What does the Bible mean when it talks about the flesh?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

In both the Old and New Testaments, "flesh" often represents the inclination of living for self instead of in obedience to God's will. In Genesis, humanity's corruption led to divine judgment, highlighting the inherent sinful nature of fleshly desires. Prophetic passages like Isaiah 40:5 contrast human frailty and God's eternal glory, urging us to rely on God’s strength over worldly pursuits. In the New Testament, Paul elaborates on this theme, describing the flesh as opposed to the Spirit—a state where selfish desires conflict with spiritual obedience. His writings in Romans and Galatians emphasize the struggle of living according to the flesh versus surrendering to God's guidance through the Holy Spirit, ultimately pointing believers towards finding freedom and fulfillment in Christ's redemptive power.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Sometimes flesh just refers to our bodies. In Genesis 2:24, flesh emphasizes the intimate union between husband and wife, where they become one.
• Genesis 6:12–13 uses flesh in referring to the corruption of humanity that led God to bring a flood to cleanse the earth of all flesh, due to widespread violence and wickedness.
• Isaiah 40:5 is a prophetic verse declaring that all humanity ("all flesh") will witness the glory of the Lord when it is revealed.
• In Jeremiah 17:5–6, Jeremiah pronounces a curse on those who trust in human strength ("makes flesh his strength") rather than relying on God. It contrasts the consequences of trusting in human power versus trusting in the Lord.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• From a biblical perspective, the flesh is "that which is contrary to the spirit" (see Galatians 5:17). The flesh and the Spirit are two opposing forces that exist within a believer. The Spirit is just that—the Holy Spirit. The flesh is the part of a believer that disagrees with the Spirit. The makeup of a believer is different from that of an unbeliever, in that an unbeliever does not have the Spirit of God indwelling them. In the case of an unbeliever, the flesh is in agreement with the spirit of that unbeliever.
• Paul says "our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin" (Romans 6:6). What Paul is describing when he says "the body of sin" is the flesh.
• When a believer's old self, sometimes called the "old man," is crucified—by this Paul means brought to faith in Christ, in His redemptive work on the cross—the Spirit indwells the believer, and a "new man" is created. A "new self" with a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17). This new nature, or new man, is now in conflict with the flesh, because the new man is on the side of the Spirit.
• Paul famously describes this conflict in Romans, chapter 7, saying "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out" (Romans 7:15–18). Later, he says "I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:22–25). Again he mentions here the "body of death" by which he means the flesh.
• One of the most difficult habits of the flesh to break is one that Paul addresses repeatedly in his letters: the tendency of the flesh to attempt to gain heaven by law. In Paul's letter to the Galatians, he reminds them that "a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ" and again that we have been "crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:16, 20). He says, "I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose" (Galatians 2:21) This is confusing because of the many laws and rules that the Bible presents. From the law of Moses to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, we see the standard of perfection that God requires. The flesh responds by saying "I can do that" and attempting to obey, despite the obvious fact that none of us can achieve perfection. But the flesh is deceptive. Of the Pharisees, Jesus said "in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7:7). Why did the Pharisees invent new laws? Didn't they have enough to contend with following the Mosaic law? They had too much to contend with, and they knew it! So, they created alternate laws that they were able to follow. This is the work of the flesh.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

We need to take John's advice and come into the light, admitting sin, holding fast to God's forgiveness and Christ's substitutionary righteousness, so that we can be freed to live according to the Spirit (1 John 1:7–9). When the Spirit is in the lead, the flesh takes a backseat and we have peace (Romans 8:5–6). But none of that can be accomplished unless we first admit that we cannot obey God's ways in our own strength. We uphold His Word, and His law, as perfect, and a representation of God's nature. We strive to walk in His footsteps because when we do, we have peace (Romans 6:6). But, we still must accept two things: obedience to law will not get us into heaven, and disobedience to law will not exclude us from heaven. Salvation is only possible by God's grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:1–10). There are sins that will destroy your relationships with others, and sins that will destroy your body. There are sins that will wreak havoc on your career and land you in jail. And, once you are in Christ, there are sins that will rob you of sleep, of peace, of joy. But when you are in Christ there is no sin that you can commit that will make God let go of you (Romans 8:1–4). "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38).

UNDERSTAND

• In the Bible, "flesh" refers to both our physical bodies and our sinful inclinations that oppose God's will.
• The New Testament portrays "flesh" as the internal struggle between selfish desires and obedience to God.
• Through faith in Christ, believers experience a transformative process where their old sinful nature ("the flesh") is crucified, and they are renewed spiritually to align with the Holy Spirit, thereby walking by the Spirit and not the flesh.

REFLECT

• How do you discern between living according to the Spirit versus yielding to fleshly desires in your daily life?
• In what areas of your life do you struggle most with the tension between following God's will and gratifying your own fleshly desires?
• Reflect on Romans 7:15–25. How does Paul's description of the inner conflict between the flesh and the Spirit resonate with your own experiences?

ENGAGE

• Why is living in the flesh such a danger?
• How can we practically distinguish between actions driven by the flesh and those led by the Spirit in our decisions and interactions?
• Considering Galatians 5:16–26, what are some strategies or practices that can help believers overcome the works of the flesh and cultivate the fruits of the Spirit in their lives?