No — Christians are not called to a life of self-torture in order to be spiritual.
The Bible's command to "mortify the deeds of the body" is done through the Spirit, not through self-inflicted hardship. Les Feldick teaches that believers don't have to live a Spartan life, and that spiritual growth is not a matter of forcing yourself to give up things you love because God changes your appetites. What is required is using your will to keep old Adam under subjection.
Romans 8:13 — This verse shows that mortifying the deeds of the body is accomplished through the Spirit, not through physical self-punishment.
Romans 6:11 — It reveals that dying to sin is a mental act of reckoning, not an ongoing program of self-inflicted pain.
Colossians 3:2-3 — It shifts the emphasis from austerity to where the believer's affection is set, because the believer is hidden with Christ in God.
Romans 8:13 says, "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." The method is explicitly "through the Spirit" — it is a Spirit-empowered inner work, not a program of bodily self-punishment. Romans 6:11 says, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." The believer is told to reckon, or mentally conclude, that he is dead to sin and alive to God. This is not a command to torment the body. Colossians 3:2-3 says, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God." The issue is where the affection is set, not how little a person owns or how severely he treats himself.
Les Feldick teaches that the Christian life involves real discipline, but it is not the discipline of self-inflicted hardship. Explaining Romans 8:13, he emphasizes that believers are to mortify the deeds of the body through the Spirit, not through their own physical efforts. He also says that "you aren't going to give things up that you just love to do" because God changes the believer's appetites — things once loved begin to be hated, and vice versa. Les is explicit that this does not mean living a Spartan existence. He says, "That doesn't mean you have to live a Spartan experience and go through life with just the very meager requirements." The real point is that material things should not take priority. The believer is to keep old Adam under subjection, not by hurting himself, but by exercising his will and reckoning himself dead to sin. Christianity is not a path of ease either. Les says if someone promises a rose-petaled pathway, that is false teaching. The Christian life is like paddling a canoe upstream, but God gives encouragement. Spiritual maturity also takes time — a new believer is like a baby in Christ who needs nourishment and protection.
Les explains that Romans 8:13 shows the mortifying is "through the Spirit" — it is the Spirit's work in the believer, not a program of self-punishment. The Christian life does involve discipline, but it is not a matter of forcing yourself to give up things you still love; God changes your appetites.
Les specifically says you do not have to live a Spartan experience or get by on the very meager requirements. The issue is simply that material things should not take priority.
No. Les says that if someone promises you a rose-petaled pathway after becoming a Christian, that is false teaching. The Christian life is like paddling a canoe upstream — it is a constant battle against Satan and the world — but God encourages believers in the midst of it.
Les teaches that the word "reckon" in Romans 6:11 means coming to a mental conclusion. The believer has free will to decide whether to live a Spirit-filled life or a fleshly life. The admonition is to live profitably and keep old Adam under subjection.
Les compares a new believer to an infant who needs tender care, nourishment, and protection. You do not become a mature Christian overnight; it takes time and growth.
Not Under Law but Under Grace — What Romans 6:14 Really Means
(Transcribed by TurboScribe. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life.
Change of Appetites
Les says the Christian life involves discipline, but believers don't have to force themselves to give up things they love; God changes their appetites.
Spirit-Empowered Mortification
Les stresses that mortifying the deeds of the body is done through God's Spirit, not through self-inflicted hardship.
Reckoning and Free Will
Les explains that 'reckon' means coming to a mental conclusion — the believer chooses whether to live Spirit-filled or carnal, keeping old Adam under subjection.
The Battle of the Christian Life
Les says the Christian life is not a rose-petaled path; it is a battle, but God gives encouragement.
No Spartan Requirement
Les explicitly says believers do not have to live a Spartan life; material things simply must not take priority.
Spiritual Growth Takes Time
Les teaches that a new believer is like a baby in Christ who needs nourishment and protection; maturity is not overnight.
Old Adam's Power Broken
Les says old Adam is crucified and his power over daily behavior is broken, yet believers still live daily in the flesh and must put up with this world's pressures.
Romans 8:13: For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
This verse defines the biblical method of mortification as through the Spirit, not through physical self-torture.
Romans 6:11: Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The believer's death to sin is a reckoning of faith, not a painful religious practice.
Colossians 3:2: Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Spirituality is a matter of affection and priorities, not material deprivation.
Colossians 3:3: For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
The believer's hidden life in Christ is the basis for the new set of affections.
No. Les says you do not have to live a Spartan life, and the Bible's mortification of the body is done through the Spirit. He also says you don't force yourself to give up things you love because God changes your appetites.
Not as a forced rule. Les says it's not a matter of giving things up; old affections begin to be hated and new ones take their place. The real discipline is keeping old Adam under subjection.
No. Les says it's like paddling a canoe upstream. It is a constant battle against Satan and the world, but God encourages believers along the way.
It isn't overnight. A new believer is a babe in Christ who needs nourishment and protection, and growth takes time.
Watch the Teaching: Not Under Law but Under Grace — What Romans 6:14 Really Means