THE TALE OF TWO DOGS.
By Vernon Gray
This paper is about the doctrine of the two natures of
man as he walks upon this earth in this body of flesh. It is the conflict that exists
between the two natures or the struggle between the flesh and the spirit.
A man had
two dogs; one was white and the other was black.
He observed
to a friend that they constantly bickered and fought regularly.
The friend
asked which of the two dogs would win the fight, he answered that the one he
fed best was always victor.
So it is in
this matter of our flesh and our new nature; whichever of our two natures we
feed the best will be the stronger and will prevail over the other.
It lies in
the power of the Christian to give victory to his spiritual nature if he uses
the appointed means and thereby feeds his new nature/man.
If he
neglects to do this, then his old nature/man of the flesh will feed on the
things of this world and will become stronger.
If you walk according to the flesh (old nature) you will
be enslaved by it.
If you walk in the Spirit, (new nature) you will have
true freedom in Christ.
There are those, myself included, that teach that there
are two natures within the born again Christian. These two natures are at war
with each other. It is like the two proverbial dogs within.
One is good and one is bad; the one you feed the most
will be the overcomer and dominate the other.
It must be said that some respected scholars do not agree
with this position.
John McArthur, J.I. Packer and others do not agree. There
are still others who say that the conflict within the Believer is a result of
the new nature and the unrenewed mind. (I.e. The conflict is between the
unrenewed mind and the new nature)
Space does not allow us to explore these arguments here.
Every child
of God has the experience of this doctrine in their lives, but not every Christian
knows enough about this doctrine in order to counteract the old nature that
plagues us and plunges us constantly into a cesspool of guilt because we are
not what we could be.
This is a
handicap, because confusion, doubt and anxiety will plague you all the days of
your Christian walk if you do not grasp what is happening inside of you as you
do the things you know to be wrong, but do them anyway. Ignorance will always
work in favour of the enemy.
He uses
ignorance of the Word of God to promote false teachings and advance his
diabolical doctrines which is to render you ineffective as a Christian. If you
perceive that you are powerless in the face of your inner lusts and failings, you
probably will be ineffective and unproductive in your Christian walk.
There will
be no real rest; no real peace that can be enjoyed unless we learn for
ourselves from the Word of God, what His own explanation is concerning the
conflict between the two natures.
As
Christians our experience of that inner conflict is unsettling guilt and unrest
within; and nothing but the knowledge of the true doctrine concerning it will
enable us to overcome and walk in victory over the flesh.
The true
Believer has within, the abiding sense of inward corruption which is always there
to remind us of how we have failed God as Christians.
The very
fact that we experience this conflict, is the best assurance that we can have
that we are "born of God"
(I John 3:9); that we are "His
workmanship" (Eph 2:10); and that He has “begun a good work in us” which He will carry on, carry out,
complete, and perfect concerning us (Philippians 1:6).
If you feel
defeated at times because you do not “shape up” or you feel that you are
failing God at every turn; then you probably are a true Christian because the
unsaved do not have that inner sense of their worthlessness when confronted
with their sin by a Holy God.
What has
happened is that we are no longer in our sins, sin is in us; and, from the
moment that the new nature in implanted in us it reveals the presence of the
old nature; and the conflict between them begins.
“These are contrary the one to the other, so
that you cannot do the things that ye would.” (Gal. 5:17).
The two
natures thus dwell side by side in one personality.
The
experience of our conflict between the two natures is so interlaced that it is
difficult for us to describe it, or explain it. Only the Word of God can do
that.
Hebrews 4:12 tells us… “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and
intents of the heart.”
The
unbeliever does not have a sense of their sin. They, in fact, cannot appreciate
the gravity of their lostness without the Holy Spirit revealing it to them. If
you are faced with the spectre of your sinfulness, you are born again
spiritually and you have a spiritual insight into the wretchedness of the heart
and the Holiness of God. Yet, God has brought these two entities together in a single
body that can never be saved. Only a truly saved person can know the depths of
their unworthiness and condition without Christ.
It is out
of the abundance of the heart (or, old nature) that all evil thoughts come
forth (Matt. 15:18-20). The Word of God is "able to judge" these
"thoughts and intents" and enables us to judge and condemn them; even
enabling us to discern and divide between what belongs to the old and what
belongs to the new nature.
From the
moment that the new nature is implanted in us it reveals the presence of the
old nature; and the conflict between them begins.
“These are contrary the one to the
other, so that you cannot do the things that ye would” (Galatians 5:17).
The two
natures thus dwell side by side in one personality.
It is a
hollow exercise to attempt the hopeless task of eradicating the old nature; it
cannot be done. What’s more the Scripture tells us so. No amount of
surrendering and believing can get rid of the “flesh.” You were born with it
and it is here to stay until death or the Rapture.
We are not any longer in our trespasses and sins. We
were once in them, as it is written in Ephesians 2:1—3: “…and you [did He quicken] when ye were dead in [your] trespasses and
sins, wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the authority of the air, the spirit that now
worketh in the sons of disobedience among whom we also, all, once had our
conversation [or, lived our life] in the lusts of our flesh [or, the old
nature], practicing the things willed by the flesh and the thoughts [of our
heart, or, old nature] and were by nature, children destined to wrath even as
the rest" (Ephesians 2:2, 3):
“…for
because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience.”
[unbelief] (Eph. 5:6).
But from all these “sins” we have been delivered; and
from all that “far off” distance we have been “made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13).
It is no longer a question of "sins" in our
lives but rather of “sin” in our lives.
WE ARE NOT IN OUR SINS; BUT "SIN" IS IN
US.
