We have been talking about what we were enslaved to before we came to Christ from Ephesians 2:1-3. First we were enslaved to the world, we were deceived. Second we were enslaved to the devil, we were disobedient. Third we were enslaved to the flesh, we were depraved. Verse three says, "all of us also lived among them (unbelievers) at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, and following its desires and thoughts".
The flesh is our fallen nature. To say someone lives to please the desires of the flesh, does not mean he does only evil or is incapable of doing good. We are simply saying this person is incapable of doing anything spiritually good that would please God. The flesh is the whole moral temper disposed to evil and hostile to God. Fallen mans complete orientation is to his own selfish way. He makes deliberate choices that go against the will of God. A man once taught a message— “Why your dog does what it does”. Many dog lovers came out to hear him. He said “A dog behaves like a dog because he has a dogs nature”. Why does a sinner behave like a sinner? Because he has the nature of a sinner. He is controlled by the world, the flesh and the devil. He can not change his nature and he cannot overcome the world and the devil in himself. He needs outside help that comes from God. Deceived, disobedient and depraved people can do absolutely nothing to save themselves or to please God.
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