Progressive Mortification, How to Humble the Flesh

We want to do what is right, but something in us resists doing good.

The Bible tells us that it is our sinful flesh that opposes us. This article is about how we fight back against the flesh.

Pastor Jonathan Fisk and I were discussing 2 Corinthians 3:18 this week on Sharper Iron, and as far as I can tell, we coined a new phrase, “Progressive Mortification.” (You can listen to the conversation here.) We talked about how we rarely hear talk about how the Christian puts to death the flesh, and humbles the desires of our base nature.

First, What’s Mortification?

Mortify means to put to death.

The King James version gives us the word in two places:

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Colossians 3:5)

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (Romans 8:13)

The Bible gives us this glimpse of our inner life. We have a sinful flesh, the “Old Adam,” and we have the Spirit, the “new man,” and these two are waging war against one another.

The flesh manifests itself in desires, it wants, it lusts, it is greedy and lazy and angry. The flesh does not want the things of God. The flesh is an appetite, and it is hungry for filth and rot.

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. (Galatians 5:19-20)

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. (Galatians 5:17)

Mortification is fighting against the flesh.

Mortification is the killing and humbling of the Old Adam (Ap VI:60). It is accomplish in our mind, spirit, and body. It is sometimes something that we do (i.e. fasting, labors, discipline, prayers, etc.), and sometimes the Lord puts affliction on us. The Holy Spirit is active in mortification, and we cooperate, working together to “make no provision for the flesh” (Romans 13:14).

A Picture: Two Campfires

Here’s a picture. Imagine two campfires. One is the desire of the flesh. We are born with this fire burning.

The other fire is the life of the Spirit. This is ignited in our baptism.

Our Christian life is tending to these fires. We try to extinguish the fire of the flesh. We certainly don’t want to put more logs on the fire, collect wood and have it ready. Rather, we want to deprave that fire of fuel, douse it with water, throw dirt on it.

The devil, on the other hand, it trying to keep that fire going, and use it to burn the forest down.

We also want to stoke the fire of the Spirit. We want to grow in our desire for the good things, to set our mind on what is holy, good and true. We train our desires for the things of God.

Paul uses the picture of farming. We are either sowing to the Spirit, or sowing to the flesh, and where we sown determines where we reap.

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. (Galatians 6:8)

How? How does the mortification of the flesh happen?

Fourteen Pieces of Advice from Dr. Luther on Mortification

In his classic little book Concerning Christian Liberty free download, Martin Luther gives an evangelical approach to mortification of the flesh.

1. We are saved by grace through faith, apart from works.

The works of mortification to not justify us or merit God’s grace. We have to start here. First, justification. First, faith, then love and the cross. 

Although, as I have said, inwardly, and according to the spirit, a man is amply enough justified by faith, having all that he requires to have, except that this very faith and abundance ought to increase from day to day, even till the future life…

2. Because we remain in the flesh, we have to rule our unruly bodies.

[The Christian] still remains in this mortal life upon earth, in which it is necessary that he should rule his own body, and have dealings with men.

3. Our good works begin with mortification, with discipline, with fighting against laziness

Luther knows that we are tempted to ease, to laziness, and this temptation has to be fought against.

Here then works begin; here he must not take his ease; here he must give heed to exercise his body

4. Three disciplines that the Christian practices are (1) fasting, (2) watching, and (3) labor.

… by fastings, watchings, labor, and other moderate discipline…

Luther takes his list from St. Paul, who says in 2 Corinthians 6:5-6:

“As servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love.”

Fasting is not eating. Watchings is not sleeping, staying awake to pray. Labors are difficult works that serve the neighbor. All three are not giving the flesh what it wants.

Our stomachs grumble at us, telling us that we are hungry and need food. When we fast we say to our stomachs, “You’re not in charge here.” Our bodies get tired, telling us to get some sleep. When we stay awake to watch and pray we are telling our flesh, “You’re not the boss.” Our flesh loves to take it easy. When we labor, when we use our bodies and our work to bless our neighbor, we deny ourselves.

(I’ve never seen anyone write about the discipline of “watching.” I’ll be looking into it.)

Notice Luther’s language of “moderate discipline.” He remembers the godless extremes of the monks, an warns against it.

5. The purpose of these disciplines is to subdue the flesh to the spirit.

…so that it [the sinful flesh] may be subdued to the spirit, and obey and conform itself to the inner man and faith, and not rebel against them nor hinder them, as is its nature to do if it is not kept under control.

