Mortifying and crucifying a Rebellious Flesh

We can see that we feel certain genetic impulses and impediments that compel our actions or inactions in certain directions. Certain directions that our rational mind may or may not consciously choose to go. We feel the effects of this instinct, or "Old Man", everywhere we turn. When we feel hunger, is it not a genetic mechanism telling us to feed? If the choice to eat were solely a concious one, why the need to feel such a compulsive urge? Shivers and chills, are they not an instinctual message telling us to cover ourselves? Fear, which evokes a fight or flight response, can we not feel the unconscious pulls to act in certain preprogrammed patterns? We don't consciously control the secretion of adrenaline into the nervous system after all, any more than we control the lustful hormones that guide us to act when certain situations arise between man and woman. We find ourselves in certain situations, and instinct begins to rear its head.

Not all instinct is bad. There are definitely beneficial aspects of our generic preprogramming that may definitely have aided in the survival process.

But then too, there are a multitude of others that are outdated. There are some that are harmful to ourselves or others, and still others that are downright illegal, or deadly.

Running on instinct as opposed to rational thought is also addicting. It creates certain habits of relying and acting outside the realms of conscious thought and solely on animalistic behaviour. It "empowers the flesh" as the Bible would say. And when the flesh is empowered and we develop such habits of acting instinctively, we weaken more and more the control that our mind (or Spirit) has over our day to day affairs.

When a lot of us begin to live the Christian life, we feel discouraged when e find that we an not so easily follow the commandments that we wish to do. We sometimes assume that we are just evil or bad, and that it is hopeless for us to fake and pretend to be something that we are not. What we are witnessing when this occurs is the truth that we were just discussing. We are seeing how little control our conscious mind has over ourselves, and how much is in fact in the solid control of instincts, or passions, of fears, attractions, aversions and lusts.

Paul speaks of this as not being able to do what he "wills", and doing what he does not want to do. it's the flesh dominating the behavioural agenda.

If we ourselves do not have any control over our actions, it is impossible to subject our whole being, mind body and soul, to the Will of Christ. Simply because we don't have control of our bodies to offer Him.

So first off, we need to get control. We must learn to bring our bodies in obedience to our conscious Spirit. Our Will. We have free will, and we can see this as we can choose and plan anything we want. We just can't do what we plan. So how do we reign in, conquer and crucify the flesh and make it obedient to our minds so that we can offer the whole unit to Christ to be fit and ready for His use and service?

This is one use of Penances. When we sin by obeying the flesh, instead of our Will, which should desire to be obeying Christ, we weaken that control just a tad bit. Our mind has lost control, and our genetics take back a little more control. So it becomes necessary to wrest back control. People say it's pointless to forego meat on Fridays, to give alms, to fast, but all these actions are contrary to what the Flesh desires. It's like imposing the dominance of the Will right back over the flesh. Taking back lost territory.

It's only when we have solid control that we can be obedient to Christ, Mind, Body and soul. We don't have to stop at such routine penances. Anything we can do to weaken the flesh's control will make it more obedient. Cold showers, forced physical exertion, foregoing sleep, overriding fears, anything we feel compelled to do, we can obstinately refuse, and do the opposite. Provided of course, that it is not harmful to us. But every act, however small, will weaken the control of our bodies. Over our actions and will empower our will in guiding decisions and actions. Then it just becomes a matter of choosing to obey Christ, which becomes a lot easier, because it becomes possible.