“Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?”
Beware works that look spiritual but are actually efforts of the flesh mindset. If you're trying to get something from God by doing something in the spiritual realm, you are probably "in the flesh." Meaning, you think you can get something from God based on a work like giving, repenting, forgiving, rebuking, and so on.
Last week I wrote about the difference between good works and dead works. Good and dead works can look the same outwardly but have different motives inwardly. Dead works are those things we do to try to get something from God that He's already given us in Christ. Everything you'll ever want or need from God is in Christ, and Christ is in you.
There is a type of dead work that is difficult to spot that I call "spiritual dead works." Spiritual dead works look and sound spiritual, but they still depend on our works rather than Christ's. Spiritual dead works may not necessarily be actions we take, they are more so beliefs we have that are rooted in us doing something in the spiritual realm to bring about a result.
Prayer is one of the most apparent areas of spiritual dead works. Many Christians think God decides to do things based on how long, hard, or loudly we pray. Flesh-based prayer believes it needs to pray just the right thing to motivate God to move. Or repent from enough sins for God to finally forgive and bless you.
When you pray, try allowing yourself to be moved in your heart to become more persuaded of what Christ has already accomplished. Then, as you are convinced of His finished work, the seed of whatever you believe for will be nourished and given a better chance to grow because your heart becomes more receptive.
Prayer can chase demons away and cause miracles to manifest, but to think that prayer is necessary to motivate God to do things already in His nature and character is a flesh-based spiritual dead work.
I'm sorry, intercessors, but your lengthy prayer session did not inspire God to get up and do something. Long times of prayer can be effective, but not if done from the mindset that your effort caused God to move.
Deliverance and Inner Healing
Unfortunately, we see spiritual dead works in most methods of deliverance, inner healing, forgiveness protocols, and other things done to bring about a spiritual end.
You are in the flesh when you feel like your efforts and actions are the catalysts that cause spiritual things to happen, and they won't happen unless you do them. By "in the flesh," I mean self-effort or something done in your own logic or strength rather than from a place of rest in Christ's work.
SARX - the flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God
The flesh, or mere human nature that is opposed to God and prone to sin, was actually cut away from you at your new birth (Colossians 2:11). So doing works "in the flesh" does not mean you are operating in your dualistic evil nature. Being "in the flesh" is a mindset rather than a description of your nature. The flesh mindset believes it can bring about a spiritual end through methods, formulas, knowledge, anointings, and various other systems. Or, as Paul said to the Galatians, complete in the flesh that which was begun in the spirit.
One example of a flesh or self-effort-based spiritual method is often seen in deliverance and inner healing. Some well-meaning ministers have developed complicated structures that prescribe massive amounts of repentance. The rebuking of spirits, curses, and lies. The forgiving of people who have wronged you. The breaking of a soul tie. The list goes on.
Those things are not inherently wrong, but if you think you have to do them to receive something God has already given you in Christ, you are in the flesh, committing spiritual dead works.
If you're a minister using those methods, courses, and protocols, I ask you to consider shifting your approach to help people rest in what they already have in Christ. In our spirits, we are complete in Christ. Help people experience that truth rather than send them on a never-ending journey of flesh-based pursuits.
I ask you, is your faith in Jesus, or is it in the method? Is Jesus powerless until your favorite method is applied? Is that person not delivered until they go through your course? I know you mean well, but it's time to remove the mixed covenant theology and practices from your spiritual methods and disciplines.
The Frustration
The problem with flesh-based efforts designed to help one experience spiritual realities is that they never end. You constantly evaluate your works and actions to determine if you have done enough. As a result, you are on a never-ending journey to find the correct information.
Here's an example of the thought process in someone's mind that is on a flesh-based journey to experience a spiritual promise from God.
I'm not healed, maybe I need to forgive somebody. I'm broke, maybe I should give so God will bless me. I was born out of wedlock, so perhaps I need to repent from the spirit of fear. My mom was into psychics and ESP, so maybe I needed to repent from the spirit of witchcraft to receive my breakthrough. My third great grandfather, who was a Mason, gave me some coins, so now I need to break the curse of generational Luciferian spirits.
Ok, I've done that, and I'm still not healed, maybe I need inner healing. Maybe I need a Sozo session. Ok, I've gone through deliverance, inner healing, and all the courses I could find, but I'm still not healed.
I know! I need to forgive everyone in my life. Ok, I've forgiven everyone. Now I need to repent from all my sins throughout my life because there must still be some open doors. Ok, that didn't work, I'm still struggling, so maybe I need a minister with the right anointing to pray for me.
God, I've done all I know to do. So what am I doing wrong?
After trying everything, you are frustrated and disappointed and feel like God is not listening to you. Then, finally, you get to a place where you feel like you've done everything you know to do, yet the breakthrough still hasn't come.
Have you ever been there? Are you there now?
I have good news!
You can cease from your works and enter into God's rest. You can stop trying to figure out what you've done to "block" your breakthrough and rest in Christ's finished work. You can rest in the New Covenant that is secured by the blood of Christ. This New Covenant comes with great and precious promises already yours.
Hebrews 4:10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
The only thing left to do is to become persuaded in your heart of the nature and character of God and rest in all that Christ accomplished in His atoning work. Just like Abraham and Sarah, simply believe that God's promise shall manifest, it's already done.
In the video above, I discuss this process in much more detail. I hope you take the time to watch it. If this article struck a chord with you, I know this video will help you.
