Is “the Flesh” My Enemy—or Am I Focusing on the Wrong Battle?
24 January 2026*This article is part of “Dialogues,” where real questions from people are answered by AI and then reviewed by theologians for clarity, accuracy, and faithfulness to Christian teaching.
Question
“There’s a verse that says our enemy isn’t the flesh, but the devil and his temptations. But I always thought the flesh is evil and bad. So which is it?”
Answer
The Bible speaks about “the flesh” in more than one way, which is why this can feel confusing. Your physical body is God’s good creation, and Christians are not called to hate embodied humanity. At the same time, “the flesh” (often translating the Greek sarx) can also describe a fallen way of living—self-centered life apart from God, shaped by disordered desires and self-rule.
So yes—Scripture acknowledges an inner conflict: Galatians 5:17 says, “the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit.” Yet it also insists that our ultimate struggle is not against people—“flesh and blood”—but against spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). In other words: your body isn’t the enemy, and other people aren’t the enemy either. The call is to walk by the Spirit, resist deception, and live in love.
Christians have often described spiritual struggle in three overlapping arenas: the world (pressures opposed to God), the flesh (sin’s pull within us), and the devil (temptation and accusation). These are not competing explanations but complementary ones.
What the Bible Means by “Flesh”
When Paul contrasts “flesh” and “Spirit,” he is not simply saying “body vs. soul.” He is describing two ways of living:
- According to the Spirit: dependence on God, truth, freedom, love.
- According to the flesh: self-rule, pride, fear, escapism, desire detached from God.
That’s why “flesh” can sound negative in the New Testament. But it does not mean the body is evil. “Flesh” can also refer to human weakness and mortality, and even real humanity—John 1:14: “the Word became flesh.” Christianity’s hope is not escape from the body, but resurrection.
The Real Enemy—and the Real Strategy
Spiritual warfare is real: lies, temptation, accusation, division. Yet the devil is not all-powerful. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
The New Testament warns us not to give evil “a foothold” (Ephesians 4:27). Pride, unforgiveness, secrecy, and despair can strengthen temptation—but temptation itself doesn’t automatically mean you’ve “opened a door.” Jesus was tempted and yet without sin. The goal is not fear-driven self-surveillance, but turning toward God with honesty and faith.
That’s why Paul’s strategy is both active and life-giving: Galatians 5:16: “Walk by the Spirit.” This includes saying no to sin, removing what feeds it, and—by the Spirit—“putting to death the deeds of the body” (Romans 8:13) and “making no provision for the flesh” (Romans 13:14). The center is not obsession, but communion.
When Fighting Sin Becomes the Focus, Sin Gains Space
Taking sin seriously is good. Making sin your center is not.
- A faith built mainly on “don’ts” can keep the mind glued to what’s forbidden.
- Constant self-monitoring can grow anxiety and self-absorption.
- Fighting sin without joy in God often leads to exhaustion.
Sin is not the main character of the story. Christ is.
Love as Spiritual Warfare
Jesus summarized God’s will as love: love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37–39). Evil feeds on isolation, fear, resentment, and hiddenness. Love brings light, truth, forgiveness, and service.
1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love drives out fear.” In context, John especially addresses fear of judgment, but the principle reaches wider: as God’s love takes root, it pushes back many fears that temptation exploits.
Healing Comes by the Spirit, Not Self-Punishment
Romans 7 describes the frustration of wanting to do good but falling. Romans 8 answers with life in the Spirit—new power and new freedom. The Spirit forms you, producing fruit: love, joy, peace… and yes, self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).
Self-control is not merely white-knuckled willpower. It grows in the same garden as love, joy, and peace. Holiness is not mainly a clenched fist; it’s a heart being filled with God.
Conclusion
Your body is not your enemy. “The flesh” often names a fallen way of living—self-centered life apart from God. And while spiritual opposition is real, the gospel does not call you to obsess over darkness. It calls you to walk by the Spirit, resist deception, and build your life around love.
Don’t build your faith around what you must not do. Build it around the One you can love.