You would disagree that the flesh is slave to sin?
The Lust of the flesh, the Lust of the eyes and the pride of Life do not run our lives any longer because we are not slaves to them.
But to say they don't still have an effect on us would be untruthful.
So it would be better to say that there is a War going on inside of us between our New Nature and flesh. We want our New Nature to be the one we follow but we have followed the flesh for so long that we sometimes do things in the flesh without thinking about them. And because we do those things in the flesh without thinking about them we are a slave to it from time to time. Maybe we don't want to be. But that doesn't change the fact.
As a Christian, when we look at a person who is trapped in their sin with no knowledge of a Saviour, we don't look at them with contempt. We look at them as people with no knowledge of the Truth. We used to be EXACTLY like them. The only difference is that the Lord picked us up and washed us off.
First of all, I'm not looking at anyone with contempt. I am discussing Bible, and when I see something that looks like a dangerous doctrine, I point it out.
Now as to "is the flesh a slave to sin? The question misses the point. Please read the following verses.
Galatians 5:24-And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. (in crucifying the flesh, we have renounced the flesh and reckoned ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ, no longer sold under sin, but redeemed by the precious blood of Christ.)
Romans 8:13- For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live
(We are called to put to death the deeds of the body, (sins) THROUGH THE SPIRIT.
Now how do we do this?
Galatians 5:16-
his I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. (we mortify the flesh by walking in the Spirit. )
Galatians 5:17- For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
We see the conflict between our old nature and our new nature. It is also found in Romans 7. What is the secret to overcoming the old nature and living in the New?
Romans 8:4- That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
How are we able to deny the flesh and walk after the Spirit.
Romans 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:
SIn was condemned in the flesh at the cross.
Summary- 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 was crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be destroyed
IMPORTANT NOTE- Destroyed does not mean anhilated. It means deprived of force or power. The flesh, sin, old man, etc have no power over us except that which we willingly give it, and the reason why we willingly give it power is either we do not understand the power of God, or we love sin too much, or we have not reckoned ourselves dead to sin
All of these problems can be dealt with in time. Sanctification is a process.
Philippians 3:12- Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Yet the Grace of God teaches us to DENY ungodliness and live soberly and righteously in this present age.
Titus 2:11-12- For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
He that is dead is freed from sin. Romans 6:7
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