while walking with the Holy Spirit (experiencing deep fellowship with Him).
Look at Colossians 1:21-23: “And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds. yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.” We too were “formerly” enemies with God, that is, before we believed in Jesus, before we were born again. We followed Satan and did what Satan liked. But “now” we have believed in Jesus and have become regenerated. Through the physical death of Jesus Christ, we are no longer enmity with God, but have been reconciled and become children of God. As new, regenerated people, we must stand firm in the faith and not be shaken by the hope of the gospel we have heard. We must stand firm in the hope of the gospel. Like Enoch, the man of faith, who walked with God, we must become those who walk with the Holy Spirit and who please God. As followers of the Holy Spirit, we should enjoy life and peace as we do the things of the Holy Spirit in the mind of the Holy Spirit. The things of the Holy Spirit is to bear the fruit of love, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), to love the Lord our God with our heart, soul, and mind, according to the twofold commandment of Jesus, and also to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mt. 22:37, 39). This is what it means to live and enjoy a heavenly life that is eternal life partially on this earth (The things of the flesh is to bear hatred, which is the fruit of Satan, and the result is discord and breaking peace, which ultimately leads to death). We must enjoy eternal life and peace by living in obedience to the twofold commandments of Jesus under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, filled with the Holy Spirit and full of love. I hope and pray that we love according to the twofold commandment of Jesus under the guidance of the Holy Spirit by becoming people of the Holy Spirit who has the vitality to live and thus enjoying the peace that the Lord gives us in any circumstance.