Paul writes:

“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God,” (Romans 8:12-14).

6. The new man does not need this discipline. He delights perfectly in God’s Law and God’s service.

For the inner man, being conformed to God, and created after the image of God through faith, rejoices and delights itself in Christ, in whom such blessings have been conferred on it; and hence has only this task before it, to serve God with joy and in free love without constraint.

7. This love of God offends our flesh. The flesh does not want to serve God, but the world and itself.

In doing this he [the new man] offends that contrary will in his own flesh, which is striving to serve the world, and to seek its own gratification.

8. Just like the flesh is offended by the godliness of the new man, so the new man is appalled at the desires of the flesh.

This is fantastic, and key to Luther’s understanding of mortification. The new man looks at the Old Adam and says, “Hey, buddy, you want the wrong stuff. You desire destruction. You are all messed up. I can’t stand it. You’ve got to go.”

Luther writes:

This [worldly selfishness of the flesh] the spirit of faith cannot and will not bear; but applies itself with cheerfulness and zeal to keep it down and restrain it; as Paul says: “I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin” (Romans 7:22-23). And again: “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27). And: “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24).

First, we note that it is with “cheerfulness and zeal” that the new man takes up the work of clobbering the flesh!

Second, we notice that this is what Luther understands the Scriptures to dictate, quoting Romans 7, 1 Corinthians 9, and Galatians 5. Mortification is a Biblical teaching.

9. Mortification has to be kept in it’s proper theological place.

These works, however, must not be done with any notion that by them a man can be justified before God–for faith, which alone is righteousness before God, will not bear with this false notion–but solely with this purpose, that the body may be brought into subjection, and be purified from its evil lusts, so that our eyes may be turned only to purging away those lusts.

Works of mortification are not done for justification. Instead, these works (1) bring our bodies into subjection, (2) purify the body from evil lusts, and (3) purge those lusts.

We note, in passing, that we normally think of lust in connection to sexual sins, but there is a lust for every commandment. (Think of our phrase “lust for power.”)

Fourth Commandment lust is rebellion.
Fifth Commandment lust is anger.
Sixth Commandment lust is lust.
Seventh Commandment lust is greed and laziness.
Eighth Commandment lust is bitterness.
Ninth and Tenth Commandment lust is envy.
First Table lust is pride, despair, and indifference to holy things, and a fear, love, or trust of anything above God.

“Our eyes,” says Luther, are turned to “purging away those lusts.”

10. Mortification is working towards the unification of the body and the new man in praise to God.

For when the soul has been cleansed by faith and made to love God, it would have all things to be cleansed in like manner; and especially in its own body, so that all things might unite with it in the love and praise of God.

11. This mortification is a requirement. Left to its own, the flesh doesn’t love God or the neighbor.

Thus it comes that from the requirements of his own body a man cannot take his ease, but is compelled on its account to do many good works, that he may bring it into subjection.

12. Works (including mortification) is not done to make us pleasing to God, but to please God.

Yet these works are not the means of his justification before God, he does them out of disinterested love to the service of God; looking to no other end than to do what is well-pleasing to Him whom he desires to obey dutifully in all things.

“Disinterested” is an interesting word. A newer translation has spontaneous. Alex, can you sort out the German for us?

The idea here is that we are not mortifying and disciplining the flesh so that God would love us (justification), but because we love God. We are not looking to get something from God through our works, but rather looking at what God wants.

This, also, is an important point, something often missed in Lutheran circles. Our life of love and good works is both towards God and our neighbor.

Finally, from this quotation, notice Luther’s use of the word “desire.” The new man desires to love and serve God, and please Him with works and obedience.

13. Mortification cannot be standardized

Because each of us has a different flesh with different circumstances, we are sorting out the best way “to put to death the deeds of the body” (Romans 8:14). Luther writes:

On this principle every man may easily instruct himself in what measure, and with what distinctions, he ought to chasten his own body. He will fast, watch, and labor, just as much as he sees to suffice for keeping down the wantonness and concupiscence of the body.

This is one of the dangers of pietism, it wants to standardize acts of discipline and piety. (Look, Pastor Kachelmeier, I’m using your definition of pietism!)

“Concupiscence” is the sinful inclinations and desires of the flesh. Note, again, that discipline keeps these down. Remember stamping down the camp fire.

