Spiritual Warfare – the Last Enemy part 3

In the last couple of sessions, we have considered the tri-partite nature of man as revealed in Scripture – body, soul and spirit – and what happens at, and after, death. Which left me wondering about “the Flesh” or “The Old Man” or “the carnal/sinful nature”, which the Bible clearly identifies as part of the human condition.

The Scripture also makes it clear that, while we are here ‘in the body’, we are in the process of sanctification (2 Cor. 3:18), which won’t be complete until we see Jesus as He is (1 John 3:2-3). We have seen that, when we trust in Christ, we are made completely righteous with teh righteousness of Christ, so what do we need to be sanctified from if we are already righteous? The Bible speaks of the battle between the ‘New man’ and the ‘Old Man. For example, Paul tells us in Gal. 5:17 that “the flesh strives against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another”, giving us a vital insight into the spiritual battles we face. But where does “the flesh” fit in to body, soul and spirit? Is it just another way of referring to our bodies? (Advance warning – the idea that the physical body is evil yet another idea imported from Greek philosophy!)

‘The Flesh’

Peculiarly a New Testament concept, particularly in the writings of John and Paul. The Greek word sarx used 151 times in 130 verses. Literally, this is flesh as opposed to skin – the part of an animal that is consumed (as in the OT offerings).

main meanings/usages of sarx

• Physicality 28 (flesh and bone, infirmity in the flesh, circumcision)
• Progeny 10 (typically relating to Israel and the forefathers)
• Humanity, or humanness 16 (all flesh, no flesh
• the Incarnation 12 (Word was made/Christ came in flesh)
• metaphysical or metaphorical 12 (give my flesh, i.e. die; eat my flesh, i.e. be identified with)
• marriage 8 (one flesh)
• the realm of flesh as opposed to the realm of spirit 27 (spirit willing but flesh is weak Matt. 26:41, flesh gives birth to flesh/ is unprofitable John 3:6; 6:63)
• the fallen human nature 27 (Romans 6-8)

So about 1/4 relate to humanity, about 1/5 are metaphysical and about half relate to flesh as opposed to spirit, or the old, fallen human nature. This old nature has only become evident since the Incarnation introduced a new humanity, one in which we partake by faith in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) and by the gift of the Holy Spirit indwelling us (Rom. 8). So now we are in the age of the Spirit, we can identify the flesh!

This new humanity highlights the character of the old humanity, which is at enmity with God and is the cause of problems in our spiritual lives! (Rom. 7)

• Firstly it has to be ‘crossed’ out – it was crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6)
• In the power of that, we are to put it off together with its works/actions/attitudes (Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:5-9). This is significant, as you can’t put off your physical body or soul or spirit, so it must refer to something which is separate from, but totally identified with, the real ‘you’.
  As far as I can see, the Bible never attributes sin to the physical body, but only to the flesh. The idea that the physical body is evil is from Plato. The Hebrews never viewed it that way, and nor does the Bible.
  It may be helpful to see the ‘flesh’ or ‘carnal nature’ as a controlling power driven by sin, rather than our physical bodies. It has lusts and desires which characterise the unsaved but can still control the believer (Rom. 13:14; Eph.2:3); it strives against the spirit (Gal. 5:17); it is enmity with God and cannot please God (Rom. 8:7-8). It must be ‘put off’ (laid aside, let go) as it is corrupt, and so that we can put on (embrace) the new man by being transformed and renewed in our thinking (mind or intellect Eph. 4:22-24).
• What does this mean as far as death is concerned? At death, we are finally released from the control of the ‘old man’ and become fully like Jesus (1 John 3:3).

In the meantime, we are to have no confidence in the flesh and are to deny it any opportunity to control us.

What Happens to Believers in-between Death and Ultimate Resurrection?

As humans we know that physical death is inevitable. We all eventually die (apart from those alive at the Rapture). And, as believers, we have a sure hope that death is not the end. At some time in the future we look forward to a resurrection of believers where we will be reunited with our bodies and live forever in the new heavens and earth.

But what about that period between the death of our bodies and our resurrection? Where are we during that time and what, if anything, are we doing?

Soul Sleep

There is one school of thought on this topic that holds to something often called “soul sleep.” This is essentially like suspended animation. Our bodies lie rotting in the ground while our souls sleep, unaware of the passing of time. This “sleep” comes to an end at the trumpet call of the archangel when our souls are reunited with newly resurrected bodies.

There are a few Scriptural passages that hint at this state. In John 11:11, after Lazarus death, Jesus tells his disciples that Lazarus is merely asleep. In 1 Thessalonians 4:13 Paul gives comfort and instruction to the church concerning those who had fallen asleep. And, in 1 Corinthians 15:51, in his discussion of the resurrection, Paul says that we will not all sleep. In all three of these passages the reference to sleep is referring to physical death – a euphemism as we today speak about people having ‘passed on’ or ‘passed over’.

