When one becomes a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ he has
sonship status with all its benefits in the family of God. However,
believers also have three major enemies that will fiercely oppose
them in their Christian life. Those enemies are the world, the
flesh and the devil (James 4:4, Rom. 8:7,8, 1Pet. 5:8).
It is the enemy of the flesh (the law of sin in our human
bodies) that we are looking at here. Chronicle #4 looked at
the war in light of the doctrinal gospel truth of Romans 6-8.
Now we want to use the second phase of the dual teaching method
of doctrine and pictures as we consider picture truth found in
the OT.
A window pane lets one see the light but the frame gives structured
stability to the pane. NT doctrine can be likened unto the window
pane as it reveals the truth of God. The OT historical stories
show people in real life situations providing a graphic we can
identify with to stabilize (like a frame) NT doctrine in our
minds.
Meet Amalek: a picture of sinful flesh
In Exodus 17 God’s ancient people, Israel, meet their
enemy named Amalek. When they met this enemy, Israel had already
experienced the following:
Saved from the judgment of God
by the blood of the unblemished lamb: Passover (Ex. 12).
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Saved from the control of the
slave-master (Pharaoh) by the power of God: passing through the
waters of the Red Sea on dry ground (Ex. 13-15).
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Sustained by bread from heaven:
Manna (Ex. 16).
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Satisfied with water from the
smitten rock (Ex. 17).
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Notice carefully in verse 8 of Exodus 17 that as soon as the
children of Israel drank of the water from the smitten rock,
“Then came Amalek and fought with Israel.”
From then on Israel had a continual enemy to fight.
The NT saved believer on a spiritual level has also experienced
what Israel did in the OT.
* Christ our Passover, the sinless Lamb of God, has been sacrificed
for our sins (1Cor. 5:7).
* By being in union with Christ, symbolized by passing into the
waters of baptism, the believer is free from the dominion of
master sin (Rom. 6).
* The believer is sustained with the living bread from heaven:
Jesus Christ (John 6:32-59).
* When saved the believer instantly receives the gift of the
Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). This is because Christ, the Rock (1Cor.
10:4), was first smitten for our sins. The Holy Spirit is referred
to as “living water” for He satisfies and refreshes
one’s innermost being (John 7:37-39).
As soon as one is saved he possesses the indwelling Spirit
(Eph. 1:13). He then becomes aware of an inner war that has
begun. Now there is something opposing the flesh – the
Spirit. “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and
the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one
to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would”
(Gal. 5:17).
This war is normal. How to have victory as seen in the lessons
of Israel and Amalek is the subject at hand.
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OT PICTURE |
The
Enemy -
Amalek |
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The flesh,
like Amalek, is a perpetual enemy of God’s people. It never
changes and will always fight against you. |
Amalek, the father of the Amalekites, was a duke. He descended
not from Jacob, the chosen of God, but from Esau, the hated of
God (Gen. 36:15, 16; Rom. 9:13). Note Amalek’s heart towards
God’s people: “Come, and let us cut them off from being
a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance”
(Psa. 83:4,7).
God instructed Israel concerning Amalek, “I will utterly
put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven ... the Lord
will have war with Amalek from generation to generation”
(Ex. 17:14,16).
Every generation of Israelites would have this same enemy
to deal with. In God’s mind, Amalek was a condemned enemy
whom He would not seek to change or reform but rather destroy.
Amalek was on God’s death row with no rehabilitation programs
or pardons available – only death. Israel was only to fight
Amalek, never befriend him. Amalek was totally against God and
therefore God was against him.
New Testament Truth
Romans 8:7 teaches that the fleshly mind is “enmity against
God: for it is not subject unto the law of God, neither indeed
can be.” Though the believer does receive the Holy Spirit,
he does not lose his body of flesh. The flesh, like Amalek,
is totally against God and corrupt through and through. That’s
why we are never to walk in the flesh, only the Spirit. And
we are never to have confidence in the flesh (human nature) (Philp.
3:3).
Like a thorn bush – because of its inherent nature –
will always and only produce thorns, so the flesh (in which dwells
no good thing, Rom. 7:18) can only produce sin. Galatians 5:19-21
teaches that the only things the flesh produces are sexual sins,
idolatry (statues and images which God hates), fighting, arguing,
losing one’s temper, hatred, jealousies, occult practices,
murder (this would include abortion), drunkenness and uncontrolled
behavior, to name a few.