14. The desire to be justified by our works results in mortifications so extreme that people have destroyed themselves.

Luther got close to this in the monastery. He warns:

But those who pretend to be justified by works are looking, not to the mortification of their lusts, but only to the works themselves; thinking that, if they can accomplish as many works and as great ones as possible, all is well with them, and they are justified. Sometimes they even injure their brain, and extinguish nature, or at least make it useless. This is enormous folly, and ignorance of Christian life and faith, when a man seeks, without faith, to be justified and saved by works.

We are not supposed to knock our self out. Mortification is not suicide. We are tending the fires that are burning inside us, keep the desires of the body in their proper place, putting out the sinful desires of the flesh, and cultivating the desires of the spirit, the godly desires of the Christian for the things of God.

Hope for the Battle

Our flesh drives and draws us to sin and death, but Christ has triumphed over the world, the devil, and even our own sinful flesh. There is a note of triumph and joy as Paul unfolds this doctrine.

“For if we have been united with Him in a death like His [baptism], we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:5-11)

Look at the promises Paul has given us in these verses. We are united with Christ in a death lie His. We will be raised with Him. Our flesh was crucified with Him. The body of sin (that is, our sinful flesh) is brought to nothing. We are no longer enslaved to sin. Death no longer has dominion over Christ, or over us. We are dead to sin. We are alive to Christ. And we know it!

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

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Appendix A: Mortification in the Lutheran Confessions

There are a lot of mentions of mortification in the Lutheran Confessions. (Track them down here.)

Here are a few:

Augsburg Confession XXVI:30-39

Here our adversaries object that our teachers are opposed to discipline and mortification of the flesh, as Jovinian. But the contrary may be learned from the writings of our teachers. For they have always taught concerning the cross that it behooves Christians to bear afflictions. This is the true, earnest, and unfeigned mortification, to wit, to be exercised with divers afflictions, and to be crucified with Christ.

Moreover, they teach that every Christian ought to train and subdue himself with bodily restraints, or bodily exercises and labors that neither satiety nor slothfulness tempt him to sin, but not that we may merit grace or make satisfaction for sins by such exercises. And such external discipline ought to be urged at all times, not only on a few and set days. So Christ commands, Luke 21:34: “Take heed lest your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting,” also Matthew 17:21, “This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” Paul also says, 1 Corinthians 9:27, “I keep under my body and bring it into subjection.” Here he clearly shows that he was keeping under his body, not to merit forgiveness of sins by that discipline, but to have his body in subjection and fitted for spiritual things, and for the discharge of duty according to his calling.

Apology of the Augsburg Confession VI:24

In a word, there is no inner repentance unless it also produces outwardly mortifications of the flesh. We say also that this is the meaning of John when he says, Matthew 3:8, “Bring forth, therefore, fruits meet for repentance.” Likewise of Paul when he says, Romans 6:19, “Yield your members servants to righteousness,” He likewise says elsewhere, Romans 12:1, “Present your bodies a living sacrifice,” etc. And when Christ says, Matthew 4:17, “Repent,” He certainly speaks of the entire repentance, of the entire newness of life and its fruits.

Apology of the Augsburg Confession II:35

He also added in reference to the material that the Holy Ghost, given through Baptism, begins to mortify the concupiscence, and creates new movements [a new light, a new sense and spirit] in man.There are

If you like these quotes, you’ll have fun with the others.

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Appendix B: The Whole Luther  Quotation, without my rude interruptions

Although, as I have said, inwardly, and according to the spirit, a man is amply enough justified by faith, having all that he requires to have, except that this very faith and abundance ought to increase from day to day, even till the future life; still he remains in this mortal life upon earth, in which it is necessary that he should rule his own body, and have dealings with men. Here then works begin; here he must not take his ease; here he must give heed to exercise his body by fastings, watchings, labor, and other moderate discipline, so that it may be subdued to the spirit, and obey and conform itself to the inner man and faith, and not rebel against them nor hinder them, as is its nature to do if it is not kept under control. For the inner man, being conformed to God, and created after the image of God through faith, rejoices and delights itself in Christ, in whom such blessings have been conferred on it; and hence has only this task before it, to serve God with joy and in free love without constraint.

In doing this he offends that contrary will in his own flesh, which is striving to serve the world, and to seek its own gratification. This the spirit of faith cannot and will not bear; but applies itself with cheerfulness and zeal to keep it down and restrain it; as Paul says: “I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin” (Romans 7:22-23). And again: “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (1 Corinthians 9:27). And: “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Galatians 5:24).

