The Power of Crucifying the Flesh: Ascending to Higher Places

There's something profound about the relationship between weight and elevation. When you're lighter, you can ascend higher. This isn't just a physical principle, it's a spiritual truth that transforms how we understand our walk with Christ.

Imagine standing on a mountainside in Switzerland, preparing to paraglide over breathtaking valleys and waterfalls. Two people launch from the same spot, but one ascends significantly higher than the other. The difference? Weight. The lighter person catches the wind and soars to places the heavier person cannot reach, experiencing perspectives and views that remain hidden to those more burdened.

This picture captures a essential spiritual reality: when there is less of us and more of Him, we can ascend to heights we never imagined possible.

The Meaning of Crucifixion

The Apostle Paul declared something revolutionary in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."

What does it mean to be crucified with Christ?

Crucifixion was designed to destroy the power of the flesh completely. In ancient times, it wasn't just a method of execution, it was a public humiliation that stripped away everything that gave a person worldly power. A wealthy business owner who rode in gold-plated chariots, wore expensive clothes, and commanded respect through visible displays of success would be stripped naked and hung on a cross. Everything that defined his power, his possessions, his status, his reputation, would be removed until all that remained was the glory God gave him at birth.

The cross eliminated pride, removed self-dependency, and destroyed the ability of the flesh to intimidate or impress.

When we say we've been crucified with Christ, we're declaring that the power of our flesh has been destroyed. We're no longer defined by our job titles, our bank accounts, our homes, our cars, or our social connections. These things don't give us our identity.

What Gives You Pride?

Here's a question worth sitting with: What about who you are do you put more pride in than the pride you put in the purpose of God in your life?

When you wake up in the morning, what makes you feel good about yourself? Is it the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the house you live in, the job that you have, or the friends you socialize with? Or is it something deeper, the knowledge that you belong to God and are walking in His purpose?

Do you find more pride in the things that adorn you, or in your relationship with the Father?

A truly crucified person has a different orientation. As Watchman Nee wisely observed: "A crucified man never argues. A crucified man never boasts. And a crucified man never seeks his own way."

When we've been genuinely crucified with Christ, our fleshly appetites no longer control our decisions. We don't need to win every argument. We don't need to broadcast our accomplishments. We don't insist on having things our way.

The Challenge of the Flesh

Why is it that even after coming to Christ, we don't always feel like the flesh has been destroyed? Why does something still rise up in us, old patterns, selfish desires, prideful impulses?

It's because too often we want all of Christ without yielding our fleshly appetites.

We're born takers. From the moment we emerge from the womb, we cry for what we want. "Give me, give me, give me." This is natural and necessary for survival as infants. But maturity means learning to put away those fleshly appetites, to stop taking and start receiving, to stop demanding and start trusting.

Consider a business decision where taking a shortcut would save thousands of dollars. The law requires one thing, but a technicality could allow you to avoid the expense. The flesh says, "Save the money. No one will know." But the crucified life says, "My integrity and God's honor are worth more than convenience or savings."

Every time we choose to crucify a fleshly appetite, whether it's the desire for shortcuts, the need to be right, the craving for recognition, or the pull toward compromise, we unleash more of the Spirit's power in our lives.

The Unleashing of Spirit Power

Here's the beautiful paradox: while crucifixion removes the power of your flesh, it unleashes the power of God's Spirit in you.

They took the power of Jesus' flesh when they hung Him on that cross, but they unleashed the power of His Spirit. The same is true for us. Every single time we crucify a fleshly appetite, every time we remove something that stands between us and God, the power of the Holy Spirit increases in our lives.

There are things in you that you don't even know about yet, gifts, callings, capacities, and purposes that God wants to unleash. But they remain dormant while the flesh holds power. As the flesh is crucified, the Spirit rises.

Living by Faith

The final part of Paul's declaration is this: "I now live my life by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Things still happen. Challenges arise. We make mistakes. We stumble. We fail. But our faith is in Christ, not in our perfect performance.

We don't live in our errors. We don't build our house on our mistakes. We don't camp out in our failings. Instead, we come right back to the Father and say, "I am crucifying my flesh with Christ. I repent. Forgive me. I shouldn't have done that."

Faith doesn't require understanding everything. Faith simply requires believing, having confidence that even what we don't understand, He will fulfill at His appointed time.

Living by faith means we don't live by condemnation because of our weaknesses. We live by confidence in His strength. We wade through the muck and mire, knowing He's bringing us out, setting our feet on solid rock, and putting a new song in our souls.

The Path of Discipleship

How does this crucifixion happen practically? Through discipleship, positioning ourselves to be taught, trained, and transformed.

No one has been in the faith long enough to eliminate the need for discipleship. We all need community, teaching, accountability, and the sharpening that comes from rubbing shoulders with other believers. We need to be vulnerable about our struggles, willing to admit where we're having a hard time letting go, and open to receiving help.

As we position ourselves in discipleship, sanctification happens. We're set apart from ourselves and set apart into Him. More and more, we're defined not by our flesh but by His Spirit.

Ascending Higher

When there is less of you and more of Him, you can ascend higher into who He wants you to be. The view changes. The perspective shifts. You see things you couldn't see when you were weighted down by the flesh.

The least important thing in your life is not what God called you to do. It's who God called you to be, a son or a daughter, walking in intimate relationship with the Father.

Whatever weaknesses are present in your life don't have to define you. What defines you is your relationship with Him. Crucified with Christ, no longer living for yourself, but living by faith in the One who loved you and gave Himself for you.

That's the life of a true disciple of Christ.

