The Enemy Within

I am currently reading The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin, by Kris Lundgaard. I thought I would share a little of what he has to say, and a little of what I am learning.

When discussing the Anatomy of Sin's Seduction, Lundgaard states...
First, the goal the flesh aims at is death. Whatever sin pretends, it will end in death. The flesh wants us to believe that the consequences for dallying with sin will only be slight (not as much blessing from God, a cheaper seat in heaven). Knowing this is our first means of arming ourselves against deceit (as knowing that the used-car salesman will do anything to sell you a car helps to protect you from driving home the lemon while he laughs behind your back).

Second, the way the flesh works for your death is by temptation. The essence of temptation is decipt - to be tempted and to be decieved are the same thing. And James lists what we can call the five degrees of temptation:

1.) dragging away (the mind)
2.) enticing (the affections)
3.) conceiving sin (in the will)
4.) the birth of sin (in actions, words, thougts, and so on)
5.) death by sin (enslavement to sin is spiritual death)

He then makes a challenge...
Make a list of what you think some of the duties of the mind are in obeying God (remember the image of the mind as the watchman of the soul). For each you think of, describe how you think the flesh drags your mind away from those duties.