These works, however, must not be done with any notion that by them a man can be justified before God–for faith, which alone is righteousness before God, will not bear with this false notion–but solely with this purpose, that the body may be brought into subjection, and be purified from its evil lusts, so that our eyes may be turned only to purging away those lusts. For when the soul has been cleansed by faith and made to love God, it would have all things to be cleansed in like manner; and especially in its own body, so that all things might unite with it in the love and praise of God. Thus it comes that from the requirements of his own body a man cannot take his ease, but is compelled on its account to do many good works, that he may bring it into subjection. Yet these works are not the means of his justification before God, he does them out of disinterested love to the service of God; looking to no other end than to do what is well-pleasing to Him whom he desires to obey dutifully in all things.

On this principle every man may easily instruct himself in what measure, and with what distinctions, he ought to chasten his own body. He will fast, watch, and labor, just as much as he sees to suffice for keeping down the wantonness and concupiscence of the body. But those who pretend to be justified by works are looking, not to the mortification of their lusts, but only to the works themselves; thinking that, if they can accomplish as many works and as great ones as possible, all is well with them, and they are justified. Sometimes they even injure their brain, and extinguish nature, or at least make it useless. This is enormous folly, and ignorance of Christian life and faith, when a man seeks, without faith, to be justified and saved by works.

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Appendix C: A Great Luther Quotation that I Couldn’t Find a Place for, but that You Guys Will Love

Martin Luther on Genesis 32:32

I have often seen excellent men horribly vexed by terrors, afflictions, and the severest persecutions, so much so that they nearly experienced despair of heart. But these things must be learned so that we may be able to comfort such men and interpret the temptations as the special manner by which God is accustomed to wrestle with us in the form of a destroyer and that we may exhort them firmly to retain the promise, or lamp and spark, of the Word in the hope that the rescue will certainly follow. For God leads down to hell and brings back (cf. 1 Sam. 2:6). Now you see His back parts, and God seems to be shunning you, but sometime later you will see His front parts and His face. This is what it means for Him to love those whom He chastises. This love must be learned from experience, nor should chastisement be avoided and shunned. The story is told of a peasant who, when he heard this consolation from his pastor, that the afflictions and troubles by which God afflicts us are signs of His love, replied: “Ah, how I would like Him to love others and not me!”

This was a foolish and impious reply. We should not feel and speak like this, nor should God’s works in us be interpreted and understood in this way. But we should know that mortification is very salutary. By it we are instructed for life and salvation, not for destruction, as Paul testifies when he says (Rom. 12:2): “That you may prove” (not only that you may learn by words but that you may also learn by experience) “what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” For this is God’s will, our mortification and sanctification (cf. 1 Thess. 4:3). But we cannot be sanctified unless the flesh and the body of sin is mortified, which in this life with all its force is driven into sins of every kind, adulteries, lusts, thefts, etc. God therefore judges, chastises, and scourges until we learn what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God so that we sing with David (Ps. 119:71): “It is good for me that Thou didst humble me, that I might learn Thy statutes.” I would gladly be exempted; my flesh shrinks from temptation, but I know that this is the excellent will of God. Likewise: “The Lord has chastened me sorely, but He has not given me over to death” (Ps. 118:18). “I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me” (Ps. 118:13), so that my soul should see the face of God and be saved. “I thank Thee that Thou hast answered me and hast become my Salvation” (Ps. 118:21). (LW 6:149-150)

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“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Titus 2:11-14)

Appendix D: Misc. Luther Quotations regarding Mortification

Therefore we must be troubled and humbled, if not by bloodshed and imprisonment, as the saintly martyrs suffered, at least through spiritual trials, sorrow, grief, and anguish of heart. Otherwise we shall perish in our sins. For the flesh is corrupt, filled with poison, leprous, and has need of a physician to counteract that rottenness by means of cross, martyrdom, sadness, confusion, and disgrace. These, you see, are the medicines with which God purges away sin.
Holy Scripture is full of such examples. They show that the saints must endure. For when they are not subjected to trials, they forget their spiritual exercises. Then they pray, believe, and praise rather lazily. On the other hand, they cry out, groan, and complain when misfortunes come, and thus they are disciplined and instructed in the Word, as Isaiah says (Is. 28:19): “Vexation gives understanding.”

Luther’s Works 8:7 (On Genesis 45:3)

SDG, PrBW