BAD NEWS, CARNALITY CAN'T BE CONTROLLED, EVEN BY GOD.
GOOD NEWS, IT CAN BE CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST.
THE ANSWER TO CARNALITY IS NOT CONTROL, BUT CRUCIFIXION
The Scripture
Romans 8:3-8
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
What It Is
Carnality, the Carnal Mind (the mind of the flesh) is the Adamic disposition we inherited from Adam, because of sin. From carnality springs all of the works of the flesh, all sinful thoughts (not simply thoughts of sin, which come from outside of ourselves), all sinful words (not only vocabulary, but sinful communications; gossip, lying, seditious speech, rude and crude speech, etc.), all sinful actions, behavior.
Irrecoverable, Unredeemable, Uncontrollable
The Carnal Mind cannot be redeemed, purified, transformed or controlled, either by any man or by God, because the Carnal Mind is not salvageable or controllable. This disposition is inherently sinful. It is the irrecoverable nature of carnality, which is to be the enemy God and all that is good.
Man's Duplicitous Condition
We are born with a human nature (the nature to be human: body, soul, spirit) and we are born with a sinful nature (the nature to sin) also known as the carnal or fleshly nature (the nature to sin). Yielding to the urgings of the inner sinful nature separates us from God and requires Divine deliverance.
A New Nature In Town
When a person faces his sin and lostness (separation from God), and believes that Christ died to save him/her from those sins, then that person becomes a new creation by the power of God through spiritual rebirth, imparting the Divine Nature.
We Deal With A Double Mind
The new believer (in his human nature) is left with the carnal nature (old man), combating the Divine nature (new man). The human nature (reason, desire, conscience, emotion and will) chooses to either follow the old man or the new man. The old man will not be made submissive nor conformable to the will of God, In fact, the old man cannot be submissive to our will, since it is not even submissive to the law of God.
God's Answer To Carnality
The only hope for a believer is to come to the point that he is willing to allow his old self, his old man, his carnal mind, his sinful disposition to be crucified with Christ. This is not an easy decision or action, because the old man has been part of the believer's entire existence and seems to actually be a legitimate part of that person. But, in fact, the old man, the carnal mind is a deformed and diseased growth that is not natural to the human condition. Killing the old man, putting this evil inner inclination to an end is like killing one's self. Still, that is the only deliverance, and Christ makes it possible, because His death not only atones for our sins, it also delivers from the power and pollution of sin.
Romans 6:6-11
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Galatians 2:20
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galatians 5:24-25
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 6:14
14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Ephesians 4:22
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Colossians 3:4-10
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Romans 8:3-8
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
What It Is
Carnality, the Carnal Mind (the mind of the flesh) is the Adamic disposition we inherited from Adam, because of sin. From carnality springs all of the works of the flesh, all sinful thoughts (not simply thoughts of sin, which come from outside of ourselves), all sinful words (not only vocabulary, but sinful communications; gossip, lying, seditious speech, rude and crude speech, etc.), all sinful actions, behavior.
Irrecoverable, Unredeemable, Uncontrollable
The Carnal Mind cannot be redeemed, purified, transformed or controlled, either by any man or by God, because the Carnal Mind is not salvageable or controllable. This disposition is inherently sinful. It is the irrecoverable nature of carnality, which is to be the enemy God and all that is good.
Man's Duplicitous Condition
We are born with a human nature (the nature to be human: body, soul, spirit) and we are born with a sinful nature (the nature to sin) also known as the carnal or fleshly nature (the nature to sin). Yielding to the urgings of the inner sinful nature separates us from God and requires Divine deliverance.
A New Nature In Town
When a person faces his sin and lostness (separation from God), and believes that Christ died to save him/her from those sins, then that person becomes a new creation by the power of God through spiritual rebirth, imparting the Divine Nature.
We Deal With A Double Mind
The new believer (in his human nature) is left with the carnal nature (old man), combating the Divine nature (new man). The human nature (reason, desire, conscience, emotion and will) chooses to either follow the old man or the new man. The old man will not be made submissive nor conformable to the will of God, In fact, the old man cannot be submissive to our will, since it is not even submissive to the law of God.
God's Answer To Carnality
The only hope for a believer is to come to the point that he is willing to allow his old self, his old man, his carnal mind, his sinful disposition to be crucified with Christ. This is not an easy decision or action, because the old man has been part of the believer's entire existence and seems to actually be a legitimate part of that person. But, in fact, the old man, the carnal mind is a deformed and diseased growth that is not natural to the human condition. Killing the old man, putting this evil inner inclination to an end is like killing one's self. Still, that is the only deliverance, and Christ makes it possible, because His death not only atones for our sins, it also delivers from the power and pollution of sin.
Romans 6:6-11
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Galatians 2:20
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galatians 5:24-25
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 6:14
14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Ephesians 4:22
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Colossians 3:4-10
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
