We are no longer in the realm of the flesh, but in the realm of the Spirit. Rebellious man tries to live without God, he makes his own decisions on what is right and wrong and relies on his own resources and abilities to live. When he realises this isn’t working he might turn to God and to His ways, but if he then tries to fulfil God’s law, God’s ways, in his own strength he is still in the realm of the flesh. We might have a better set of rules or laws or principles, but the results will actually be no better because we are still in the realm of the flesh, relying on our own resources. The futility if this way is what Paul has been talking about in the previous verses. We, however, are now in the realm of the Spirit. However, we are so used to living by the flesh that we need to unlearn old ways, and learn the new way of living. A man who is in the realm of the Spirit receives inspiration and direction from the Spirit, we receive strength from Him.
Now we are only in the realm of the Spirit if we belong to Christ, and if we belong to Him His Spirit lives in us. There is no halfway house about this. If we do not have the Spirit then we do not belong to Christ.
Notice the use of the word “realm” in NIV, though the Greek actually just says in the flesh or in the Spirit. The question is, “how are we living”, by the flesh or by the Spirit.
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