How To Crucify Your Flesh?

Crucifying your flesh is a vital aspect of Christian life, as emphasized by Paul. This blog explores what it means to crucify your flesh daily and provides practical steps for doing so.

This diagram represents a fully sanctified Christian who has overcome the sarx. For new believers, understanding the distinction between the σάρξ (sarx, flesh) and σῶμα (soma, body) is crucial.

What Is Our Body?

σῶμα (Body)

The soma is our temporary 3D physical body.

Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.
Genesis 2:7

Our body is created from dust and will return to dust.

Before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern,
and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Ecclesiastes 12:6–7 ESV

The soma is where our soul and spirit reside. It is connected to the soul with the silver cord. At the death of our soma, the silver cord is severed. The silver cord can also be severed by the person before the death of the soma. This is called "giving up the ghost" (John 19:30), effectively leaving your body for the spiritual realm, and your body will perish. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS SINCE YOU WILL DIE.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV

The soma holds the Spirit of God or the breath of life that was given to us by God (Genesis 2:7). It is not ours and will return to God when upon death (Ecclesiastes 12:7 ESV).

σάρξ (Flesh)

σάρξ (Flesh)

Think of the sarx as the demon on your shoulder tempting you to do selfish actions.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 3:6 ESV

The sarx is much more similar to spirit than to the body. It is selfish above all and desires comfort and pleasure. Comfort is not evil, but the sarx becomes lazy because it doesn't want to work and it doesn't want change because it is comfortable where it is. Pleasure is not evil, but the sarx wants to keep eating past when it is full because it likes the taste. It can't have just one drink. It wants the pleasure of sex to the point that men and women are addicted to pornography at higher rates than ever, regardless of the negative effects it brings like erectile dysfunction, destroying your dopamine, and ruining relationships. Even with all the negative side effects, over 60% of the US population watches pornography regularly. The sarx will hurt others to find comfort and pleasure. Your sarx, when hurt by another, doesn't want to forgive; it wants revenge.

Concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh
Romans 1:3 ESV

Everyone born through sex are born of the flesh. The exceptions to this would be Jesus, who is born of the Holy Spirit, making him Spirit. Adam, who is created from dust (physical), and Eve, who was created from half of Adam (soul). Read here why Eve is not a rib.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 ESV

Jesus was not born of flesh, but he took on the flesh. He knows the struggles of the flesh, that is why he is sympathetic to our shortcomings and why he is so merciful and forgiving.

I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural (fleshly) limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
Romans 6:19 ESV

The sarx limits us; this is in direct contrast with the spiritual desire to be "filled beyond measure" with the Spirit. It hinders our understanding of spiritual ideas.

What Is So Bad About the Sarx?

The sarx is not inherently evil, but it is so easily corrupted, and we bring it on ourselves because doing the hard thing isn't always what we want to do. We have crafted our sarx with our actions throughout our life, and we have failed. This is why we need Jesus and the Holy Spirit; they are the only ones who can deliver us from the sarx, this monster we have created.

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:24

If you belong to Christ Jesus, you have an obligation to kill off this monster we have made.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
Romans 7:18 ESV

If you crucify the flesh, are filled with the Holy Spirit, and do the desires of the Spirit, then there will be no room for demons in your sarx. This does not mean that demons outside of your body cannot tempt you. Our desires to do right might conflict with our ability to carry out the right thing, indicating that our flesh isn’t dead yet.

Fruit of Life vs. Fruit of Death

The Tree of Life is spirit, and those with eternal life should produce fruit accordingly. On the other hand, the Tree of Death is sarx, and those that live according to the flesh produce the fruit of death.

For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.
But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
Romans 7:5–6

Much like the fruit of the Spirit sustains the spirit in us, the fruit of death sustains the flesh.

What Happens When We Crucify Our Sarx?

But I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.
Romans 7:23

Sin dwells in our members. The sarx uses our members to bear the fruit of death, but we must set the law aside and die to that which held us captive. Now, we serve in the new way of the Spirit.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,
23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
Matthew 6:22–24

If a persons eye is bad, then they follow the spiritual Sarx. If a persons eye is good, then they follow the Holy Spirit.

I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!
1 Corinthians 15:31 ESV

The phrase "crucify my flesh daily", is not in the Bible. This is the verse that people use and it is taken out of context when quoted like that. For more information check out this article here!!

How Do We Crucify Our Sarx?

Pray
- Ask Jesus and the Holy Spirit to help you crucify your flesh.
Love
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:30–31
- Love God
- Love your neighbor
- The fruit of the Spirit is Love
Be Humble
- Moses, one of the most powerful humans in the Bible, was above all admired by God for his humility. Humility destroys pride, and pride is the reason we rebel.
Fight the Temptations
- Your sarx, demons, and fallen angels will try to tempt you to create the fruit of death with your actions. Cast them away, burn them with holy fire, and send them to the abyss in Jesus' name. Fasting weakens your flesh, allowing you to be more aware of the Holy Spirit.
Starve the Sarx
- Identify the fleshly areas that are creating fruit of death:
  - Gluttony: Live a fasted life, don't overeat, eat healthier, make fasting a regular part of your life, stop drinking.
  - Lust: Get rid of pornography, renew your mind in Christ, remove yourself from compromising situations, think of other people as brothers and sisters, not objects. When seemingly random thoughts arise, cast away any demon, and I have noticed prayer and praying in tongues helps. Exercise can also help with this.
  - Pride: You don't have to be right. You don't have to be the best. Others don't need to know how great or smart you are. Listen to others. You can't do everything on your own. Be a part of a church body in person if possible. Any church body that believes that Jesus and his resurrection is better than no church.
  - Sloth: Work hard at what you do, exercise, don't be lazy about your relationship with God, don't be lazy about your family.
  - Wrath: Control your anger, control your tongue because your tongue can be death or life. Encourage and build others up, be joyful when others around you are joyful, be patient.
  - Greed: How selfish are you? What are you greedy about? It can be more than money. Are you greedy with your time? Should you help out around your house more but you'd rather play video games? Give money to the homeless, to the poor, to panhandlers, to fast food employees. Give to your church.
  - Envy: Be content with what you have. Don't try to keep up with the Joneses. Be happy for others that have things you don't have.
The Spirit Drowns the Sarx
- Fill yourself with the Word of God by reading the Bible.
- Get baptized:
  Because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
  Romans 6:7
- To overcome the flesh, we need so much of the Spirit that it drowns the flesh. This metaphor suggests a complete immersion in the Spirit, similar to drowning, that frees us from sin.
  Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
  Galatians 5:16
- Following the Spirit produces the Fruit of the Spirit, which is life. If you are producing the fruit of life, then you aren't producing the fruit of death.
- Do things that make you uncomfortable
If You Are Married, Help Your Husband/Wife to Crucify Their Sarx
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.
Ephesians 5:31
- Have you ever heard the phrase "You become like the people you are around"? Your sarx and your spouse's sarx can communicate because they are bound by a marriage covenant and sex; they will become like each other.

Benefits of Crucifying Your Sarx

You won't have to deal with the temptations of your sarx.
There is more room for the Holy Spirit.
Your spiritual capacity has the ability to be "filled without measure."
It is easier to renew your mind (I know this is circular logic).
You will be a healthier and nicer person.
You will be able to help others to crucify their sarx, specifically with ways that helped you to overcome it.
It is easier to hear and follow the Holy Spirit. Those who live by the Spirit and not by the flesh inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41