What is the indulgence of the flesh in Colossians 2:23?

In Colossians 2:20–23, the apostle Paul explains that human religious regulations appear wise but are of “no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (ESV). Throughout Paul’s writings, “the flesh” refers to the sinful nature that opposes God. The desires of the flesh lead people into sin and keep them from obeying God’s will. The “indulgence of the flesh” is the sinful gratification of those desires. Paul teaches that following human rules and regulations cannot overcome the power of the flesh. Instead, believers are to depend on Jesus Christ to live in victory over sin.

Paul frequently contrasts the desires of the flesh with life in the Spirit. In Galatians 5:16–24, he explains that those who “walk by the Spirit” do not practice the “works of the flesh,” such as sexual immorality, idolatry, jealousy, and other sins. Instead, the Holy Spirit produces godly qualities in believers, including love, peace, kindness, and faithfulness. These qualities are collectively known as the fruit of the Spirit.

Paul also addresses human rules regarding food offered to idols. Some Christians believed it was always wrong to eat such food. In 1 Corinthians 8, however, Paul explains that “Food will not commend us to God” (1 Corinthians 8:8). While believers should act in love toward those with weaker consciences, food itself does not determine a person's standing before God. This illustrates the kind of “do not taste” regulation that cannot produce spiritual maturity.

Earlier in Galatians 5, Paul addresses the Jewish practice of circumcision. God had commanded circumcision for Abraham and his descendants under the Old Covenant (Genesis 17:9–14). However, Paul teaches that circumcision does not make a person right with God under the New Covenant (Galatians 5:6). He warns that those who rely on circumcision for justification are turning away from the sufficiency of Christ (Galatians 5:2-4). This echoes the message of Colossians 2: salvation and spiritual growth do not come from keeping religious regulations but from faith in Christ.

Paul consistently contrasts living according to the flesh with living by the Spirit. In Romans 8, he writes that “to set the mind on the flesh is death” and that “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:6–8). By contrast, “the Spirit gives life because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10). Those who are “led by the Spirit of God” have the assurance that they are God's children (Romans 8:14–16). Likewise, Paul declares that “by works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16). Instead, believers are justified through faith in Christ, who empowers them to live by faith (Galatians 2:19–21).

Earlier in Colossians 2, Paul explains that believers have experienced a spiritual circumcision “made without hands.” This involves “putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ” (Colossians 2:11). Through Christ’s death and resurrection, God forgives the sins of those who believe and makes them spiritually alive with Him (Colossians 2:12–13). Because of this new life, believers are no longer enslaved to their former patterns of sin.

Believers continue to live in physical bodies after placing their faith in Christ, and they still battle the desires of the flesh. In Romans 7:13–24, Paul describes this struggle between sinful desires and the desire to obey God. He admits that “nothing good dwells” in his flesh and that he cannot overcome sin by his own strength. Although he delights in God's law, he recognizes the ongoing influence of sin. Paul ultimately gives thanks to “God through Jesus Christ,” who alone provides deliverance from sin's power.

Paul also connects reliance on human rules with the inability to overcome the flesh. Earlier in Romans 7, he explains that the law exposed and stirred up sinful passions in fallen humanity (Romans 7:5). Those who belong to Christ, however, have been “released from the law” so they may “serve in the new way of the Spirit” (Romans 7:6). Believers should take the power of the flesh seriously and reject sinful desires. Giving in to sinful thoughts and actions can lead to spiritual bondage and sins such as sexual immorality, jealousy, and other works of the flesh.

In summary, the New Testament teaches that human rules and religious regulations cannot produce genuine holiness or overcome the flesh. Instead, believers are to rely on the power of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit to grow in obedience and live lives that honor God.