Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
The apostle Peter said:
I Peter 4 ... 1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. 3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:5 Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
To suffer in the flesh means to refuse to allow your flesh to do what it wants to do.
The flesh becomes offended and wants to hate and wants to seek revenge. This is a work of the flesh.
At one time we did hate and live in malice.
We served our own flesh when we did this.
But after God had mercy on us and took us as HIS own children we learned to put the flesh to death in not allowing the flesh to go the way it wants to go. We stopped serving our flesh. Now we serve God, doing HIS will.
And what is it our flesh wants to do?
The apostle Paul told us the works of the flesh.
Galatians 5 ... 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
We make the flesh suffer each time we refuse to allow it to do what it wants to do.
We cannot serve the flesh and serve God at the same time for the flesh is opposite to God.
As we renew our mind to the Word of God we see the way of God.
For example: It is normal to seek vengeance. That is human nature. That is the nature of man. That is a work of the flesh of man.
But the way of God is told us in Romans 12 ... 17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath:for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink:for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed ... James 1 When we are tempted, we are told in James 1 what to do in the midst of the temptation that we might overcome the temptation.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
In the midst of the temptation, we pray ... asking God for wisdom to overcome the temptation... asking God to help us to overcome. Doing what we are impressed by God to do to escape the temptation.
There are times we want to tell a person off ... putting that person in his place. We pray, asking God to keep us from doing that. We suffer in the flesh each time we refuse to yield to the flesh. We cause our own flesh to suffer by refusing to allow our flesh to have it's own way.
This is what it means to "suffer in the flesh".
Jesus did not serve His flesh. Jesus obeyed God, doing the will of God, even to death on a cross.
We read about the works the flesh wants to do ... Galatians 5 ... Notice that Paul said ... they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Now we have the Spirit of God in us to help us.
Paul even said: Flee fornication (I Cor. 6) ... just as Joseph fled Pontifer's wife, even leaving his garment behind if needed ... run away ... go the other direction ... and pray all the time you are fleeing.
You cannot serve God and your flesh.
Col. 3 ... 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:6 For which things 'sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
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:
We are buried with Christ in baptism. As we are lowered into the water it is like being buried with Christ ... dead to the world now ... therefore ceasing to pursue the world and the desires of the world ... reckoning our flesh to now be dead with Christ ...
When we come out of the water it is symbolic of being raised with Christ ... so we can serve God instead of our own flesh.
Now we refuse to yield to our flesh, to the many desires of our flesh.
Now we go another way, serving God and doing the works of the Spirit.
Gal. 5
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance:against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.