The Enemy Within | Part 2
In this episode from our ongoing study in the book of Ruth, we delve into the tension between the flesh and the spirit—a struggle every believer knows well. Using the haunting imagery of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the discussion invites listeners to confront the dual nature within us all. The speaker unpacks how this battle plays out in daily life and why it matters. It’s a compelling conversation that challenges us to consider where true strength and redemption are found.
Checkout these other Family Fortress Ministries Podcasts:
TIME FOR THREE daily couples devotional: https://time-for-three.captivate.fm/listen
FORTIFYING YOUR FAMILY: https://fortifying-your-family.captivate.fm/listen
MINISTRY WEBSITE: https://familyfortress.org/
Transcript
Welcome to the Fortifying youg Family podcast.
Speaker A:It can be daunting to navigate through an anti marriage and family culture.
Speaker A:Our teacher will expound biblical principles to help fortify our families and keep these sacred institutions strong.
Speaker A:And now, here's this week's teaching from Sam Wood.
Speaker B:So the identity.
Speaker B:Answering the question that I first raised, what is the identity of this nearer kinsman?
Speaker B:I believe the identity in this story is the newer kinsman represents the flesh that we have to deal with as a new believer in our life.
Speaker B:Now, what is his intention?
Speaker B:The second question.
Speaker B:Listen, once you become a Christian, there is a war within you the rest of your life.
Speaker B:In this Christian life.
Speaker B:Galatians, chapter 5 and verse 17 depicts it this way.
Speaker B:It says, for the flesh lusteth after the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would.
Speaker B:There is a battle raging within every one of us, and sometimes we feel like.
Speaker B:I believe the characters in Robert Louis Stevenson's book.
Speaker B:His little book is about 80 pages long, which most of y' all may have read or may have seen the movie called Dr.
Speaker B:Jekyll and Mr.
Speaker B:Hyde.
Speaker B:How many of you have ever read that book or seen that movie?
Speaker B:It's interesting.
Speaker B:Dr.
Speaker B:Jekyll in the story says, with every day.
Speaker B:Excuse me.
Speaker B:With every day I thus drew steadily nearer to the truth that man is not truly one, but truly two.
Speaker B:I saw that on the two natures that contended in the field of my consciousness.
Speaker B:And even if I could rightly be said to be either, it was only because I was radically both.
Speaker B:So he came up with a potion that would divide the two selves that he believed was it within him, so each would get the body and be able to use it in an unhindered way.
Speaker B:So he said when he did that, wow, this will be great.
Speaker B:Each nature can boogie when they're in the body without any other kinds of problems, without one side binding the other side.
Speaker B:But when he became Edward Hyde for the first time, he said, I knew myself at the first breath of this new life to be more wicked, tenfold more wicked.
Speaker B:Sold a slave to my original evil in thought.
Speaker B:Brace and delighted me like wine.
Speaker B:The thought he said that I could be that wicked.
Speaker B:I embraced and I thought it to be like wine.
Speaker B:What happened was he found he was much more depraved than he really ever thought.
Speaker B:He was much more wicked than he ever really thought that he was.
Speaker B:He thought to himself that these two natures in me cannot live forever.
Speaker B:What's going to win the war between the selves?
Speaker B:I've got to do something between these two natures within me.
Speaker B:The name Edward Hyde is a very good literary device because the word Hyde means hideous, but it also means hidden.
Speaker B:They all come from the same old English word.
Speaker B:He realized that he had this hideous part of himself that was hidden and living within him.
Speaker B:You know, when I read this, I think of what it says in Jeremiah.
Speaker B:The heart is deceitfully wicked.
Speaker B:Who can what know it?
Speaker B:I think about the deceitfulness of sin that resides within us and how if we're not careful, we don't even recognize and we don't even pay attention to that sin, that battle that is raging within us.
Speaker B:So the flesh, listen folks, is what I am by my first birth.
Speaker B:It's everything that I am in my own resources, we might say.
Speaker B:It's everything that I am when Christ is not in control of me, even though I might be a Christian and I'm not yielding to the Holy Spirit and allowing Christ to be in charge of my life.
