But in whom is it for us? Those who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. For those who are according to the flesh think of the things of the flesh; but those who are according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. For the wisdom of the flesh is death; but the wisdom of the spirit is life and peace. For the wisdom of the flesh is hostile to God. For it is not subject to the law of God: nor indeed can it be. What does it mean: nor indeed can it? It does not mean that man cannot, nor the soul cannot, nor finally the flesh itself, because it is a creature of God, cannot; but the wisdom of the flesh cannot, vice cannot, not nature. As if you were to say: Lameness cannot subject itself to walking uprightly; nor indeed can it. The foot can, but the lameness cannot. Remove the lameness, and you will see upright walking. But as long as there is lameness, it cannot; so as long as there is the wisdom of the flesh, it cannot. Let there not be the wisdom of the flesh, and man can. The wisdom of the spirit is life and peace. Therefore what he says: the wisdom of the flesh is hostile to God, do not understand it as if this hostility could harm God. It is hostile by resisting, not by doing harm. But it harms the one in whom the wisdom of the flesh is; because it is the vice of nature that harms, in which nature it is found. However, medicine was invented for the purpose of driving out the vice and healing the nature. Hence, the Savior came to the human race, found no one healthy, therefore the great physician came.
The error of the Manichaeans.
This was said because the Manichaeans, wanting to introduce another nature of evil against God, think that their error is somewhat assisted by this testimony of the Apostle, and they suppose that it was said as if naturally, because it was said: "It cannot, it is hostile to God: for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be"; and they did not notice that it was not said of the flesh: "it cannot"; nor of man: "it cannot"; nor of the soul: "it cannot"; but of the prudence of the flesh. This prudence is a vice.
Do you want to know what it is: To be wise according to the flesh? It is death. But that same man, and the same nature created by the true and good Lord God, yesterday was wise according to the flesh, today is wise according to the spirit; the vice has been expelled, the nature has been healed. For as long as there was that prudence of the flesh, it could in no way be subject to the law of God. For as long as there is a limp due to vice, there can by no means be a proper walk. However, with the vice healed, the nature is restored. You were once darkness; now, however, [you are] light in the Lord.
Not to be in the flesh.
See then what follows: Those who are in the flesh; that is, those who trust in the flesh, who follow their desires, who dwell in them, who are delighted by their pleasures, who establish a blessed and happy life in their delights, they are in the flesh; they cannot please God. For it is not said thus: Those who are in the flesh cannot please God; as if it were said: As long as men are in this life, they cannot please God. So then, did the holy Patriarchs not please? So then, did the holy Prophets not please? So then, did the holy Apostles not please? Did the holy martyrs, who before laying down their body by suffering, by confessing Christ, not only despised pleasure but also very patiently endured pains, not please? They pleased, but they were not in the flesh. They bore the flesh, but they were not borne by the flesh. For it had already been said to the paralytic: Take up your bed. Therefore, those who are in the flesh, as I have said, as I have now explained, by not living in this world, but by consenting to the desires of the flesh, cannot please God.
Not in the flesh, but in the spirit.
Finally, listen to him who resolves the question without any doubt. He was speaking while living in this body; and yet he added: But you are not in the flesh. Do you think this was said to anyone here among us? Behold, it was said to the people of God, to the Church; indeed, he was writing to the Romans, but he was speaking to the whole Church of Christ; he spoke to the wheat, not to the chaff; he spoke to the hidden mass, not to the visible straw. Let each one recognize in his own heart. We speak to the ears; we do not see consciences; nevertheless, according to what we have previously spoken, I think in the name of Christ, it was said to those in the people of Christ: But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. You are not in the flesh because you do not do the works of the flesh by consenting to the desires of the flesh; but you are in the Spirit, because you delight in the law of God according to the inner man; and this is: if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. For if you presume upon your own spirit, you are still in the flesh. Therefore, if you are not in the flesh, that you may be in the Spirit of God; for then you are not in the flesh. For if the Spirit of God departs, the spirit of man, by its own weight, reverts to the flesh, returns to carnal deeds, returns to worldly desires; and the last state of that man will be worse than the first. So then, have free will, so that you may implore for help. Are you not in the flesh, and is this from your own strength? Far from it! How, then?
If indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. Therefore, let not an impoverished and corrupted nature extend itself, boast, or claim its own power. O human nature! O Adam, when you were healthy, you did not stand, and did you rise by your own strength? If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ: for the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Christ; and it belongs to both the Father and the Son: If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, let him not deceive himself, he does not belong to Him.
What is to be hoped for from the flesh?
Behold, with the help of His mercy, we have the Spirit of Christ; from that very love of justice, with complete faith, Catholic faith, we recognize that the Spirit of God is in us. But what about that mortal flesh? What about the law in our members warring against the law of the mind? What about that groan: Wretched man that I am? Listen: But if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Therefore, should we despair of the body dead because of sin? Is there no hope? Does it sleep in such a way that it will not rise again? By no means! The body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Sadness remains about our body. However, no one ever hated his own flesh. We see how carefully the burial of the dead is attended to. The body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. Already you were saying for consolation: Indeed, I would wish that my body also be in life; but since it cannot, let at least my spirit be, let at least my soul be. Wait, do not be anxious.
The restoration of the flesh and immortality is promised to the pious.
For if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies. What do you fear? Why are you even anxious for this flesh? The hair of your head will not perish. Adam, by sinning, condemned your bodies to death; but Jesus, if His Spirit is in you, will give life to your mortal bodies; because He gave His blood for your salvation. Do you doubt the promise being fulfilled when you hold such a pledge? So then, man, that mortal struggle will not exist, thus it will be fulfilled as it was said: Miserable man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death? Because Christ Jesus, if His Spirit dwells in you, will give life to your mortal bodies. Thus you will be delivered from this body of death, not by not having a body, or by having another; but by not dying any further. For if he had not added: of this death, and said: Who will deliver me from the body? perhaps the error might be suggested to the human mind, and it might be said: Do you see that God does not want us to be with a body? He says, of this body of death. Remove death, and the body is good. Let the last enemy, death, be removed, and my flesh will be my friend forever. For no one ever hated his own flesh. Even if the spirit desires against the flesh, and the flesh desires against the spirit; even if now there is strife in this house, the husband litigating seeks not the destruction, but the concord of his wife. By no means! My brothers, by no means let the spirit hate the flesh by desiring against the flesh. It hates the vices of the flesh, it hates the prudence of the flesh, it hates the contention of death. Let this corruptible put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality; let it be sown a natural body, raised a spiritual body; and you will see full and perfect concord, you will see creation praising the Creator. Therefore, if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will give life also to your mortal bodies, because of His Spirit who dwells in you; not because of your merits, but because of His gifts. Turned to the Lord, etc.