The Nature of the Beast

“The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other….” (Galatians 5:17)

We have two natures that are warring within us. This blog was founded on that truth. These two natures are in a constant battle. They battle for our choice every day, every moment. When we have our eyes opened to the truth of the Spirit, then we are given knowledge of this choice (Romans 7) and we must decide which nature we will bow to: our sinful nature or the nature of the Holy Spirit. (See Galatians 5.) All the way back in Genesis, we are told of Abraham’s grandsons, Jacob and Esau, and we find these two natures represented in each son.

“And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau. Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born. As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” (Genesis 25:24-28)

Esau was covered in hair and was a skillful hunter—he represents the beastly, fleshly nature. Jacob had a quiet temperament, chasing after the birthright—he represents the spiritual nature.

“One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. Esau said to Jacob, ‘I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!’ (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means ‘red.’)
‘All right,’ Jacob replied, ‘but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.’
‘Look, I’m dying of starvation!’ said Esau. ‘What good is my birthright to me now?’
But Jacob said, ‘First you must swear that your birthright is mine.’ So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.” (Genesis 25:29-33)

While Jacob was deceitful (his name means “he deceives” and he literally wrestled with God), Esau still gave in to his base nature, his beastly, animal nature—selling his birthright for a mere bowl of stew. Who else do we know who gave up their birthright for food?

“The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.” (Genesis 3:6)

Adam and Eve gave up their birthright as perfect, sinless creations of God for a bite of the forbidden fruit and thus brought sin into the world. Esau obeyed his base nature and gave up his birthright for a mere bowl of stew.

“And the Lord replies, ‘This is how I showed my love for you: I loved your ancestor Jacob, but I hated his brother, Esau….’” (Malachi 1:2b-3a)

The Lord loves when we pursue the Spirit, the things of God, our birthright and His new covenant. The Lord hates when we pursue the sinful things of the flesh. Which nature will you obey, that of the Spirit or that of flesh?

To the glory of the Lord God, whose I am, and whom I serve.