In this study, we consider the first two sections about the second enemy of our soul, the flesh. It requires us to review our understanding of what true happiness and true freedom really are.
Summary
‘The slavery of freedom’: Comer challenges the common use of the saying ‘the heart wants what the heart wants’ as an excuse for following our basest desires. He shows from Ephesians 2:1-3 how the three enemies of the soul operate together, starting with the devil’s deceptive ideas playing to our disordered desires. These desires are called ‘the flesh’ in the New Testament when used to denote the animalistic cravings of the body, our corrupted appetites that feel natural but are actually sinful. The flesh is our base desire for sensual and other kinds of gratification. This idea of baser desires that need to be controlled is not just a biblical idea but is a common one across different cultures and thinkers – it has been called the animal self. Wise people have realized that we should not just follow our own desires, that pleasure is not the same thing as happiness, and that happiness comes, in fact, from ‘disciplined desire’. But in the modern Western world, we have moved from a culture of following external authority to a culture of internal authenticity, of being ourselves. Augustine taught that the basic problem of humanity was disordered desires and we had to learn from external authorities (like the Bible) to restrain those desires. But in the modern world, since Freud, we have believed the worst thing is to repress our desires and that we should be our ‘authentic self.’ Being true to self becomes everything. But which self are we to be true to? We have competing and conflicting desires. And we must realise that ‘our strongest desires are not our deepest desires.’ Our deepest desire is to become good people, and that desire is sabotaged by some of our strongest desires. So, ‘be true to yourself’ is the worst advice and can actually lead to slavery.
‘Their passions forge their fetters’: Americans place great value on liberty or freedom, but it is based on a view of freedom – the freedom to do whatever you want – that is not biblical. Comer uses Galatians 5 to explain biblical freedom. It is, in fact, the freedom to constrain what we want to do because of love for others. We don’t indulge our flesh but instead, we love our neighbour. It is this ability to choose our actions from a higher motive than just base desire that distinguishes us from animals. To love is to will the good of another and so to do that we must know what is good. Just because something feels good does not mean that it is good. In our postmodern age, we have abandoned external authorities (like God and the Bible) to define the good. But for Christians, as well as the strong desires of the flesh, we have the Spirit within us appealing to our deepest desires for love and goodness. This requires a different idea of freedom as ‘freedom from’ all constraints – the idea that dominates in the Western world. Rather, it requires ‘freedom for’ choosing the good and this requires a higher power to help us overcome our strong desires and fulfil our deepest desires. Because we are slaves to whatever ‘masters’ us, it is our strong disordered desires that we need to be set free from. There is a place for external authorities (e.g. parents, the law) for restraining those who cannot restrain themselves, but Christians are those who choose constraint from the external authorities of God and Scripture. Freedom is not about the lack of constraints but choosing the right constraints for the sake of love.
For Reflection/Discussion:
- Has there been a time when you ‘went with your heart’ and it led to disaster? What did you learn from that experience?
- What might disciplined desire look like for you and how might it lead to truer happiness than just satisfying the desire for pleasure?
- Can you think of examples in your life right now where you need to choose, out of love for others, to not do what you want to do?
Next:
In the next study, we will look at the next two ‘chapters’ about the enemy of the flesh, and learn about the principle of sowing and reaping, and how to live by the Spirit rather than the flesh.