You Still Have Flesh to Deal With (Part 1)

In the first Spirit-filled church my wife and I attended, we observed a number of various types of demonstrations. But we had no reference point other than what we had read in the Word which of these were of the Spirit and which were just people’s flesh.

In this church, we observed “Jericho marches” where people marched around seven times over properties they were claiming, people who were sick, and many other situations where they desired breakthroughs. We also observed people who would respond to the Spirit with spiritual “twitching” or contortions each time they sensed Him move upon them. I am not condemning or judging any of these actions or individuals. But this did cause me to seek the Lord, receive counsel from my pastor and spiritual leaders, and search out the Word to discover how to discern which demonstrations were valid and which were not. 

Paul addresses this in his second statement intended to keep us from remaining ignorant about the things of the Spirit: 

You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led (1 Corinthians 12:2). 

What is Paul saying here and what does this have to do with operating in the gifts of the Spirit? He is reminding them and us that even though we are born again and filled with the Spirit, each of us still has the capacity to be led by the flesh. His reference to being led and carried away by dumb idols has to do with the dumb idols or sin patterns of your old life that your flesh still has an inclination to follow. This is true even though your old nature and old man is dead. It is our choice to be led by either the Spirit or the flesh. 

When operating the gifts, each of us must realize even the most mature person can be led by his or her flesh or emotions. Everything spoken or demonstrated as one of the gifts of the Spirit by believers with a “thus saith the Lord” on the end of it does not automatically make it a “word” from God. It must be judged by the written Word, by mature members and leaders in the church, and confirmed in your heart before acting on it.  

Most abuse of the gifts that cause pastors and church leaders to shut down the operation of the gifts in their services are the result of well-intentioned people yielding to their flesh or emotions and calling it the Spirit. Every church or ministry that provides opportunity for people to operate in the gifts has experienced this. After I graduated from Bible college, I served as the senior pastor of two Spirit-filled churches in Texas for a total of twenty-seven years. In that period of time I observed many good, powerful, and genuine manifestations of the Spirit. I also observed a number of people attempting to move in the Spirit with some manifestation that was obviously the flesh.

It is highly probable you have observed some of these manifestations if you have been around the Charismatic “zoo” of gift abuses in church before. First, there is the tambourine lady who comes to every Spirit-filled church and plays her tambourine without permission—in the name of the Lord, of course. And she is always a half a beat off from the worship team. You may have also experienced the “shofar” brothers who blow their shofars at will, unannounced, and frighten those around them. Then there are the flag and banner people who pull out their flags and banners without notice and inadvertently run into or hit their fellow worshipers with their flags or banners. 

You may also have seen the dancers who always feel led to go to the front of the auditorium and twirl and swirl to their heart’s desire. Or you may have observed someone giving out a harsh and angry sounding tongue or prophetic word. Then there are the “quakers and shakers” who always must shake and quake uncontrollably while giving out a message in tongues or prophecy to attempt to convince all present the Spirit has come upon them. Then there is Mr. or Mrs. Self-appointed Prophet of the house who feels compelled to give out a prophecy in every service and sometimes two or three prophecies per service.

These are examples of a number of fairly common manifestations that have been subject to abuse by believers with good hearts and intentions but led by the flesh nonetheless. Am I saying that every time someone functions in one of the above manifestations it is their flesh leading them? Absolutely not! Most of the examples I used can be manifestations that are truly led by the Spirit and a real blessing to the church and unbelievers who observe them. 

Instead of becoming offended by me bringing these examples out, I encourage you to learn and grow so the true manifestations of the Spirit will draw people to Jesus and not yourself. Paul is telling us in order to have a true move of the Spirit and real manifestations of the gifts, we must acknowledge each of us has to deal with our flesh.

If you are pushy, impatient, and easily offended when attempting to operate in the gifts, your flesh is still leading and dominating you. You are not the only one who has something significant to share. And your greatest safeguard from allowing your flesh to lead you and deceive you in your demonstration of the gifts is being submitted to your pastor, elders, or ministry leaders. Let’s look at Paul’s instruction regarding order in the release of the gifts in chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians: 

Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached? If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord. But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant (1 Corinthians 14:29-31, 36-38). 

These verses clearly reveal that no individual has the last word when it comes to operating in the gifts of the Spirit. Each person who feels led to step out and operate in the gifts must submit whatever they have to share or manifest to other mature believers and spiritual leaders. In other words, you cannot use the “God card” as an excuse to do and say whatever you want and fail to submit to others, especially delegated spiritual leaders. And Paul tells us in verse 1 that God does not want us to remain ignorant of how these gifts are intended to operate. 

Adapted from Greg Mohr’s Book, Flowing in the Supernatural

Watch Pastor Greg’s television series on Living a Supernatural Life to learn more.