The primary problem with this view, at least in my mind, are the passages that refer to our being with Jesus when we die. That would seem to imply a conscious state in fellowship with Jesus.

In a Conscious State

One of these passages that implies a conscious state comes from Luke 23:43. In this passage Jesus assured the repentant thief on the cross that they would be together in Paradise that day. Paradise translates the Greek word used for the Garden of Eden in the Greek Old Testament. And it seems to be what is referred to as the bosom of Abraham in Luke 16:22, the abode of the righteous dead awaiting physical resurrection. It is a place of conscious awareness and experience.

In 2 Corinthians 5:1-9, Paul contrasts his earthly life with what is to come. In verse 6 Paul says, “that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord.” And in verse 8 he goes on to say that he “would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” The contrast here is between being at home in the body and at home with the Lord; we are either living in our bodies or living with the Lord. This very much seems to be a conscious state. Verse 9 emphasizes that point when he says that “we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” How can we have a goal of pleasing the Lord if we are unconscious?

A third passage that speaks to this issue comes from Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. In Philippians 1:21-24 he shares his feelings about continuing to live physically verses dying. He believes that dying will be better for him, because then he is with the Lord. For Paul, the choice is not between physical life and soul sleep. Instead, the choice is between a physical life of service for the Lord and leaving this life behind and living with Christ.

In Revelation 6:9-11, John saw “under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.” They were crying out for judgement against their killers but were told to wait for a while. Two things to note about them. First, they are conscious and seemingly aware of what is happening on earth. And secondly, they are under the heavenly altar, in the presence of God.

But Not the Final State

So the Scripture seems to be clear that when our bodies die, we are immediately in the presence of the Lord, living with him. Yet it is equally clear that there is more yet to come. While we are conscious and with the Lord, we are unclothed, disembodied. While some will hold to us being spiritual-only beings for eternity (another Greek idea!), the Scripture teaches that we will experience a bodily resurrection. At some point we will be reunited with bodies and will continue in that state forever.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Paul sought to comfort and instruct the church there concerning some of their members who had died, or fallen asleep, before Christ’s return. In this passage Paul assures them that those who have died will be with Jesus at his return. When the trumpet sounds, they will arise from their graves, followed by the transformation of those still living. And after that, we will all be together with the Lord forever.

This resurrection is bodily. They are rising from their graves, not as ghosts, but in physical form. We can ask many questions about how this bodily resurrection occurs and what we might look like. But the Scripture does not answer all our questions. What it does do is hold out hope that someday we will be reunited with our bodies.

The fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians is an extensive discussion about the resurrection. Paul starts by affirming the physical resurrection of Jesus. Once he has established that Christ has indeed been resurrected bodily, he goes on to discuss the resurrection of believers. In verse 35 he asks the question “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?” In the verses that follow he answers by saying that our bodies will be different to they are now. What dies is a perishable, dishonourable, weak, and natural body. What is raised is an imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual body.

The Coming Resurrection

This conscious, but disembodied, state will not last. In John 14:3 Jesus promised his disciples he was going to prepare a place for them, and that he would return for them. This promise was not just for the eleven in the upper room with him, but for all his disciples throughout history.

This is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:52-54:

    “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’”

Not every believer will sleep, or experience physical death. But we will all experience the transformation that comes at the Lord’s return. Whether in the body, or without a body, we will be changed and clothed with an imperishable immortality.

The Judgement Seat of Christ

We’ve previously looked at 2 Cor. 5:1-8. Now we move on to verses 9 & 10. In this passage (as well as others) Paul states that, one day, we shall all stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ (clothed in that imperishable immortality and the righteousness of Christ – so this is not about condemnation or salvation!).

In context, Paul has been speaking about the contrast between our life here on earth – in our earthly tent – and that in heaven – in our eternal house. Paul goes on to state that both here on earth and in heaven our goal is to please God. The true test of whether we have fulfilled that goal will be revealed as we all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ where we will receive what is due to us for the things we have accomplished in our ‘earthly tent’ – each true believer will have to give an account of himself to God, to be rewarded for the things done in his earthly life, whether good or bad.

This event takes place at the time of Jesus’ return and before He is revealed to all as King of kings and Lord of lords, when true believers are declared to be both the Bride of Christ and part of the armies of heaven, already dressed in pure white linen, which represents “the righteous deeds of the saints” (Revelation 19:7-8 and 11-16).

We will look at this in more detail later on, as part of our consideration of Discipleship.