We are natural born weak, coward, barbaric, self-centered, self-interested and with some survival kits and possessed with many diplomatic and cunning First Aid tools. At the same time, we are gifted by God in creation with many natural talents such as wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of God. Unfortunately as we decide many times to abuse these marvelous gifts, not only they bear fruits that are very temporary, but also they bring havoc to ourselves and others. This is our perennial problem.

Our forebears believed and taught us in their limitations that our spiritual enemies are three: world, devil and body, of which the first two reside out of us and the third is part of us. The elders’ teaching is both right and wrong. It is right in the sense that all the three enemies create lots of spiritual and moral problems in our life; but the wrong side of their teaching is that they forgot to tell us these three evildoers cannot win in their attacks against us unless and until the fourth enemy which is existing within us yields to them.

We know very well from our Scriptures that the human spirit, which was breathed by God into our body in creation, had been damaged by the First Sin and thus broken into two spirits, “fleshly and spiritual. For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit. The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace… and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Rom. 8: 5-8)

It is about this fleshly spirit Paul warns us to be careful (Gal. 5: 16-26). Our (spiritual) spirit is open to God; desires him and is drawn to him; is attracted by goodness, beauty and truth, which yearns for completion in God and to see his face; whereas our ‘fleshly’ spirit, which is inner part of us, alienates itself from God, being rebellious and obstinate; can become the gateway to sin; the arena in which sin embeds itself it; and to the extent it can turn out to be sinful itself.

Paul therefore uses the term ‘flesh’ in his Letters to denote such as: physical flesh, human body, humanity as a whole, human descent and human relationships, in order to make us understand our human physical life is transient, frail, and provisional in contrast to the eternal, unchanging and powerful realm of the Spirit which is the only sphere of salvation. However since a part of our inner spirit became so damaged, twisted that it became so weak to be failing with our spiritual enemies from outside. Thankfully our weak spirit, assisted by the Holy Spirit, draws us to desire what is best, what is upright, good and helpful.

As we hear in the Gospel (Jn. 20: 19-23), before Jesus was taken up to heaven, he breathed on the disciples reminding them by receiving his Breath of the Spirit, the already residing spirit of the Creator within them, though it be a damaged one, will be renewed and rejuvenated. He emphasized that the Spirit, through whom he would be going to stay with them, would act like an Advocate and a Counselor, a Peace-maker like a dove; a purifier like fire; a mover like strong wind; a productive strong glue that bonds all diversified people together under his wings like an eagle. Therefore let us be convinced of the astounding fact that it is possible to win the battle against our spiritual enemies by living in and by Jesus’Spirit. Paul gives emphasis to this truth, writing: “I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh.”

When we make use of our natural gifts, very mistakenly most of the time we join in hands with evil spirit. Our talented undertakings with intelligence, IQ, diplomacy, cunningness, etc. frequently are planned and executed with evil intention and motivation such as self-gratification, vengeance, jealousy, pride, fake self-prestige; and consequently we know the results are too bad. But when we connect every move of ours with the Holy Spirit all that we think, speak and do making use of our God-given talents bear excellent and solid fruits.