There has been a lot of discussion about the old man being dead. I agree that the old man is dead, but what does that mean? If the old man is dead, why do we battle with it, why does it war against us? We will examine this question, and look at the meaning of SPIRITUAL DEATH and how the cross DESTROYED satan.
1. Romans 6:6- 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.
The old man (flesh) is crucified with Jesus so that the body of sin might be destroyed. That the word "destroyed" does not mean anhilated or eradicated is evident from other scriptures and the fact that we still have to put off the old man as Christians. The word destroyed has a very different meaning than eradicated. The greek word is katargeo, the strong's meaning is below
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2673&t=KJV
Destroyed means to render inactive, idle, inoperative. to deprived of force, influence, and power. So the old man is not anhilated, his power over us is cancelled out, it is deprived of the power it once had over us. Why do we struggle with it, why do we have to put it off? Because even though it's power over us is cancelled, we must recognize and appropriate that fact by faith for it to become experiential.
Romans 6:11-Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as [d]instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
The devil has also been "destroyed" in the same way.
Hebrews 2:14- Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy (katargeo) him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Obviously, this does not mean that the devil has been anhilated. It means that he has been DEPRIVED OF HIS POWER OVER US BY THE DEATH OF CHRIST
James 4:7- Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
The power of death has also been destroyed.
2 Timothy 1:10- But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished (katargeo) death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel
All of these passages use the same greek word Katargeo. The old man, the devil, and the flesh has been rendered powerless over us, deprived of force, no dominion. But we must RECKON these things to be so. We walk in defeat because we do not know, we do not reckong, we do not understand, or we do not believe what has been accomplished for us, so we live like spiritual paupers not knowing the wealth we have, like the Beverly Hillbillies before Jed discovered the oil on his land.
The word death, when used metaphorically, also carries a sense in which it means "inoperative, idle, inefficient". That is how I believe the word dead is used in "faith without works is dead" in James. Deadf faith is idle faith, inoperative faith, inefficient faith, the kind of faith we don't want. The kind of faith that does not save (James asks "can that faith save?")
I also believe that that is the way the word "dead" is used in Ephesians 2. We are spiritually destitute of power to do right, to save ourselves, to do anything to commend ourselves to God. But God raises us to life in Christ Jesus to a living hope, to living faith, to power, love, and a sound mind, and to the victory that overcomes the world.
Because HE LIVES,
1. Romans 6:6- 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.
The old man (flesh) is crucified with Jesus so that the body of sin might be destroyed. That the word "destroyed" does not mean anhilated or eradicated is evident from other scriptures and the fact that we still have to put off the old man as Christians. The word destroyed has a very different meaning than eradicated. The greek word is katargeo, the strong's meaning is below
https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G2673&t=KJV
Destroyed means to render inactive, idle, inoperative. to deprived of force, influence, and power. So the old man is not anhilated, his power over us is cancelled out, it is deprived of the power it once had over us. Why do we struggle with it, why do we have to put it off? Because even though it's power over us is cancelled, we must recognize and appropriate that fact by faith for it to become experiential.
Romans 6:11-Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as [d]instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
The devil has also been "destroyed" in the same way.
Hebrews 2:14- Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy (katargeo) him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Obviously, this does not mean that the devil has been anhilated. It means that he has been DEPRIVED OF HIS POWER OVER US BY THE DEATH OF CHRIST
James 4:7- Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
The power of death has also been destroyed.
2 Timothy 1:10- But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished (katargeo) death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel
All of these passages use the same greek word Katargeo. The old man, the devil, and the flesh has been rendered powerless over us, deprived of force, no dominion. But we must RECKON these things to be so. We walk in defeat because we do not know, we do not reckong, we do not understand, or we do not believe what has been accomplished for us, so we live like spiritual paupers not knowing the wealth we have, like the Beverly Hillbillies before Jed discovered the oil on his land.
The word death, when used metaphorically, also carries a sense in which it means "inoperative, idle, inefficient". That is how I believe the word dead is used in "faith without works is dead" in James. Deadf faith is idle faith, inoperative faith, inefficient faith, the kind of faith we don't want. The kind of faith that does not save (James asks "can that faith save?")
I also believe that that is the way the word "dead" is used in Ephesians 2. We are spiritually destitute of power to do right, to save ourselves, to do anything to commend ourselves to God. But God raises us to life in Christ Jesus to a living hope, to living faith, to power, love, and a sound mind, and to the victory that overcomes the world.
Because HE LIVES,
