In Romans 7 and 8 the Apostle Paul makes several startling revelations concerning the carnal mind that we all should keep in mind, especially as we examine ourselves for this coming Passover. “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:6-7). Christians must do all they can to overcome the carnal mind.
Paul was writing to the saints of God when he made this startling statement: “I find then a law , that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind , and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:21-23).
Take note. Even though the Apostle Paul delighted in the law of God, he was still taken captive to sin at times! This is a profound revelation. Paul called it the “law of sin.” Christians cannot afford to overlook this law: Evil is always present within man—even ALL Christians!
When we understand this law, it helps explain why the majority of God’s own people have become deceived in this end time. It also helps explain why you and I have so much trouble breaking sinful habits even if we have a strong desire to please God most of the time.
The gift of God’s Holy Spirit is added at baptism, but that just begins the process of conversion. Every Christian must grow in godly character in order to gain the victory over the “law of sin” which dwells within his members. It takes a conscious choice to do God’s will rather than pursue our own carnal desires. It also takes all of our physical effort, in addition to God’s spiritual power.
Paul called it a war! In this war, the carnal mind is attempting to “quench” God’s Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19), while the Holy Spirit is strengthening God’s children to “quench” the fiery darts of all evil (Ephesians 6:16). In many ways, that carnal nature is our own worst enemy!
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 shed more light on the spiritual battles taking place within the minds of all Christians: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God [this would include attitudes such as pride and vanity], and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
This spiritual warfare has to do with our imaginations, our attitudes, our knowledge, and our thoughts. These daily battles are fought at the speed of thought. Rather than letting our minds become “captive” to the law of sin, we must be trained through the power of God’s Holy Spirit to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. It takes God’s “mighty” power to pull down our carnal reasonings.
The Carnal Mind’s Typical Reaction
Whenever a personal sin or fleshly weakness is brought to a person’s attention, what does the carnal mind immediately do? It seeks to find an acceptable reason, an excuse, to go ahead and sin. The carnal mind has a tendency to make everything it does or says appear to be either “right” or “justified.”
“All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits” (Proverbs 16:2). God is the final judge of right and wrong! Therefore, the carnal mind, which is enmity against God, tries to diminish the standards established by God’s Word.
We all know people who always try to justify or make excuses for their mistakes and sins, but are we able to spot that tendency in ourselves? Make no mistake, your carnal mind not only seeks to deceive you, but it is also constantly seeking to deceive others! If we are not careful, our carnal excuses will find ways around all of God’s laws. These carnal excuses will often seem so perfectly reasonable that we think anyone should be able to understand and agree that we are absolutely right. Of course, if we convince ourselves we are right, then we will not think any sin has taken place. But notice 1 John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” One of the worst things a person can do is to convince himself or others that a sin is not really a sin! Why would we confess a sin or be motivated to repent of a sin if we think it’s not a sin?
Even when we recognize our sins, the carnal mind will most often seek to blame others. Remember, Eve tried to blame the serpent; Adam tried to blame God, saying, “This woman that you gave me ….” God wasn’t impressed.
Given enough time, the carnal mind can find a way to justify the most hideous of sins. Even before he betrayed Jesus, we can see a bad attitude in Judas when he found fault with Jesus Christ. When the woman poured expensive oil on Christ’s feet, Judas was indignant, saying, “Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?” (John 12:5). Judas implied that Jesus should not have allowed her to waste this precious ointment. His reasoning grew even more twisted until finally he found an excuse to betray the Son of God!
Examine Yourself
Think about your past sins. What was your typical reaction when you were about to enter into a sinful situation—especially a pleasurable sin? What excuses did your carnal mind use to convince you to continue down the wrong path?
The power of God’s Holy Spirit, when we pay attention to it, works on our minds to counter our carnal excuses with God’s truth, seeking to guide our thoughts and actions back toward the proper direction. Of course, we still must heed the Spirit and set our minds to say or do the right thing.
In order to overcome sin, we must pay close attention to our thoughts. Some scientists admit that the average person has about 400 negative thoughts per day. Many of those thoughts are excuses.
For example, if we say, “I’ve always had this problem,” that is a negative thought that implies, “… and I always will!” We are telling ourselves and others, “It’s hopeless. Not even God can fix me!” To that God’s mind in the converted Christian replies, “But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand” (Isaiah 64:8). We must allow God to shape and mold us; then we can overcome anything.
If we say, “I’m just hardheaded, that’s all there is to it!” it implies God made a mistake in calling us. The mind of Christ replies, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).
If we say, “God’s way is too hard, I’m never going to make it,” God’s Spirit working on the converted mind replies, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27).
Of course, people make thousands of excuses. All such comments come from the carnal mind. Excuses are never motivated by the Holy Spirit. What do such carnal excuses really mean? “I am not really motivated to change; just accept me the way I am.” That is a formula for failure! It doesn’t matter which excuses we make—we will lose the war with that type of strategy! Whenever we try to justify our sins, there is little or no struggle to overcome taking place. It is the sign of an unconditional surrender to our inner enemy—the carnal self!