Speaker B:It's who I am when I take control of my life to run my life instead of being filled with the Holy Spirit and allowing the spirit of God to.
Speaker B:To control my life.
Speaker B:The flesh is the me life.
Speaker B:It's the selfish life.
Speaker B:It's a big atom that bumps itself continuously against the second atom.
Speaker B:After we become a Christian, the flesh says, I'm going to have my way despite what Christ says.
Speaker B:How many of you understand what I'm saying here this morning?
Speaker B:You realize and understand this battle that is waging within us.
Speaker B:The flesh says, I'm going to do what I want to do.
Speaker B:I don't care what the Bible says.
Speaker B:I don't care what Christ says.
Speaker B:And then in your spirit, you say, I need to pray.
Speaker B:I need to read the word of God.
Speaker B:I need to witness.
Speaker B:Then the flesh comes beside it and says, no, you don't.
Speaker B:You don't need to do that.
Speaker B:What's in it for you?
Speaker B:The flesh is all about the flesh.
Speaker B:The flesh is all about me.
Speaker B:And folks, we are all desperately wicked.
Speaker B:Like Dr.
Speaker B:Hyde recognized that he was incapable, I believe, of doing any kind of sin that man has done.
Speaker B:If we let the flesh control us, if we let the Mr.
Speaker B:So and so control us within us.
Speaker B:You say, preacher, I would never do some of the things that I read about other people do.
Speaker B:I would never commit the sins that they do.
Speaker B:I remind you of a man that was a king by the name of David, who had a heart after God, who committed adultery and committed murder.
Speaker B:Listen to me, folks.
Speaker B:Realize in my Christian life, the more I grow in Christ, the more I realize how hideous it is the flesh within me.
Speaker B:The more I realize and look at how awful the sinfulness is in me.
Speaker B:How easy it is for my pride to jump up and have its way.
Speaker B:How easy it is for me to flare up at my wife like I did once last week.
Speaker B:She knows what I'm talking about.
Speaker B:How easy it is for you as a dad all of a sudden to get mad at your son and say something that you, after you say it, regret that you said because you knew it really is not something you should have said.
Speaker B:It's when you let that flesh, that other side of you, control you, within you and have its way within you, and it begins to rule you.
Speaker B:So where Boaz represents Christ, our kinsman Redeemer, and Ruth represents a Gentile, I believe, who comes to Christ are the Gentile Jesus Church, I believe the nearer kinsman, this Mr.
Speaker B:So and so represents the flesh that we have to contend with in the Christian life.
Speaker B:So I want to close out the message by trying to answer just for a minute or two, how do we have victory then over Mr.
Speaker B:So and so?
Speaker B:How do we have victory over the flesh?
Speaker B:Look with me at verse seven.
Speaker B:I think this is very insightful, what we see in Scripture here.
Speaker B:Now, this was a matter in former time in Israel concerning redeeming, concerning changing.
Speaker B:For to conform all things, a man plucked off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor.
Speaker B:And this was a testimony in Israel.
Speaker B:Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, buy it for thee.
Speaker B:So he drew off his shoe, and Boaz said unto the elders, and to all the people, ye are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech and all that was Chirons and mahlons of the hand of Naomi, more of a Ruth, the Moabitess, the wife of Maon, have I purchased to be my wife.
Speaker B:I'm sure he was rejoicing, saying these words to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren from the gate of his place.
Speaker B:Ye are witnesses this day and all the people that were in the gate.
Speaker B:And the elders said, we are witnesses.
Speaker B:Very interesting as we look at verse 7.
Speaker B:Verse 8 is referring to drawing off the shoe of this man, which was customary in that day when they would settle a legal manner.
Speaker B:And if you go back to Deuteronomy, and this comes From Deuteronomy, chapter 25, if you want to go back and read these verses?
Speaker B:I think it's verse five through verse ten.
Speaker B:It says, if a woman's husband dies, his brother is supposed to marry her to carry on the family name.
