We all have to see that Satan as sin is in the flesh and that sin is Satan getting into man. In this flesh there is also death. The definition of death is weakness. When we are weak to the uttermost, that is death. Death is weakness. Many times we try to do good. We want to be holy persons. But when we try to do good, we fail. Some of the young brothers who live in a brothers' house may think that the Lord's intention is for them to learn to be patient. They are ready to learn the lesson of patience. But actually they are ready to lose their patience. Paul said, "To will is present with me, but to work out the good is not" (Rom. 7:18). This is weakness, and weakness is death.

Even in spiritual things we discover death. We realize that all the members of the Body should function. Before we come to the church meeting, we may make up our mind to function. But we find out that to will is present; but to do it is not. When we come to the meeting, we sense the weakening. That weakening is death. Death is working; death is day by day affecting us.

Human beings today are not living. Actually, everyone is dying. Eventually, everyone will die. We have to realize that every person is a dying person because death is working in everyone. In particular, death is working in our flesh. If we lose our temper for one minute, this may deaden us for three days. We cannot pray, have morning watch, or read the Bible, because we are being deadened by our sin.

Sin is another title for Satan. Sin goes together with death, and Satan is the one that holds the might of death, the power of death, as mentioned in Hebrews 2:14. Now we can see these three things: sin, death, and Satan. They are all together in the flesh. The flesh is the "meeting hall" of sin, death, and Satan. They always meet here, and their meeting lasts so long that they would never have a dismissal. Many of us spend our time attending the meetings of the church in the church meeting hall. Satan also has a meeting hall. The meeting hall of Satan is our flesh. Do you like to see Satan? Just come to your flesh. Satan is here. Satan is always in the flesh with sin and death.

We need to see how bad the flesh is. First, the flesh is at enmity with God. Second, this flesh is not subject to the law of God. It is always in rebellion against the law of God. Third, this flesh is unable to be subject to the law of God (Rom. 8:7). It has a nature which cannot possibly be subject to the law of God. Thus, we should not try to do good by our flesh, because our flesh cannot be subject to the law of God. Fourth, this flesh can never please God (v. 8).

Now we might ask, "What shall we do with this flesh?" According to Galatians, we have to crucify our flesh (5:24). But Paul told us in Romans that we first have to realize that there is such a thing as the flesh. Even now we have this flesh, which is the transmuted body, polluted and corrupted within. This flesh is filled up with Satan, sin, and death. The flesh, Satan, sin, and death are one. We should not think that we have anything good or that we have any possibility of being good. We must be enlightened to see that our flesh is an ugly thing. We have to condemn it, not try to improve it. Some Christians get deceived into thinking that after they are saved, their flesh has been recovered. But God would never recover the flesh. Our flesh is a hopeless case. We should not have any kind of positive expectation concerning our flesh. We have to realize that the flesh is sin.