“But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Cor 9:27). When Satan lured the man into sin, the heart was corrupted and became the dwelling place for things that defile him. Therefore, the nature a person was created with became an enemy within that had to be fought and overcome. A person has three main enemies; Satan, the world and the flesh. The first two enemies are outside of them, but the last enemy is inside of them, so it is the most difficult to overcome. With Satan, he is made to flee when a person submits themselves to God and resists him (Jam 4:7). He is resisted in the name of Jesus. With the world, it is overcome by believing in the Word of the Lord that proclaims victory over it (Jn 16:33) and declares all born of God as overcomes of it (1 Jn 5:4). The flesh is the closest enemy for it is the enemy residing in a person, so the most difficult to deal with. With Satan in the dominion of human life, he causes the flesh to be used to do the will of man and not the will of God. He stirs up all kinds of negative passions in it, which leads to the perpetuation of various acts of unrighteousness. Apostle John describes these as; the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and pride of possessions (1 Jn 2:16). Indeed, the mindset on the flesh is hostile to God (Rom 8:7). The flesh can be overcome only by the Holy Spirit who indwells a Christian (Rom 8:13). The Holy Spirit does so when a person submits their life to Him ( Gal 5:16). This is what Apostle Paul calls discipline of the body. It requires the determination of a person to allow the Spirit rather than the flesh to control them. Control the enemy within you by the power of the Holy Spirit lest it controls you and keeps you away from the Lord.