Speaker B:And if he wouldn't do that, if he would not marry her, he would not act like the near kinsman to her.
Speaker B:He refused to marry her like this newer kinsman just refused to do.
Speaker B:Then you would go with him to the gates of the city.
Speaker B:That is, the wife would go with this other brother to the gates of the city.
Speaker B:She would draw the sandal off his foot and she would spit in his face, saying, you have not redeemed me.
Speaker B:That would settle the legal matter, but it would be before the elders in the city, and it would be before the people of the city saying, you have not done what the law requires you to do as a nearer kinsman.
Speaker B:Now, there's a little twist in this story, because in this story we see Boaz is the one who's taking off the shoe.
Speaker B:Boaz is the one who is taking the sandal.
Speaker B:It isn't Ruth that's standing there with that nearer kinsman.
Speaker B:Is Boaz standing there with him?
Speaker B:Is Boaz conducting this legal deal, we might say, to take Naomi, to take Ruth as his wife to pass on an inheritance with him.
Speaker B:Boaz is standing in her place for her.
Speaker B:Here's a picture of Jesus Christ taking the initiative with regards to the flesh for her and for us.
Speaker B:Listen, God knows that we cannot win the battle of the flesh in and of ourselves.
Speaker B:How many of you believe you can win that battle?
Speaker B:In and of ourselves, the flesh will win.
Speaker B:We need somebody else to come and stand in our place to help us win this battle over the flesh.
Speaker B:You see, the flesh says, I don't need any help.
Speaker B:I'm in good shape.
Speaker B:I don't really have any problems.
Speaker B:A Christian who's controlled, listen, by the flesh goes in and out of church every Sunday, Sunday after.
Speaker B:Nothing really happens with them.
Speaker B:There's no power of God in their life because they're walking and being controlled in the flesh.
Speaker B:This person is socially acceptable and very religious and says to themselves, yeah, I do little sins, but they're not big sins.
Speaker B:They're not like the sins other people commit.
Speaker B:They're very religious people.
Speaker B:We might say, listen, this is what every Christian believes about himself once he's saved, until the Holy Spirit shows him that he's not quite that good, or to a brother or sister in Christ comes to him and says, do you see and understand the sin that's in your life until they this is pointed out to them, that is that their flesh is ruling their life.
Speaker B:So the first reaction by the flesh is just like Mr.
Speaker B:So and so's reaction, yes, I'll do it.
Speaker B:I'll do this or do that if it means something for me.
Speaker B:But anytime the flesh finds out it isn't to your benefit and doesn't mean anything for you, they say, no, I can't do it and I refuse to do it.
Speaker B:So Jesus flushes out the flesh just like Boaz flushes out this nearer kinsman.
Speaker B:Hey, come sit down right here.
Speaker B:I got to talk to you first.
Speaker B:Boaz does command, and look at the picture.
Speaker B:He commands this near kinsman to sit down.
Speaker B:And Boaz then uses the law of God.
Speaker B:He takes the ten elders who represent personify the ten Commandments, the ten witnesses, and says, I want the law to be a perfect witness of the transaction that I'm about to make here with you this day, so that this matter will be settled perfectly the way it should.
Speaker B:Then Boaz reaches down and he draws off the shoe of this nearer kinsman.
Speaker B:You say, preacher, what does that mean?
Speaker B:It's very significant, really, if you study that in the Bible.
Speaker B:You see, the shoe worn in the Bible is a symbol of several things.
Speaker B:It's a symbol of wealth and riches.
Speaker B:Slaves didn't wear shoes back in those days, that is, but sons did.
Speaker B:Sons of rich people wore those shoes.
Speaker B:The prodigal son came home without any shoes.
Speaker B:He'd been out in the pigsty.
Speaker B:He didn't have any shoes when he came home.
Speaker B:And one of the first things his dad said is what?
Speaker B:Go get him some what shoes and put those shoes on his feet.
Speaker B:I'm fully restoring him to his position as a son.
Speaker B:Do you remember when Joshua and the children of Israel went into the land?
