Scripture and preachers often refer to the Adamic Nature as the Fallen or Sin Nature, the Old Man, and the Flesh. The Sin Nature that we are born into has some specific characteristics which the Lord must redeem before He can make us an effective servant in His Kingdom. Similar to the concept of being saved and continuing to be saved, we have been saved from the Sin Nature and we are being saved from that Nature. The characteristics of this Nature are important for us to recognize so that we can more easily discern what is Spirit and what is Flesh. Our Heart is very deceptive and we can be deceived by the Flesh’s trickery. The Spirit of God and the Flesh of man are at enmity with one another. They cannot cohabit. One will prevail over the other in every area of our life.

Water baptism symbolizes the death of the Old Man and the resurrection of the Spirit Man. It symbolizes what has been done, and what will be done in our life. We become the Spirit Man at conversion and the Old Man is sentenced to death. We are born again. This transformation is provided for us in full at our conversion, but it is being continuously accomplished by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. The execution of the Old Man is a process. In the early stages of our walk with the Holy Spirit, the Adamic Nature has control of many areas of our life. As we walk with the Spirit in obedience, He redeems those areas and He takes control of them. This is the process of being set aside as wholly for the Lord. It is a life long process, but there is an intense season of purging which follows baptism in the Holy Spirit and which continues on, if surrendered to, until there is a revealing and unfolding of our purpose or call in God. The purpose or call may be something other than what is normally thought of as ministry, but it is always birthed and initiated by God. We do not choose it. He has chosen us and has called us to His heavenly purpose. The Process of being set aside from the world and its pleasures and systems and put to the task of playing our specific role in the Body of Christ is called sanctification and this is our preparation for ministry.

When Jesus was tested in the Wilderness, He defeated the Devil by the Holy Spirit. The Devil could not find anything within Jesus that he could use to get Him to respond out of the nature of the Flesh. The Devil has only one thing to work with in us; it is our Flesh. If it is dead, there is nothing for him to use to tempt and defeat us. Jesus was tested three times and three times He responded in the Spirit. Our sanctification is also our armor. It protects us from the deception and lure that the Devil uses to get us to respond to the desires of the Flesh. A pure Heart that is surrendered to God presumes nothing. The sanctified saint submits everything of importance to the direction and Lordship of Jesus. This surrender is not always an action, but is rather a Heart attitude of humility which depends on God for everything.

The Heart Of Man
It is the Heart which is spirit and which has within it the capacity to know and love God. Because it is in the spirit realm that we interact with God and do our ministry, it is this part of us that is critical to our preparation for ministry. By being prepared, we are transformed on the spirit level so we can fully surrender to the Holy Spirit and overcome the Old Nature. This is fundamental to Christianity, but, as God prepares us, this is the point at which we “live” or die in the Wilderness. Being set aside fully for the Lord is the foundation, not only for our ministry, but for personal peace, joy, provision, authority, and the love which needs to be the motive for ministry. Without these qualities, we cannot be fruitful in ministry. There may well be a great deal of activity, but changing a Heart is a spiritual matter which can only be done Spirit to spirit. If love is not the motive, then the Spirit of God is not in the ministry, and it will not bear fruit. Fruitful ministry will last forever and can endure the test of God’s consuming fire.

The human Heart is the window through which God can reach this world. He is Spirit and it is through our spirit He is manifested. The condition of our Heart, therefore, influences the purity of our ministry. Preparation for ministry is for the most part, the purging and preparation of the Heart.

When my daughter was three years old, she drew what I thought was a revealing picture of herself. It demonstrated that the essence of her being is spirit. The picture illustrates that we “live” out of our spirit, or Heart, and this is the point at which we touch, and are touched, by God.

