Answer
In Romans 8:1–17, the apostle Paul showcases the role of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. As God’s adopted children, Christians are no longer controlled by their sinful nature because the Holy Spirit comes to live inside them, giving them the power to overcome sin and put to death the deeds of the body: “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (verses 12–14, ESV).
In the original Greek, the verb translated as “put to death” means “to stop a state or activity with lethal determination; to kill.” The “deeds of the body” are the sinful behaviors of our earthly, unregenerated nature. Using almost identical terminology, Paul tells the Colossians, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:5–10).
Our standing as children of God places us under a moral obligation to “put to death the deeds of the body.” Our only duty now is to live a holy life by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us (1 Peter 1:15–16). It’s important to understand that Paul is not talking about salvation in Romans 8:13. He’s not saying that we will lose our salvation if we indulge the flesh. Instead, Paul points out the inherent result of becoming a child of God and being filled with God’s life-giving, behavior-transforming Spirit.
The outcome of salvation is that we no longer live according to the flesh but are led by God’s Spirit. The sinful things of the flesh are put to death. The holy things of the Spirit are reproduced.
Before salvation, our natural inclination was to indulge the flesh, which leads to death. Now, as God’s adopted children, we devote ourselves to a new, God-appointed purpose: “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29, NLT). God’s will for every believer is sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Sanctification is a lifelong process by which the Holy Spirit works in our lives, shaping and transforming us into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).
If putting to death the deeds of the body is part of our God-ordained purpose, then how do we fulfill it? First, we must grasp the true nature of our spiritual position: “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there” (Galatians 5:24, NLT). When we accept Jesus as Savior, we are made holy and right with God by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 2:9). As believers, we are now dead to sin and alive to Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:11; 8:10; Ephesians 2:5; 1 Peter 3:18; Titus 3:5).
The secret to putting to death the deeds of the body is living by the Spirit (Galatians 5:5; 1 Peter 1:2) in close fellowship with God. Paul urges, “Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God” (Romans 6:13, NLT). As we commit ourselves wholeheartedly to our relationship with God the Father, drawing each day nearer to Jesus Christ, we discover the path to sanctification and spiritual growth.
It is impossible to put to death the deeds of the body through our own efforts. We will not succeed through the arm of the flesh. Sanctification is an inner work of the Spirit that happens naturally as we spend time in God’s presence (John 15:5–8; Matthew 5:6; John 14:23; Hebrews 4:14–16; ), feed daily on His Word (John 17:17; Hebrews 4:12), stay in fellowship with other believers (Acts 2:42–47; Hebrews 10:24–25; Colossians 3:16; Galatians 6:1–2), and let the Holy Spirit guide our lives (Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 4:22–32).
Only by the power of the Holy Spirit, as we concentrate on nourishing our spirits (Ephesians 4:21–24) and starving our flesh (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:16–17), can we put to death the sinful nature. The process of sanctification won’t be complete until we stand before Jesus (Philippians 1:6; 3:12–14). In the meantime, we place our faith in God’s promise to bring forth the fruit of His Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22–23).