Speaker B:God said every place that the soles of your feet shall tread upon that have I what given unto you as I said unto Moses, the shoe is a picture of possession.
Speaker B:It's a picture of authority.
Speaker B:When Boaz took the sandal off the foot of the nearer kinsman, it's a picture of Jesus taking authority over the flesh through perfectly keeping the law and atoning for your sin.
Speaker B:And atoning for my sin.
Speaker B:Listen to the gospel.
Speaker B:The gospel is what equips you with the shoes, folks on your feet to have the power over the flesh.
Speaker B:The gospel is what equips us to have the shoes to have the power and the authority over the flesh in our life.
Speaker B:That's why Paul says in Romans 6 and verse 11 he says likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Speaker B:Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof.
Speaker B:Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead.
Speaker B:And your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
Speaker B:For sin shall not have dominion over you, the flesh shall not have dominion over you.
Speaker B:For you are not under the law, but you're under what, folks?
Speaker B:You're under grace.
Speaker B:Jesus came.
Speaker B:He is that perfect Boaz.
Speaker B:He is that kinsman, Redeemer.
Speaker B:He is that one who stood there in the flesh and took the shoe and took authority over the flesh.
Speaker B:That we do not have to live under the power of sin.
Speaker B:That we can take that authority that Jesus has given to us through the gospel of Jesus Christ that we can have the victory over the flesh and the victory over sin in this life.
Speaker B:Listen folks, there's a Mr.
Speaker B:So and so, there's a Mr.
Speaker B:Hyde.
Speaker B:That's hideous.
Speaker B:A self centered person within us called the flesh that lives inside of each one of us that needs to be disposed of.
Speaker B:It needs to be crucified, it needs, it needs to be gotten rid of.
Speaker B:But thank God we have a Boaz.
Speaker B:We have a kinsman, Redeemer by the name of Jesus Christ.
Speaker B:And Jesus Christ flushes out the flesh and he stands in for us and gives us the Holy Spirit so that we can walk in victory over the flesh.
Speaker B:Let me close with these verses, very familiar verses in Galatians chapter 5 and verse 16.
Speaker B:This, this I say, then walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Speaker B:For the flesh lusteth after the Spirit and the spirit against the flesh.
Speaker B:And these are contrary the one to the other.
Speaker B:So that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Speaker B:But if you be led by the Spirit, you're not under the law.
Speaker B:And it says in Galatians there, it says, walk in the Spirit and you'll not fulfill what the lust of the flesh.
Speaker B:We can have victory in this Christian life.
Speaker B:There are two.
Speaker B:We might say that first Adam, that second Adam.
Speaker B:But thank God because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that he has given us victory over sin.
Speaker B:We still have to deal with this sin in this life.
Speaker B:We still have to deal with that flesh in this life.
Speaker B:But we can have victory over that sin in our life when we walk in the Spirit and we appropriate the gospel into our life.
Speaker B:As Jesus stood in our place as Jesus flushes out the flesh, as the Holy Spirit reveals to us the things in our heart that are evil, the things in our heart, the bitterness, the pride, the indifference, the offense that we have toward other people.
Speaker B:And maybe you're here today and in your heart, you're sitting there right now and God is pointing out to you this morning some things you'd say, oh, preacher, I'm glad you can't see that other side of me this morning.
Speaker B:The thoughts I've been having, the things I've been doing this past week, oh, preacher, I've been yielding to the flesh.
Speaker B:I haven't been walking in the spirit.
Speaker B:Then God says to you today, he says, come and be cleansed of your sin.
Speaker B:Come and take authority over that sin in the name of Jesus Christ, and walk in the spirit and don't walk in the flesh.
Speaker B:You can have victory in Jesus Christ.
Speaker A:Thank you for joining the Fortifying youg Family podcast.
Speaker A:And if you feel encouraged by today's teaching, give us a follow so we can invite you back and share us on your socials so more marriages and families can be strengthened and fortified through the truths of God's word.
Speaker A:Remember, fortifying your family starts with a strong belief in God's Word.
