"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

Have you ever spent time with someone who's annoyingly self-centered, constantly complaining, and never seems content? The kind of person that, after spending a few hours with them, makes you want to jump out of a moving car. By the end of the visit, you might question why you continue to spend time with this person.

In situations like these, we are called to show God’s grace and love to that person. But there’s one "person" we must never show grace to—in fact, we must put this "person" to death. That "person"Is our old nature, what the Bible calls the "flesh." This is the monster inside of us—the one we must refuse to carry any longer.

Who is this monster?

It's the part of us we detest when we see ourselves clearly. The part that’s self-absorbed, never satisfied, and constantly thinking about its own needs from the moment it wakes up until it sleeps. It's a cycle of “I want,” “I need,” and “I must have.” This monster drives us to do things we regret, making foolish decisions with consequences we can't explain. Its capacity for darkness and selfishness can shock us.

This monster delights in sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, sorcery, strife, jealousy, anger, envy, drunkenness, and all sorts of destructive behavior. It thrives on greed, lust, and ego.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ~ Galatians 5:19-21

The monster within us resists listening to God, shuns correction, and is arrogantly self-assured. It is stubborn, refusing to back down even when it's wrong. The evil monster justifies its behavior, never takes responsibility for its actions, and instead blames everyone else, even God. It causes disunity and division. While it yearns for love, care, and indulgence, it struggles to care for anything beyond itself—this is why humanity can never have peace with each other.

Our Worst Enemy

This monster is the evil part of us that listens to Satan. Whether we accept it or not, this "flesh"Is a child of Satan (John 8:44). It leads us down a path of darkness, growing more corrupt and hardened the more we follow its ways—eventually to eternal death in Hell.

Our Spirit Desires to Live

But there is something that is within us that resists this monster, and it causes us to wrestle with ourselves. Apart from God, our spirit may be dead, but it is the conscience that God gave us(Proverbs 20:27) that wrestles with the monster inside of us. This God-given conscience battles the flesh, waging war with the monster inside. The spirit of God wants to revive within us and bring us back to life.

All We Need Is Love

John Lennon dreamed of a world filled with love and peace, but he didn't realize that change starts with each of us transforming ourselves. Lasting change happens when we take personal responsibility for the monster within us, conquer it, and let the light of love flourish.

As Leo Tolstoy said, "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."

Why do you think Heaven will be peaceful and loving? Besides the presence of God's glorious light, the monster within us will no longer have power over us.

Most people will take a bullet for someone they love. It is quick and heroic. But if we truly desire peace and love on earth, we should be willing to lay down our lives for something greater than us. We should be willing to empty ourselves and let the glory of God reign in us so that we can be unified in peace and love.

The problem is that this kind of sacrifice demands our entire being, and the monster within us resists that completely. The monster would gladly play the hero for its own glory, but it refuses to take a back seat to anything, even if it means saving the world.

Only God Can Kill Monster

You can try and kill this monster on your own but you'll only contain it as it fights to break free. You can spend hours in therapy, take medications, and try some sort of meditation, but these are just temporary bandaids to help you get through life. You can search deep within yourself but all you will end up finding is that monster inside of you trying to come back to life. Or you can seek it in God and what you will find is Jesus, an endless well of love and peace, the only answer.