The old nature seems all the more malignant because
of the presence of the new.
The new nature seems to stir up the old, and to make
its opposition all the more bitter.
It is as though the old tenant resents the incoming
of the new tenant. Until the new tenant sheds its blessed light abroad within,
we do not see or realize the depths and powers of the old one. There are those
who have been astounded to discover in themselves tendencies and desires which
they never knew existence there before they got saved.
Be of
good cheer
Romans 6:
14 “For sin shall not have dominion over
you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”
Why then do
we sin if the above verse is true? Is there a mistake in the Bible?
No! Not at
all. You see, as stated above we are not in our sins, but sin is in us until we
die or we are Raptured. Sin HAS BEEN conquered in our lives.
Wait,
before you give up reading…SIN REALLY HAS BEEN CONQUERED IN YOUR LIFE.
It has been
said “Sin is not what you do; sin is what you are.” This is true only of the
old nature.
The new
nature cannot sin. Many Believers battle with this statement because they do
not understand that a part of them (The new nature) id perfect before God. It
cannot sin.
1 John 5:
18 “We know that whosoever is born of
God sinneth not;...”
I don’t
want you to misunderstand this, but your new nature is “divine.” It is born of
God and not of man. It has a heavenly origin and not an earthly origin. Now
don’t take that and come to the conclusion that you are a god.
That would
be like putting 2 + 2 together and coming up with 666.
At the
re-birthing you were given a new nature, and that new nature is dominant within
you; but the old nature, or old man is still there and wants to be in charge.
The old man is no fool, he has been practicing unrighteousness since you were
born, and he is not about to throw in the towel just because you got born
again.
In fact the
old nature is so cunning that it will even become religious in order to have
control.
The old
nature will be a Church goer, prayer warrior, care giver, faith healer and
anything else you want it to be in order to maintain control in your life.
It is all a
bluff; the Bible is clear…”SIN SHALL NOT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU.”
“For sin shall not have dominion
over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What
then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God
forbid.
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his
servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto
righteousness?” (Romans
6:14-16)
What is the
main weapon used against the saints by the enemy? DECEPTION!
If you
think that you have no control over the old nature/flesh/old man, you are being
deceived.
That is not
what the Bible teaches. You need to reassess your priorities in Christ.
You; by YOU
I mean the new nature (the real you) within you is the dominant force within
your body. If you can believe this and accept what the Scriptures tell us, it
is a true priority adjuster.
From the very moment of birth Jacob
and Esau could not get along, for it is written: “And the children struggled together within her ...And after that came
his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel” (Gen. 25:22,26).
Jacob and Esau had radically different personalities, and so their
outlook on life was different; because of these differences, they were bitter
enemies through their lives until they were finally separated.
Just so,
there is an irreconcilable enmity between the spiritual and the fleshly natures
of the believer; they too desire to possess and to dominate the whole of the
Christian, and because only one of them can be the ruling power in the
believer, there will be a constant antagonism between them so long as they
occupy the same temple of clay.
1
Corinthians 2:14-15, explains in part this mutual antagonism: “Now
the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually
judged. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, but he himself is judged
of no man.”
The one people shall be stronger than the other people
The
elder shall serve the younger
Throughout Scripture you will find this principle; “the
older will serve the younger.”
It was true of Jacob and Esau; Joseph and his brothers;
David and his brothers; Seth over Cain; Isaac over Ishmael and many others. How
does that apply to the born again Believer?
Simple. You were born from your mother’s womb; you were
born as a child of Adam. (The older) Later when you got saved, you were born a
“child of God.” (The younger)
It is clear from the Scriptures that the old man within
you is subject to the new man.
You have perhaps not been aware of this fact, and
struggled along in a hopeless battle with your flash that raged within thinking
that overcoming the flesh was only possible after death or the Rapture. No No
No! Yours is the victory in Christ NOW.
TODAY is the day that you can believe what the Scriptures
say about you.
What are
overcomers?
1 John 5:4, 5 says, “For whatever is born of
God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the
world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God?”
Are you born of God? Sure? Then
you are given the power to overcome.
This is not a suggestion from John;
it is a fact of the Christian walk. If you have been deceived by the enemy to
believe that you are not the dominant force in control within yourself, now is
the time to reconsider your stance. Whether you like it or not, God has given
you the ability to overcome in this life here and now. Of course you will fail,
but the battle has already been won on a rugged Cross on a lonely hill some
2000 years ago.
Don’t get to heaven and find out
that it was actually so easy to do, but you were preoccupied with fighting the
flesh and the “bad dog” that you missed the whole point of being an overcomer.
Many will probably kick
themselves after we are Raptured when they discover that they could have
achieved or done so much with their lives if only they paid attention to what
the Holy Spirit was telling them.
Overcomers are followers of
Christ who successfully resist the power and temptation of the world’s system.
An overcomer is by no means sinless, but holds fast to faith in Christ until
the end. He does not turn away when times get difficult or become an apostate.
2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I
rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
The Greek word most often translated “overcomer” stems from the word nike
(as in the famous footwear) which, according to Strong’s Concordance,
means “to carry off the victory. The verb implies a battle.”
The Bible teaches Christians to
recognize that the world is a battleground, not a playground. God does not
leave us defenceless.
James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil and he
will flee from you.”
The
apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:37 “In all these things we are more
than conquerors through him who loved us.”
In how many things are we more
than conquerors?
THE TASK AHEAD OF US IS NEVER AS
GREAT AS THE POWER THAT IS BEHIND US.
God Bless,
Vernon.