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Crucified

The Power of Crucifying the Flesh: Ascending to Higher Places

There's something profound about the relationship between weight and elevation. When you're lighter, you can ascend higher. This isn't just a physical principle, it's a spiritual truth that transforms how we understand our walk with Christ.

Imagine standing on a mountainside in Switzerland, preparing to paraglide over breathtaking valleys and waterfalls. Two people launch from the same spot, but one ascends significantly higher than the other. The difference? Weight. The lighter person catches the wind and soars to places the heavier person cannot reach, experiencing perspectives and views that remain hidden to those more burdened.

This picture captures a essential spiritual reality: when there is less of us and more of Him, we can ascend to heights we never imagined possible.

The Meaning of Crucifixion

The Apostle Paul declared something revolutionary in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."

What does it mean to be crucified with Christ?

Crucifixion was designed to destroy the power of the flesh completely. In ancient times, it wasn't just a method of execution, it was a public humiliation that stripped away everything that gave a person worldly power. A wealthy business owner who rode in gold-plated chariots, wore expensive clothes, and commanded respect through visible displays of success would be stripped naked and hung on a cross. Everything that defined his power, his possessions, his status, his reputation, would be removed until all that remained was the glory God gave him at birth.

The cross eliminated pride, removed self-dependency, and destroyed the ability of the flesh to intimidate or impress.

When we say we've been crucified with Christ, we're declaring that the power of our flesh has been destroyed. We're no longer defined by our job titles, our bank accounts, our homes, our cars, or our social connections. These things don't give us our identity.

What Gives You Pride?

Here's a question worth sitting with: What about who you are do you put more pride in than the pride you put in the purpose of God in your life?

When you wake up in the morning, what makes you feel good about yourself? Is it the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the house you live in, the job that you have, or the friends you socialize with? Or is it something deeper, the knowledge that you belong to God and are walking in His purpose?

Do you find more pride in the things that adorn you, or in your relationship with the Father?

A truly crucified person has a different orientation. As Watchman Nee wisely observed: "A crucified man never argues. A crucified man never boasts. And a crucified man never seeks his own way."

When we've been genuinely crucified with Christ, our fleshly appetites no longer control our decisions. We don't need to win every argument. We don't need to broadcast our accomplishments. We don't insist on having things our way.

The Challenge of the Flesh

Why is it that even after coming to Christ, we don't always feel like the flesh has been destroyed? Why does something still rise up in us, old patterns, selfish desires, prideful impulses?

It's because too often we want all of Christ without yielding our fleshly appetites.

We're born takers. From the moment we emerge from the womb, we cry for what we want. "Give me, give me, give me." This is natural and necessary for survival as infants. But maturity means learning to put away those fleshly appetites, to stop taking and start receiving, to stop demanding and start trusting.

Consider a business decision where taking a shortcut would save thousands of dollars. The law requires one thing, but a technicality could allow you to avoid the expense. The flesh says, "Save the money. No one will know." But the crucified life says, "My integrity and God's honor are worth more than convenience or savings."

Every time we choose to crucify a fleshly appetite, whether it's the desire for shortcuts, the need to be right, the craving for recognition, or the pull toward compromise, we unleash more of the Spirit's power in our lives.

The Unleashing of Spirit Power

Here's the beautiful paradox: while crucifixion removes the power of your flesh, it unleashes the power of God's Spirit in you.

They took the power of Jesus' flesh when they hung Him on that cross, but they unleashed the power of His Spirit. The same is true for us. Every single time we crucify a fleshly appetite, every time we remove something that stands between us and God, the power of the Holy Spirit increases in our lives.

There are things in you that you don't even know about yet, gifts, callings, capacities, and purposes that God wants to unleash. But they remain dormant while the flesh holds power. As the flesh is crucified, the Spirit rises.

Living by Faith

The final part of Paul's declaration is this: "I now live my life by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Things still happen. Challenges arise. We make mistakes. We stumble. We fail. But our faith is in Christ, not in our perfect performance.

We don't live in our errors. We don't build our house on our mistakes. We don't camp out in our failings. Instead, we come right back to the Father and say, "I am crucifying my flesh with Christ. I repent. Forgive me. I shouldn't have done that."

Faith doesn't require understanding everything. Faith simply requires believing, having confidence that even what we don't understand, He will fulfill at His appointed time.

Living by faith means we don't live by condemnation because of our weaknesses. We live by confidence in His strength. We wade through the muck and mire, knowing He's bringing us out, setting our feet on solid rock, and putting a new song in our souls.

The Path of Discipleship

How does this crucifixion happen practically? Through discipleship, positioning ourselves to be taught, trained, and transformed.

No one has been in the faith long enough to eliminate the need for discipleship. We all need community, teaching, accountability, and the sharpening that comes from rubbing shoulders with other believers. We need to be vulnerable about our struggles, willing to admit where we're having a hard time letting go, and open to receiving help.

As we position ourselves in discipleship, sanctification happens. We're set apart from ourselves and set apart into Him. More and more, we're defined not by our flesh but by His Spirit.

Ascending Higher

When there is less of you and more of Him, you can ascend higher into who He wants you to be. The view changes. The perspective shifts. You see things you couldn't see when you were weighted down by the flesh.

The least important thing in your life is not what God called you to do. It's who God called you to be, a son or a daughter, walking in intimate relationship with the Father.

Whatever weaknesses are present in your life don't have to define you. What defines you is your relationship with Him. Crucified with Christ, no longer living for yourself, but living by faith in the One who loved you and gave Himself for you.

That's the life of a true disciple of Christ.