The following is a selection of Scriptures about the Heart.
The Nature of the Heart
For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he: (Proverbs 23:7)

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips (Prov. 4:23-24)

The sacrifices of God [are] a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (Psalms 51:17)

He that loveth pureness of heart, [for] the grace of his lips the king [shall be] his friend. (Proverbs 22:11)

A sound heart [is] the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones. (Proverbs 14:30)

God Looks On the Heart
But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the LORD seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. (Psalms 24:4)

Shall not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart. (Psalms 44:21)

The Wickedness of the Heart
Thus saith the LORD; Cursed [be] the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD..... The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, [I] try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:5-10)

The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD. (Proverbs 19:3)

And if he come to see [me], he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; [when] he goeth abroad, he telleth [it]. (Psalms 41:6)

When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for [there are] seven abominations in his heart. (Proverbs 26:25)

He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. (Proverbs 28:26)

This [is] an evil among all [things] that are done under the sun, that [there is] one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness [is] in their heart while they live,.. (Ecclesiastes 9:3)

Foolishness [is] bound in the heart of a child; [but] the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. (Proverbs 22:15)

God Cleanses the Heart
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalms 51:10)

And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. (Deuteronomy 30 5-6)

Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench [it], because of the evil of your doings. (Jeremiah 4:4)

I the LORD search the heart, [I] try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:10)

And I will give them an heart to know me, that I [am] the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. (Jeremiah 24:7)

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
The Adamic Nature is profiled in the story of the fall of man. A careful review of Adam and Eve’s reactions to their sin reveals a clear picture of the ways and nature of the Old Man. If we can judge our own actions as Flesh or Spirit, we are better equipped to respond to the Spirit and destroy the works of the Flesh in our life.

Immediately upon eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the couple began to interact differently with God. The fall changed their view of Him. They hid themselves because they were afraid. On a deeper level than we can see without the revelation of the Holy Spirit, this fear of God is still alive in the unredeemed Heart. Outwardly, we may be praising the Lord, but inwardly, our relationship with God may be hindered by feelings which we neither understand or are prepared to acknowledge. Paul said that these feelings do not belong to us, but to the Old Man.

As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. Romans 7:17 NIV

The New Man has been resurrected in the Spirit, yet the Old Man is still alive. The battle for supremacy is both a battle of daily choice, and the redemptive work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we are freer today from the lusts of the Flesh (Old Man) than we were last year, but we must choose to live in that freedom every day.

When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, they also became aware that they were naked and they covered up. This is one of the characteristics of the Adamic Nature. The Flesh will do whatever it can to cover or hide its sin or motives. By our very nature, we suppress our sin and deny it is there because we feel guilty and humbled when it is revealed. It is a characteristic of the Flesh to avoid looking at the truth. The Spirit exposes sin but the Flesh wants to hide it and condemn us. If we are deceived by the Flesh, we may cooperate with it to cover our sin instead of exposing it. As we experience the redemption of God, we develop a love and appreciation for the truth and how it can contribute to the quality of our life. We learn to love the truth, even when it exposes us. We learn from experience that the truth will set us free and there is peace in freedom. The suppression of our sin only serves to create inner turmoil. We were not created for sin. We are separated from the provision, safety, and fellowship of God, who is the only One who can tell us who we are. To know Christ and who we are in Him brings us to inner peace. It is impossible to estimate the damage stress caused by sin does when it weakens the body, torments the mind, and pains the emotions. Choosing truth and freedom is choosing life.

Another expression of the Adamic Nature was revealed by Adam when he blamed God for his sin. To paraphrase, he said, “It was the woman that you gave me, who got me into this trouble”. Eve blamed the serpent. Both of them were acting true to their new fallen nature. The Adamic Nature will blame others, including God, for the consequences of its actions. When we become hurt because of our sin, we, at a Heart level even when it is not consciously known to us, will blame God for letting us be in pain. A sign of spiritual maturity and wholeness as a person is to acknowledge sin quickly and take it to God. It is the Flesh that demands that we “tip-toe” around it. It is our Sin Nature that is defensive, offended, or in denial. We need to be ruthless toward our sin, rise up in the Holy Spirit and take our Sin Nature to the cross. It is not a reflection of us (the New Man), but it is a reflection of the Old Man who we need to put to death and bury on a daily basis. The true measure of spiritual maturity is marked in the willingness to face sin head on. It requires a determined commitment to turn against it, instead of taking an offence. We must not deny our sin when we are confronted by the Holy Spirit’s quest for Lordship of our life. This is a fundamental principle in growing up in God: to learn to turn against the works of the Flesh, even in the heat of the moment, and call upon the Spirit to rule in the situation. Every time we choose life in the Spirit, we take more ground in our Heart for the Kingdom of God, which will produce in us love, joy, and peace.

