Killing Sin Within - 3

I want to continue to paraphrase and expand on John Owen's classic, "Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers."

When the apostle Paul writes, "...put to death the deeds of the body...", what does he mean by "body"?

"Body" is the same as "the flesh" in the beginning of Romans 8:13, "If you live according to the flesh you will die..."

Body stands for the corruption and depravity of our natures that is located in and works through our physical body and its parts. What is meant is indwelling sin, the flesh that is working and lusting for sin. "Body" here is equivalent to "the old man" and the "body of sin" in Romans 6.

What does Paul mean by "the deeds of the body"?

This phrase refers to the outward actions, "the works of the flesh" as they are called in Galatians 5:19. But even though the phrase refers on the surface to outward actions, the INWARD causes of them are also, and even primarily intended. The deeds of the flesh are to be put to death at their ROOT, where their very life proceeds from. They are called "deeds" because this is what every sinful craving and lust results in unless it is stopped by a greater power and desire. Lust always has as its goal outward sin.

And so, in putting to death the deeds of the body, we are not just aiming at our physical actions: overeating, laziness, speaking hurtful words, etc. We ARE aiming to change these kinds of sinful actions, we are looking to "put off" the habits of the old life and "put on" the Christ-habits of the new. But in order for habits of action to be truly changed their ROOT or source must be dealt with. Those roots are utterly evasive to human effort and resolutions and determination. Only "by the Spirit" can the lust of the inner man be dealt deadly blows.

More on this to come.