As Amalek was to be put to death, so we are to put to death
the deeds of our fleshly body (Rom. 8:13).
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OT PICTURE |
The
Enemy's
Strategy |
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The flesh,
like Amalek, specializes on attacking the weak, careless and
faithless. |
Amalek’s strategy when he attacked Israel in the wilderness
is revealed in Deuteronomy 25:18, 19: “Remember what Amalek
did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;
How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even
all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary;
and he feared not God.”
So we see Amalek was successful in his attack against those
who were lagging behind the others. Those who were discouraged
and weary in the journey and started to drift back from the main
body were easy targets for Amalek. Also, we read in Numbers
14 that some of the Israelites did not have faith in God’s
promise to get them into the promised land and so tried to go
in under their own self resolve and “then the Amalekites
came down ... and smote them.”
New Testament Truth
The picture type is obvious. Those Christians who are weak
and careless in their Christian lives will find it much easier
to give in to the desires of the flesh. They are easy prey to
some type of sin. They are often characterized by lack of involvement
with other Christians in the local church, praying little and
neglecting their daily reading (along with meditation) of the
Word of God. These activities are involved in the command to
“Walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16). For when we do
walk in the Spirit, we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
But when we don’t, we do fulfill those lusts.
Those, who because of a lack of faith in God’s promises,
get faint and discouraged in their minds, find that during this
discouragement the lusts of the flesh are very enticing. The
pride of their minds begins to make more sense than the written
Word. Yes, the flesh specializes in overcoming those lagging
in the rear of the Christian pilgrimage. Perhaps business, family
or the cares of life cause them to let up.
Rather than being careless, we must “give diligence”
to add to our faith self control and godliness (2Pet. 1).
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OT PICTURE |
The
Believer's
Strategy |
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In dealing
with the flesh you can’t spare any of it if you want to
be used mightily of God. |
When Israel got into their promised land, Amalek the enemy,
was still there. And again, he was not to be spared. “Therefore
it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from
all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy
God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou
shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven;
thou shalt not forget it” (Deu. 25:19).
Yet, years later when King Saul was told to destroy all the
Amalekites including their children and animals, he obeyed –
about 95 percent. All things that were “vile and refuse”
Saul destroyed. But the “best things” he spared contrary
to God’s command (1Sam. 15:2,3,9). Using human logic, Saul
spared the best animals to use as sacrifices unto the Lord –
a noble reason indeed. But Samuel thundered back, “To obey
is better than sacrifice” (1Sam. 15:22). Saul then admitted
that he gave in to “peer pressure” in sparing the Amalekites.
Saul’s dynasty in the kingdom was then refused by God.
“Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst
his fierce wrath upon Amalek” (1Sam. 28:18). Samuel, who
was mightily used of God, took the king of the Amalekites and
“hewed Agag in pieces” (15:33). Thus the Amalekite
factor made the difference in these men’s service to God.
New Testament Truth
Many Christians, like King Saul, put to death the major “works
of the flesh” such as drunkenness, idolatry permissive sex,
witchcraft, etc. But little things like pride, jealousy, argumentativeness
and gossip are spared. Or perhaps we don’t obey all the
Word for we reason that we can relate to people in evangelism
better if we seem human to them.
Some won’t watch an X-rated movie but will allow just
a little worldly and fleshly entertainment. We are told, “Make
not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof”
(Rom. 13:14). As nails jump to a magnet so the flesh to sin.
We must watch our environment.
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OT PICTURE |
The
Believer's
Victory |
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The flesh,
like Amalek, can be overcome in victory. |
Praise God we don’t need to have a defeatist attitude
concerning the enemy for it can be overcome – God’s
way. In Israel’s first encounter with Amalek, God revealed
key principles for victory. Joshua had victory with the sword
in the valley; that is, when Moses, with the help of the high
priest Aaron (along with Hur), held his hands up with the rod
of God pointed toward heaven. It was clear that the source of
power over Amalek is not human ingenuity but God from heaven
(Ex. 17).
We need to have confidence and demonstrate faith in God’s
power like Caleb did: “The Amalekites dwell in the land
of the south ... And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and
said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able
to overcome it” (Num. 13:29,30). Why did Caleb have such
confidence? Here is where Caleb’s faith rested: “He
(the Lord) will bring us into this land ... and the LORD is with
us: fear them not” (Amalekites included) (14:8,9).
