I'd say my body of flesh is still in prison. I fight every day. I win a lot of victories thanks to God's will and keep on fighting so that the old man stays, if possible, locked in prison.
I enjoy my freedom in Christ everyday but i know prison is not far if I take other paths than the path Jesus draws for me. I work hard to watch out, to not fall asleep. It is a real fight.
We all know that it is only our carnality that finds itself imprisoned. Our body of flesh which dwells into carnal thoughts and desires, fighting constantly against the Spirit of God. Lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, pride of life as Ray often reminds us.
God's children are definitely not in prison, never, they're free, always, the cross has made it once and for all. But the flesh...still howling, and crying, and lamentating, and needing, and wanting worldly things...locked up into its own cell of self-righteousness, self-esteem, self-whatever and never doing anything « to will and to act in order to fulfill His [GOD's] good purpose » (Philippians 2:13) but rather turning itself to humans (terrestrial, demonic) methods and doctrines and deeds.
Flesh never realizes that it's in prison. It knows nothing about joy and peace and what could be freedom. It knows only about sadness, darkness is ignorance.
When we realize we're in prison, then that's exactly when the new guy in us, God's child, wakes finally up, desperatly trying to get himself out of this miserable body of flesh, saying "hey wait! This is not a godly life we're in! i want to live the life of Jesus!". It is a real fight.
« For the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other » (Galatians 5:17)
Prison becomes a reality only when the light of Jesus comes to enlighten everything around us and shows us that all the time we were in the dark, we discover the black surrounding walls of this prison we were in, how ugly and cold it is, how uncomfortable, how sad. It takes time. Like when you have to get use to the sudden light surrounding just to be able to see, to adjust your vision of life, to accept it. We've been in the dark for so long, so we wink a little, glance a little, cry a little, but tears are good, they are part of the process, the eye is washing itself from all the dust and beams it's filled. It's not sadness of the flesh, it's cleansing.
Imprisonment seems too long of a time. It hurts, it burns the cornea, and as long as tears keep on flowing we can't see much in the blurring, but little by little our vision adjusts itself.
One day our eyes will be wide opened according to God's promise. One day we'll get out fully of this prison of flesh. God is spirit. God is love and...patience. And I thank God for that.
Now let's keep on running away from this prison, till we win the race altogheter, Crown of life for the winners.Timothy 6:11 :
« But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses »
Joy and Peace of Christ be with you all.