The Two Natures Within Man

Many are aware that there are two natures at war within man, and it is to those that know this that I am writing. If by chance there are some here that do not realize this duel nature in man I hope what I give forth here will encourage them to seek God further on this matter.


Everything written in Gods word has an outward and inward application.


The wars that Israel fought with the Philistines, Amorite, Canaanite, Hittite, Perizzite, Hivite, and the Jebusite, etc. that are recorded in history also are fought within man.

The cross that our Lord died on is the same cross that works inwardly in man.

The six days of creation outwardly are also six days of creation in man.We see how the earth ( man ) was in darkness until God said let there be light.We see the fruit trees yielding fruit after their own kind and know this to be the fruits of the spirit or the fruits from the heart of man.We see the two great lights in the heavens plus the stars and can see the Father , the head of the body and its many members. The fullness of the Godhead rolled up in man.

We see how Joseph went down into Egypt to save his people, and understand this to be Christ coming into us for our salvation.

And many more such examples of that which is outward but has far greater meaning inwardly.


The Two Natures Within Man


Romans 6:5-7 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.


Ephesians 4:22-24 22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.


Colossians 3:8-10 8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:


Ephesians 2:14-15 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;


These scriptures should be enough proof to show us that we have a two natures within us, that of the old man and the new man. One that is of a corrupt nature and one that is of an incorruptible nature.


The first thing I would like to point out is that the two natures both the old and the new are called MAN. The first nature is of the old Adam the second nature is of the new Adam. The difference between these two natures within us is clearly pointed out to us in 1 Corinthians 15. The first nature is of the corruptible nature of the flesh and the second is of the incorruptible nature of God.

So we can see that there are two Adams in man and each of these Adams has its own life.And these two lives war within us that their respective lives might be manifested.

The old man nature is of the flesh and the new man nature is of the spirit.

So let’s look at that war that take place in MAN.

Now we know that man is a tripartite being made up of spirit, soul and body.The spirit is the new man which is Christ within us.The soul is who we are with all the passions, desires and emotions.The body is the old man of the flesh.

Within the garden are Adam, woman and the serpent.Which answer to the spirit, soul and body.Adam = the new man or mind of ChristWoman= the soul with all the passions and desires or US.Serpent= the old man of the flesh or the carnal mind.

Genesis 3:1-20Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.

Lets first look to see if man is ever referred to as a serpent , then we shall look at the characteristics of the serpent which are said to be subtil.

Gen.49:16-18 Dan is a serpent waiting for salvation. Nu.21:6-9 and Jn.3:14 Jesus Christ is a serpent being lifted up.Mt.23:27-33 The scribes and Pharisees without appear righteous but within are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. They are serpents full of dead men’s bones.

Thus we see man as a serpent.

Lets look at the serpents characteristics which are said to be subtil and does man have them.
Subtil comes from the Heb. word aruwm which comes from the root word aram.

Now we read in Genesis 2:25 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Naked comes from the Heb. Word arowm which comes from the root word aram.

Both subtil and naked have the same meaning and come from the exact same word aram.

In 1Co.15:37-57 we read of the bare/naked grain, and it is in reference to the first Adam or the old man and how that we bear this naked /serpentine image but shall bear the glorified image which is Christ’s.

Can we not see by this that the naked man is the serpent? And that our nakedness has need of a covering. And is not our covering Jesus Christ.

Do we not see that when man ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil/the law, that he became aware of his naked/serpentine nature.

Isaiah 58:77 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?


Proverbs 12:1616 A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent/subtil man covereth shame.


Proverbs 14:1818 The simple inherit folly: but the prudent /subtil are crowned with knowledge.


Do we not see how the old man is crowned with knowledge and tries to cover his shame with a fig leaf as if to hide his naked/serpentine nature from the eyes of God.


And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons


These things should be enough to show that we have a serpent nature within us but do not realize that nature is there until the law comes into effect and shows us it is so.Many like Adam and Eve will run from this fact and try to cover it up with fig leaves, but God will find them out and put on them His own covering.

And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? 2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: 3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. 4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. 6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.


Do we not see here that the woman/soul is enticed by the old man and lead astray by the lust of the eye and the pride of life.


James 1:14-15 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Can we not see that these lusts come from within man.

she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.


Do we not see here the woman/soul playing the harlot with the old man/serpent leaving the new man/Christ and cleaving unto another. And how new man/Chrsit because of the love he bares for her must eat and take unto himself the same likeness for her salvation, crucifying that nature on the cross.

14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: 15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Romans 8:5-7 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Do we not see here that the enmity is between the carnal mind/old man and the woman/soul and can we not then understand Paul when he said the good that I would do I do not.

Ephesians 2:14-16 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Can we not see how Christ had to come in the likeness of the serpent so the He could abolish in His flesh the enmity between them and reconcile both unto God. For Jesus did not come to save just the woman/soul but the body also.

16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

There is definitely a two fold meaning here.Depending on who the woman/soul is married to determines what seed she will produce.If she cleaves unto the old Adam she will produce the seed of the serpent.If she cleaves unto the new Adam she will produce the seed of Christ.Is it not any wonder that she is called the mother of ALL LIVING.

These two different seeds that spring forth from the woman/soul can be easily seen in Cain and Abel. One after the carnal mind the other after the spiritual mind.

Can we not see here in this Garden story the parable of the tares and wheat.

Matthew 13:24-30 24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

Do we not see here the carnal mind/old man/serpent sowing his seed in the field.

26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

Do we not see both Cain and Abel growing out of the same field.

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Matthew 13:37-43 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Note on the use of the word devil used in verse 39.Rotherham has it “the enemy that sowed them is the adversary”.The Concordant has it “the enemy who sows them is the Adversary”
Now whether you see the devil here as the spirit being called satan or the old man/carnal mind, one thing is for certain he is in the kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of heaven is within us.

I know some who believe that the spirit being called satan is in the kingdom of heaven, but I see it more as the wheat are the thoughts and words that come from the new man/Christ mind and the tares are the thoughts and words that come from the old man/carnal mind.

I will make one last appeal to the scriptures to show the devil and satan are only titles given to the prince of the power of the air, the chief of all devils.

Matthew 12:24 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

Mark 3:22 22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

Luke 11:15 15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.

Thus we see the true name of the prince of the power of the air.

But it is true that he is still a devil/accuser and satan/adversary, but we can say this of more then just this spirit being.

Jesus called Peter satan and I for one do not believe that Peter is the spirit being, Peter was just Jesus’ adversary here.

But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

Two minds at work here, one that savourest the things of God, the other the things of men,The mind of Christ and the carnal mind.

God bless