What to do When the Flesh Has Done in it Again.

While going through social media, I saw a humorous but startling meme. The caption was, “When you see a Christian posting “no one is perfect…” just know the Flesh Has Done it again.” It ended there. Without giving any further explanation. This statement is supposed to refer to the indulgence of the urges of flesh. It could be sexual sin, drunkenness or even self abuse. But the flesh has been involved in usurpation of power of the will, and people created in the image of God, may have engaged without a scruple, in activities that jeopardize their hold on God. Sometimes it could be so severe, it can make a harlot blush!
How deceitful is flesh? The natural response of human nature is in harmony with the law of ‘by beholding you become transformed.’ When you expose yourself to sensuality and lewdness, you must be corrupted. This does not respect persons; you may be a pastor, a father, an uncle or in some position of trust, but the Flesh will respond in the same way when given the opportunity to fulfil its lusts. We have a duty to set a bulwark against carnal indulgence. Here is the principle:

“Those who would not fall prey to Satan’s devices, must guard well the avenues of the soul; they must avoid reading, seeing, or hearing that which will suggest impure thoughts. The mind must not be left to dwell at random upon every subject that the enemy of souls may suggest. The heart must be faithfully sentineled, or evils without will awaken evils within, and the soul will wander in darkness.”

– The Acts of the Apostles 518.2

If this law was observed, then we would not be in the situation of ‘the flesh has done it again’. Moral battles are better won from the mental stage. When we protect the avenues of the soul, there is no privilege to wonder in darkness. But it is not the same for everyone. There are those who are very innocent and whose will power is dependable. But there is a great and outstanding majority, who are in the stage of almost unconquerable disposition towards moral evils. It is natural for them to be morally corrupted, as it is for rivers to flow down the slope. To such, the flesh has done it again and again till they are almost giving up. It could be that even as you’re reading this article, the flesh has done it again! You’re almost giving up the duel. You may be the one I was meant to talk to.

So what should you do when the Flesh Has Done it again?

The first thing is to realize its true consequences. Every action that destroys mental, physical or moral strength, unfits one for the service of His maker. He becomes useless in this world and he has no hope for the world to come. It is self enmity. Among the people enlisted outside of the city of God, are the sexually immoral. But here’s a caution:

“When Scripture condemns the sexually immoral, it is not referring to those who may be struggling to overcome sexual sin. It is in reference to those who say, “This is the way I am. I am going to keep living this lifestyle. It is your problem, God, not mine.”

– Bill Rudge, Overcoming Sexual Immorality. P. 27

What good news to the struggling souls. Jesus is a friend for sinners. Sinners who are struggling to overcome.
Secondly, you must realize it’s a moral problem. Moral problems cannot be fought by theological arguments. You cannot fight it by rationalizing and intellectualizing. You need a power greater than the power of sin. There are many people who can give a world class lecture on the dangers of smoking, but they smoke themselves. So it’s more than the knowledge. You need power.
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. KJV John 1:12-13
When the flesh has done it again, you need a power stronger than the power of sin, to make you an overcomer. Don’t hide in rebaptism, for there is no miracle in the baptistry. You need Christ and here is His promise, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” KJV 1 John 1:9
The phrase “If we confess our sins”, covers even ‘when the flesh has done it again.’ It is not repentance until you are not willing to do it again.