The Enemy of Your Soul

The natural man is an enemy to God, but society would tell you otherwise. Only through Jesus
Christ can we put off the part of us that separates us from God.
Society teaches us to indulge and enjoy, living out the mantra YOLO (you only live once); we
are encouraged to minimize the consequences of our decisions and even ignore the repercussions
of mistakes. This type of thinking is derived from the natural man.
What is the natural man?
All of us can trace our mortal history back to Adam and Eve and the Fall. When Adam and Eve
transgressed, they fellbecoming separated from God. This separation is described as death: no
longer being in the presence of the Lord. Adam and Eve became mortal, and, in the process, they
became inclined to give in to passions, desires, appetites, and senses of the flesh rather
than...promptings of the Holy Spirit. We, too, are subject to these effects of the Fall. In us is the
natural man, which is an enemy to God.
In the June 1992 Ensign, Robert L. Millet published an article in which he instructs us on how to
recognize the natural man and how to overcome him.
Recognizing the natural man
1. The natural man is unable or unwilling to perceive spiritual realities.
2. The natural man is proud.
3. The natural man is overly competitive and externally driven.
4. The natural man yields himself to the harsh and the crude.
How do we put off the natural man?
We cant put off the natural man just by hoping a change will occur. We cant expect our
attitudes, behaviors, and thoughts to adjust to be more spiritual without seeking after it. Elder
Millet teaches us that we must rely on Jesus Christ.
1. Rely on Jesus Christ and repent.
2. Yield to the enticings of the Holy Spiritand become a saint through the atonement of Christ
3. Become submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which
the Lord seeth fit.
4. Strive to move closer to God every day by making the choice to follow Him.
Read about how to put off the natural man here.
Source Ensign, June 1992
To read more about putting off the natural man, see Ye Must Be Born Again.
For further information on the effects of the natural man, see Put Off the Natural Man, and Come
Off Conqueror.
Allen Warner, Mormon Insights