With regard to the experience of dealing with the flesh, there is more dealing with the corrupted aspect of the flesh among the brothers and sisters, but too little with the good aspect of the flesh. We all have a natural concept concerning the flesh; naturally, we only know the corrupted flesh. Therefore, our dealing with the flesh tends to be focused on this aspect. For example, a brother may testify that sometimes when giving a message he feels that he does fairly well and also senses the presence of the Lord; therefore, he is quite elated. Then he condemns the elated feeling as flesh, because there is the element of pride. This condemnation is right and necessary, but actually this kind of dealing is not of primary importance. The important thing is this: when you deliver a message, are you the one speaking, or is the Holy Spirit speaking through you? This is what we should judge. It is not a matter of whether the speaking is successful, but rather of who is speaking. Perhaps you have spoken quite well, and many people were helped by you, but if you spoke in yourself, according to what you knew and memorized, that is flesh and must be condemned.

A certain brother may testify that he lost his temper while he was with a brother. Later, he was sorry because he felt that he was in the flesh; thus he dealt with the matter and condemned it. This is also a very shallow dealing. If we have learned the deeper lesson of the experience of dealing with the flesh, we will feel that even though we did not lose our temper, but on the contrary were good to others, helped them and even prayed with them, yet, if these things were not done in the Holy Spirit, it was but some good deeds of ourselves. Later, we will still feel that we are in the flesh. If we deal with our flesh to such an extent, then we really have a thorough dealing with the flesh.

Actually, if our dealing with the flesh is only limited to the corrupted aspect, then it differs little from dealing with sin, because there is not much of the real substance of dealing with the flesh in it. If we really want to deal with the flesh, we need to pay attention to dealing with the good aspect of the flesh and even the whole fleshly being. Not only in ordinary, small matters do we need to have dealings, but also in pious, spiritual things and matters pertaining to the worship of God, we need to ask: Am I doing this in myself, or am I doing it by abiding in the Lord? Am I doing this according to my own wishes, or am I being led by the Holy Spirit? Unless I abide in the Lord and have fellowship with Him, all that I have done, however good it may be, is still fleshly and should be condemned.

Not only should we deal with the ‘doing’ of the flesh, but also with the ‘not doing’ of the flesh. Some brothers and sisters have some knowledge concerning the flesh, and the Holy Spirit shows them how much of their service, such as visiting and sharing, is done according to their own natural self, not through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, they decide that from now on they will never serve, visit or share. But if this inactivity is not derived from fellowship with the Holy Spirit, but rather from their own decision, it is a worse kind of flesh. Some brothers and sisters have been enlightened to see that their former prayers were of the flesh; therefore, they do not pray any more. Yet they do not know that their not praying expresses the flesh even more. Therefore, our ‘not doing’ is never a way of release from the flesh! On the contrary, many who have been released from the flesh are those who are most capable in doing. The Bible reveals that God is a working God, a God who has been continually working until now. For several thousand years He has been speaking and working and has never ceased His work among humanity. Likewise, all those who live in the Holy Spirit can never stop working, for the Holy Spirit is their motivating power, causing them to work even more. Therefore, we should not think for a moment that inactivity is not of the flesh, but of the Spirit. All those who are inactive are even more of the flesh. The flesh is nothing more than making your own decision and having your own opinion; it is simply being what you are and doing what you want. Therefore, dealing with the flesh means that I recognize I have been crucified on the cross; today it is not I who decide whether I should minister or pray, but the Lord who decides for me. What He does, I do; what He does not do, neither do I. When we have really dealt with the flesh, we will not decide anything according to ourselves, either to do or not to do. We should always live in fellowship and abide in the Lord; always have a heart that puts no trust in ourselves, but ever have a spirit which relies upon the Holy Spirit. A relying spirit and a trusting attitude are marks of our flesh being dealt with.

Again, let us use the illustration of the ministry of the word. Many times when a brother speaks he has full confidence, knowing what he should say and how to say it. Therefore, he has everything well-prepared and has laid the Lord aside. It seems that if there were not a Lord in the universe, he could still deliver the message successfully. This situation proves that his message is being delivered in the flesh. This is not so with one whose flesh has been dealt with. Although he also prepares himself to deliver the message, he has learned the lesson of rejecting the flesh and depending upon the Spirit. It may be that originally he prepared to speak about justification, but when he stands to speak, the Holy Spirit suddenly moves him to speak about sanctification; thus, he will change his subject without hesitation. Or it may be that before he speaks, the Lord has not shown him the subject on which he should minister. On the Lord’s Day, the meeting starts at 10 o’clock. At 9:50 he still does not know what he will talk about. It may be that after the singing and the prayer, he still does not know what to say; yet at this point he still does not decide by himself. He looks to the leading of the Lord in his deepest being. It is not until he stands and opens the Bible, saying, “May we read...” that he knows which scripture to read and the subject upon which to minister. Sometimes in the beginning he still is uncertain of the point, but while speaking he tries to contact the Lord inwardly until he finally touches the source. It is similar to hitting a fountain when digging a well. Since he touches the stream of living water, words simply flow out of him. This kind of ministry is the condition of all those who have their flesh dealt with.

The life of the Lord on this earth shows that He is One who put His trust entirely in God. Our Lord has no sin nor fault, yet He said, “I can of myself do nothing” (John 5:30). When He was on this earth, He neither acted nor spake from Himself. He was in the Father, and the Father in Him. He did all things and spake all things through fellowship with the Father. This is the example for our dealing with the flesh. We must abide in the Lord and act as the Lord works within us; we must also speak as the Lord speaks within us. It is only in this way that we will not be in the flesh.

Romans 8 speaks of dealing with the flesh as well as walking according to the Spirit or minding the Spirit. These two always go together. Whenever we do not walk according to the Spirit and mind the Spirit nor live in the Spirit, we are in the flesh. When we deal with the flesh, we do not stress dealing with jealousy, selfishness, or pride of the flesh, but with our works and activities, behavior and manner of living that are outside of the Holy Spirit. Inasmuch as what we do is outside of the Holy Spirit and has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit, whatever we do is the flesh, and whatever we do not do is also the flesh. Therefore, there is no other way, no other method, of release from the flesh but the Holy Spirit. It is only by walking after the Spirit, minding the Spirit, and living in the Spirit, that we are released from the flesh. Therefore, the outcome of our dealing with the flesh is that we live in the law of the Spirit of life, depending on the Holy Spirit in all matters, never upon ourselves. It is not until this point is reached that we experience dealing with the flesh in its fullest measure. May the Lord be gracious to us.
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