We have not been called to make excuses! We have been called to overcome!
The Bible tells us to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5). We must learn to use God’s Holy Spirit to tear down these strongholds of our carnal mind and to bring such thoughts into captivity. This is especially important during the weeks and months leading up to Passover each year.
Three Principles to Help You Overcome
First: Pray for God’s help.
We need to recognize and accept that the “law of sin” is alive and active within each one of us. We must face the fact that we are powerless to resist and overcome on our own. Notice Jeremiah 10:23-24: “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.” Psalm 19:12-13 also explain the need for God’s intervention and help: “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.”
Remember that our “secret faults” and “presumptuous sins” include the lies we tell ourselves and others; those carefully constructed excuses. When you examine yourself, don’t just look for each and every sin you can find; also look for the excuses you use to perpetuate each one of those sins. Pray for help, and God will show them to you.
Second: Learn to accept all forms of correction with the right attitude.
Yes, it takes God’s Spirit to see our sins and take responsibility for them, but very often God uses the relationships we have with others to actually show us where we need to grow. Others often see our faults more clearly than we do, just as we often see the faults of others better than they do.
Pay attention to the clues your friends, relatives, mates, children, brethren and ministers may be giving you about those areas where you are falling short of God’s standard. Unless we catch ourselves we can get upset when someone tries to explain the truth about one of our pet carnal excuses. Of course, a true, spiritually minded friend will not give the impression that such carnal reasonings are valid.
Read carefully Hebrews 12:6: “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” That word translated as “chastens” also means teaches, instructs, or educates.
God always gives instructions or warnings (Amos 3:7) before He scourges or punishes His children. If we ignore God’s loving instructions, we are setting ourselves up for some painful correction. If you are already in the midst of serious correction not brought on by persecution for righteousness’ sake, examine yourself to determine what instructions God has been giving that you may be ignoring. If we carefully consider those hints, or suggestions, that others try to pass along, we can avoid the stronger admonitions, corrections, or punishments that God will send our way.
Third: Search the Scriptures for Spirit-inspired responses.
Once God has revealed one of your sins, write it down. Look for the excuses you have been using to try and justify that sin, and write those down! Then study the Bible to find God’s view on that issue. Search out as many verses as possible to fully explain what God really expects you to do and why it is so important to God. One by one, use God’s Word to not only crush the sin, but to crush each and every one of your favorite excuses that you have been using to perpetuate that sin!
These three steps will go a long way toward overcoming the sins that may so easily beset you. That does not mean you will never be tempted again, but you will be better armed and ready to do battle with your carnal mind. You will greatly increase your chances of gaining the victory in more and more of the daily battles you face. These steps, when applied, will go a long way toward helping you overcome your carnal mind and place it into captivity to the obedience of God.
As the Apostle Paul states in Romans 1:20-22, the carnal mind is “without excuse.” In the end, we not only have to confess our sin, but we must fight the good fight of faith and produce real spiritual growth in order to gain the final victory over carnal thinking.
Typical carnal excuses and Spirit-inspired responses
Have you used any of these excuses? Create your own personal excuse chart. Search out the scriptures that will crush such carnal reasoning. It may give you greater success in overcoming your sins.
Denying the Sin
“This is the way I look at it ….”
God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8)
“My minister says it’s permissible.”
Laodiceans have used that excuse a lot, but what did God’s end-time Elijah teach?
“I have a right!”
You are not your own. You were bought by Christ’s own life. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Blaming Others
Parents: “I inherited this tendency.”
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)
Society: “It’s not my fault. I’m just a victim.”
God rewards every man according to his own works. (Revelation 2:23)
The victim: “If you hadn’t done that, then I would not have reacted the way I did.”
Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (Romans 12:19)
“You are just too sensitive; too easily offended.”
No sin is too small. Whoever offends in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10)
God: “If only I had been born into a better situation.”
All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)
“I’m just not talented enough.”
Some receive five talents, another two, another one; produce with what God has given you! (Matthew 25:15-30)
Diverting Attention From Self
“My teenager is not being called.”
God has sanctified your child. Now train up your child in the way he should go. (Proverbs 22:6)
“My unconverted wife/husband is antagonistic.”
Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. (Luke 6:27-28)
Justifying the Sin
“If I get caught, I’m willing to suffer the consequences.”
Don’t tempt God (Matthew 4:7); All sin leads to death! (Romans 6:23)
“I can’t live without him/her.”
That is idolatry.
“Everyone else is doing it.”
Wide is the way to destruction! (Matthew 7:13)
Admitting, But Still Excusing, the Sin
“Well, nobody’s perfect!”
Become you perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48)
“I’m just a loser.”
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. (1 John 3:2)