Make no Provision for the Flesh

But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Romans 13:14

We all change our clothing everyday and, many times, we are dressed to suit our environment or occasion. For a soccer game, we will be in our sporting outfits; for church it will be our best for the Lord. Spiritually, the Lord also shows us that there is a set of dressing we need to have so that we can be strong in Him. The Bible tells us that we are put on the Lord Jesus Christ so that we will not fulfill the personal cravings of our flesh that are not in line with the Biblical truth of His word. Notice four lessons from this verse that we can learn.

We are to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. This means to intentionally, decisively listen to His Word, follow His teachings, obey His instructions, read His commandments, meditate on His precepts, align with His doctrines, imitate His life and grow in His grace. It means that we fit ourselves into the principles and practices of the Lord Jesus. His desires become our desires, His objectives become our objectives, His holiness becomes our holiness, His love becomes our love. This is what it means to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. When Who Christ is becomes who we are, we are putting on the Lord Jesus. However, a brethren might ask, “If I find it hard to imitate Christ for His standard is too high, what should I do?” To that end I ask: do you have a desire to obey Christ? If you do, His yoke will be easy (Matthew 11:30).

When we have the Lord Jesus on us, we will not give way to any opportunity to do the wrong things. The flesh has a tendency to do what it wants when it wants to regardless of the consequences. As it is with a young immature child who may take glass and throw it to the ground when he wants to, the flesh is weak and can only follow what it selfishly wants. However, when we recognize the need to put on the Lord Jesus, His Words, principles and philosophies to govern our lives and our approaches, then the flesh is checked, sin is avoided and wisdom is applied to every situation which may otherwise go out of hand. The Lord’s will is for us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, so that we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. How? By reducing the opportunities for the flesh to rear its ugly sinful head, leading people down a wrong place of sin and destruction.

The only defense we have against our flesh, lusts, and the sin and influence of this world, is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Him only that can overcome this world, sin and the flesh. Our duty is merely to obey and to follow Him thoroughly and throughly, from the heart.

When our flesh is starved and not able to fulfill its cravings, we are essentially mortifying sin in our lives. When sin is not able to perform itself, it loses its grip on the Christian. When the Christian begins to be obedient to Christ, new thought patterns and new ways of living are imparted by the Word of God on to the spirit of this individual. As the Christian obeys Christ in His word, his life is changed from glory to glory.

Are we putting on ourselves the Lord Jesus? Do we die daily to ourselves and allow Christ to rule in our hearts, so that we will not fulfill the lusts of our flesh? May the Lord help us overcome daily with the Spirit’s Sword.

Written by: Pastor Johnny Tan
Edited by: Timothy Lee
Image Credit: Chris Yarzab, Flickr