“¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwells in you.

¹² Therefore, Brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

¹³ For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit (the Holy Spirit) do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live.

¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Romans 8:11-14

Debtors to the flesh accept their abilities as the means by which they have life and life more abundantly.  This way to “life” seems right to the carnal mind but in reality it is the way of death.

“There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12

The Child of God is a debtor to the Spirit of God for the mortification of the deeds of the flesh, not our own strengths or self will which religion inevitably incites for victory.  What the Believer must understand is the Holy Spirit is not commissioned to mortify those deeds of the flesh which lead to death when we live after that which He is wanting to mortify – our own abilities, intellect, willpower, etc..

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under Grace.” Romans 6:14

The flesh tends after laws (rules, methods, philosophies) to break the power of sin,  while faith tends to the Cross of Christ to break the power of sin.  The Believer’s faith in the redeeming work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s Cross gives the Holy Spirit latitude to do that which He is commissioned to do in the Believer’s life…mortify the deeds of the flesh, free us from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2) and give us dominion over sin.  We are a debtor to the Spirit of God for the mortification of the deeds of the flesh but the Spirit of God will not mortify those deeds when our faith is in Him (the Holy Spirit) or our flesh (abilities, intellect, etc.).

“Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all Truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.” John 16:13

The Holy Spirit will not speak of Himself but show us (reveal to us) the Cross of Christ which at the time of this Scripture was “to come”.  Jesus had not yet been crucified when the Holy Spirit gave John this Scripture.

The Holy Spirit which dwells in each and every Believer and raised Jesus from the dead, is perfectly capable of quickening our mortal bodies to do that which is the perfect Will of God for those who are seeking His perfect Will and looking unto Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of their faith.   God the Father commissioned the Holy Spirit to do His work in the heart and life of those whose faith is in the Cross of Christ for everything we receive from Him.

“And He (Jesus) said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

We cannot follow the Lord Jesus Christ until we deny ourselves…deny our flesh and walk after the Spirit of God as He quickens our mortal flesh and orders our footsteps.  Precept upon precept and line upon line, we die daily for Jesus’ sake so Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh…for in us is no good thing.

“⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

⁸ We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

¹⁰ Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

¹¹ For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

¹² So then death works in us, but life in you.” 2 Cor. 4:7-12

-Donna Clark Warren