What is a carnal Christian?
A carnal Christian is a genuinely saved believer who is in the body of Christ but is not Spirit-filled or Spirit-directed. His priorities are mixed up, and he remains more in the flesh than in the Spirit. Paul calls such a person a carnal believer, distinct from the lost carnal individual under old Adam's control.
Les explains that Paul sometimes speaks of a carnal Christian, or carnal believer, as one who is genuinely saved and in the body of Christ but is not Spirit-filled and not Spirit-directed. Such a believer's priorities are mixed up, and he remains more in the flesh than in the Spirit. Normally, however, the word carnal refers to the lost individual still under old Adam's control, still in the flesh, with nothing of eternal life. To be carnally or fleshly minded is death. Les connects this to Jesus' words in John's gospel: he who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son does not have life, and the wrath of God abides on him; he is condemned already. Lost people are headed only toward spiritual, eternal death.