Page 8 - November 2023 - Truth & Tidings

ur flesh, the nearest and perhaps pressure, appearing first in Genesis 3. Eve
most dangerous of our enemies, “also gave some to her husband who was
Oattacks from within. The flesh with her, and he ate” (3:6). It appears that
will encourage me to do what I want. Adam was at Eve’s side during the ex-
While the world emphasizes pursuits and change between the serpent and his wife.
the gain of things, the flesh will focus on Instead of intervening to protect her from
experiences that produce pleasure and what he knew to be wrong, he colluded to
2
gratification. It might include the satisfac- appease her. The flesh still whispers to us,
tion of “putting someone in their place,” “Do you really want to miss out on things
jealousy, fits of anger, divisions, sexual that others seem to be enjoying?”
sin, or the pursuit of gratification through Hindsight tells us that Eve’s temptation
addictive or self-indulgent behaviours. has had far-reaching consequences. It was
It distorts otherwise healthy appetites, also multi-faceted. We have previously ob-
resulting in a misalignment of our desires served the concerted influences of Satan,
and God’s. We were made to please God, the world and the flesh on this occasion.
but the flesh urges us to please self above One of the ways she was tempted was by
all else. way of her physical appetite, as she noted
When Eve “saw that the tree was good that the fruit was “good for food.” The
for food … she took of its fruit and ate” flesh is sly and preys on our God-given
(Gen 3:6). Temptation takes what is desires to produce God-displeasing con-
1
“good” and perverts its use. The fruit duct. When God-designed appetites yield
indeed was very good, along with every- to fleshly temptations, the results may
thing else God had created (Gen 1:31). include gluttony, fornication, laziness,
However, the fleshly urging that “it is substance abuse or even death. If we are
good, it is natural, and it is from God”
ignores the truth that good things used not careful to glorify God in our bodies,
3
in defiance of God’s good directives will which are His, we will find ourselves
result in bad and painful consequences. wallowing in self-indulgence as if they
The temptation isn’t necessarily to do were ours.
wrong things but to do them with wrong Esau’s sale of his birthright for a fast-
motivations. ² Adam was willfully negligent in his duty to
The flesh will exploit the power of peer obey God and to protect his wife (1Ti 2:14).
³ Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 6:20
¹ Bible quotations in this article are from the summarizes a compelling section on the body
ESV unless otherwise noted. and fleshly desires.

328 TRUTH kTidings November 2023