First, let’s define the carnal mind. The carnal mind is the mind of the flesh. And we know what the mind of the flesh does; it minds the things of the flesh.
All of us can relate to the carnal mind because all of us were born with a carnal mind. Before we came to Christ, we gave little or no thought to what pleases God. We were preoccupied with what pleases us.
It goes without saying that God does not like the mindset that prioritizes pleasing self over pleasing Him. If you are of that mindset and you want to please God, you have to address that mindset.
But here is the problem. Addressing the carnal mind is difficult because it’s hard to be hard on yourself for loving to please yourself. In Ephesians 5:29, Paul writes that no man ever hated his own flesh but cherishes it even as the Lord loves the church. That’s a whole lot of self-love. So, it’s hard to be hard on yourself for loving to please yourself because you love yourself. But that’s exactly what you have to do if you are guilty of being carnal-minded and want to overcome it.
Three Facts About a Carnal Mind
1. “They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5, KJV).
The way you can tell if you are walking according to the flesh or according to the Spirit is by the things that you focus on; the things you think about from day to day. You can’t separate what you do from how you think. So, if you don’t value getting closer to God or wanting to know His will for your life or wanting to grow in the knowledge of His Word, you won’t do the things that are consistent with those interests.
If, however, you do value the things mentioned above, you will act accordingly. That’s the simple test as to whether you are carnally minded or spiritually minded.
2. “The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (verse 7).
This word enmity is a strong word. It means hostility or hatred. The carnal mind is hostile toward God. It’s not subject to what God says neither can it be.
This verse is one of the main reasons I believe it to be unwise for a Christian to marry a non-Christian. According to the Bible, Christians should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14). If you are a Christian who is passionate about God and you marry an unbeliever who has no regard for the Word and the will of God, that can turn out to be disastrous. That person is not subject to the law of God. You can’t make him or her become subject to God. The best thing you can do for that situation is to pray for the person’s salvation.
3. “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16, NASB).
This verse reveals the key to overcoming a carnal mind. Implicit in this verse is the requirement to be born again. For no one can walk by the Spirit unless he or she has been born of the Spirit. This is the first step toward overcoming a carnal mind. Through spiritual rebirth, we become a new creation; old things are passed away. All things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Even as a genuine Christian, you will have ungodly desires of the flesh. In this life, you will never get to the point that you don’t have those kinds of desires. But that does not mean you have to succumb to those desires. You can choose to walk according to the Spirit instead. When you do, you will not carry out the desires of your flesh.
The flesh and the Spirit are diametrically opposed to each other (Galatians 5:17). Obedience to the one constitutes disobedience to the other. The flesh involves immorality, sensuality, jealousy, anger, etc. (vv. 19-21). The Spirit-led life involves love, joy, peace, patience, self-control, etc. (vv. 22-23).
To overcome a life characterized by carnal-mindedness, you must choose to walk according to the latter so you don’t fulfill the former.
As Christians, our ultimate desire in life should be to please God, and we can’t do that with a carnal mind.
Copyright © 2022 by Frank King. All rights reserved.