New Testament Truth
God has provided the resources to overcome the flesh and demonstrate
the glory and power of His gospel. The source of victory is
from heaven. It will not be found in the programs and theories
of men on earth. He has sent His Spirit from heaven to live
in us. We also have “the sword of the Spirit” which
is the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). It is through the Spirit we
are told to put to death the deeds of our fleshly body (Rom.
8:13). It is through Jesus, our Lord and High Priest in heaven,
that we find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:14-16).
We are never told to crucify our old man or flesh. That has
already happened through Christ (Rom. 6, Gal. 5:24). Asceticism
(various religious disciplines and deprivation) is not the answer.
But, we are promised if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill
the lust of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). It doesn’t say we won’t
have the lust, but simply that we won’t fulfill it. That
is all God asks. The desires won’t become deeds. The fantasies
won’t become fruit. The attitudes won’t become actions.
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OT PICTURE |
The
Blessings
of Victory |
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If you put
to death the deeds of the flesh, you will enjoy God’s blessings. |
When Israel did destroy the Amalekites, they could enjoy to
the fullest the blessings of the land that God had given them.
One such instance is recorded in 1 Chronicles 4:39-43. Some
of the Israelites found choice real estate in the promised land.
The area was large, the pastures green and the land fruitful.
Above all, the land was peaceable because foreign enemies no
longer resided there. Each generation could raise their families
and work their farms with joy.
How did this piece of “heaven on earth” get that
way? Verse 41 informs us that the Israelites “smote their
[the Amalekites] tents, and the habitations that were found there,
and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their
rooms: because there was pasture there for their flocks.”
Furthermore, Israel took no chances for the future and “smote
the rest of the Amalekites that were escaped, and dwelt there
unto this day.” Now they could enjoy the land God had given
them.
New Testament Truth
Although the believer under the New Covenant is not guaranteed
physical blessings such as rich lands, he is told that in Christ
Jesus he has been blessed “with all spiritual blessings”
(Eph. 1:3). However, just because one possesses something, is
no guarantee he or she is enjoying and using it.
Every true Christian has been blessed with the gift of the
Holy Spirit. Galatians 5 teaches that when the believer walks
in the Spirit, not only will he not fulfill the lust of the flesh,
but he will also produce the fruit of the Spirit. Spiritual
fruit such as love, joy, peace, etc. will be experienced in the
believer’s mind and soul.
However, if the believer is careless about winning the war
and doesn’t put to death the works of the flesh, things
such as hatred, fighting, sexual unfaithfulness and drunkenness
can prevail in one’s life. This person will have much misery
and guilt in his life. Also, many of these fleshly sins bring
social side effects which can mar friend, family and church relationships.
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OT PICTURE |
The
Tragedy
of Defeat |
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If you give
in to the flesh and let it overcome you, it, like Amalek, will
rob you of your rewards. |
King Saul, because he did not destroy all the Amalekites,
was told he would lose his dynasty. Eventually Saul was wounded
in battle. Rather than face disgrace at the hand of the enemy,
he decided to commit suicide. However, after falling on his
spear he still had life left in him. Along came a young man
who was an Amalekite. At Saul’s request, the Amalekite
finished him off by killing him.
The Amalekite then took off Saul’s crown and bracelet
and presented it to David. However, David (a man after God’s
own heart) responded to the Amalekite’s deed by having the
young man put to death (2Sam. 1).
The lesson is obvious. If you don’t get Amalek, he will
get you.
New Testament Truth
The Scriptures teach that along with the believer receiving
the gift of eternal life, is also offered extra bonuses or rewards.
Unlike eternal life, these rewards are dependent upon the believer’s
works. Some believers at the “judgment seat of Christ”
will “receive a reward,” while others will “suffer
loss,” but because salvation is by grace, “he himself
shall be saved” (2Cor. 5:10, 1Cor. 3:10-15). While a Christian
can’t lose eternal life, he can lose his reward or crown
(2John 8, Rev. 3:11).
Yet, believer, take courage. Even though you might have given
in to the flesh in the past, it still can be overcome now. When
David was away, the Amalekites captured his family. But David
pursued the Amalekites and for over 24 hours attacked them.
And we gladly read, “David recovered all” (1Sam. 30:18,19).