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who
continue to walk "after the flesh." Reliable Matthew Henry says:
"In a word, we are put upon this dilemma, either to displease the body
or destroy the soul." Jamieson, Faucett and Brown say in that most excellent
commentary, "If ye do not kill sin, it will kill you." Instead,
therefore, of likening this undying conflict to a kind of deadlock or stalemate,
the apostle rather likens it to a duel where each is out to take
the life of the other.
After the children of Israel
had gone through Jordan's floods (a figure of our death and resurrection
with Christ), and had entered into the land of fruit and fight, they
were indeed put upon the dilemma, "If ye do not kill the Canaanitcs, they
will kill you." In this analogy is set forth the warfare between the flesh
and the Spirit. While not ignoring the dark side of these warnings,
we would rather thank God for the bright alternative that, "If ye through
the Spirit do mortify [make to die, or put to death] the deeds of the body
[the cursed Canaanitish flesh), ye shall live."
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