Unbelief
The Adamic Nature’s most prevalent characteristic is unbelief. It is the least noticeable, but one of the “roots” of the nature. When the serpent tempted Eve, he suggested that maybe God was keeping something good from them, by forbidding them to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Of course, this subtle suggestion was a lie about the character of God, but Eve believed it, and ate. The root of much of our sin can be traced back to what we don’t believe about God. If we believe that God doesn’t care about us or that He will help others, but He will not help us in a particular area, then we are in unbelief about the character of God. The Children of Israel died in the Wilderness because they believed the lie of the Adamic Nature and would not believe that what the Holy Spirit had done for them in the past, He would do again. God is not partial toward anyone and what He has done for others He will do for you, IF you believe Him. Subtle as it may be, much of our sin against God is rooted in our unbelief. Faith and belief are Heart issues. Faith is spiritual. It straddles this world and the spiritual world. It is the conduit through which God moves His provision from the spiritual world into the temporal world. Faith is the product of the redeemed Heart.

When the unfaithful servant returned the talents to his master, he said, “He knew Him to be a hard man” (Matt 25:24). The Master did not correct his distorted view of Him. He was not unreasonably demanding (hard) with the second servant who did not produce as much return as the first servant. The unfaithful servant’s perception of the Master put him in fear, which kept him from doing what was reasonably prudent with the talents (giftings) he had been given. His fear paralysed him and brought on exactly what he feared - the wrath of the Master. Fear is the direct result of unbelief. If we know who God is and that nothing can separate us from His love, then there is nothing in life to fear. Fear produces striving, ongoing anxiety, manipulation of situations, and attempts to find replacements for the relationship we would have if we were not separated from God by our sin of unbelief. When we get a revelation of God and His love for us, it brings us to a peace that transcends any circumstance. When we see His power and ability to provide, and to protect, and His love for us, we are secure and at rest, even in the middle of a figurative or literal battlefield. Pride is the result of not knowing who we are because we do not know who God is. If the God of the Universe loves us in our fallen pathetic state, then we must be important to Him. We don’t have to strive for anything because in Him there is everything we need. Nothing this world has to offer could be more than what we already have in our relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is our supply, our defender, our joy, and our happiness. In Him is found everything to make life full and abundantly fulfilling. If we don’t believe that, we will be faced with making ourselves happy, which will lead to folly and idolatry.

Summary
The Heart is the spirit of man. It is the dimension which touches and is touched by God. The state of the Heart is the determining factor in our relationship with God and our fruitfulness in ministry. The Heart is the deepest level of our being which we rarely see, except by the revelation of the Holy Spirit; yet it controls our life. “.... guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” (Proverbs 4:23). Without faith, we cannot please God, yet our very nature is to be unbelieving. Therefore, the purity of Heart that we attain will enable us to hear God and do His will and please Him. Our faith in God’s character as a loving Father, at the Heart level, is what brings pleasure and glory to Him. The summation of all of the law is to love God with all of your Heart, mind, and strength and your neighbour as yourself. Therefore, it is our goal as Christians to be sanctified and fully able to walk, surrendered to the Holy Spirit. In that, we will achieve our calling and bring glory to God because we will overcome the Flesh, the Devil, and the world.

What we have of God in the way of knowledge and understanding is but a crumb of the eternal feast of heavenly treasures that is available in Him. It may take us ten or twenty years of walking with Him before the impact of this truth sets into our life. We could spend the rest of our lifetime and all of eternity pursuing the riches of Him, and we would never exhaust the joy of discovering all there is in our Father God. We know this, but for the most part, we don’t live our lives as if it were true. The greatest joy and pleasures in this life are not the respect or honour of men, nor is it the material comforts of this life. ALL the real treasure is in Him. The average Christian will say “amen” to that, but it isn’t where he lives. Unbelievers and the unchurched Believers can see through the hypocrisy of the Church. If it is true that Jesus is coming back for His Bride, why do we live as though there are a million tomorrows? If He will judge the living and the dead, why do we live with one foot in the world and one in the Kingdom? It is because we are not free to walk in the Spirit. We are like Paul wanting to do better, but failing miserably (Romans 7:23-24). Our enemies are much stronger than ourselves. The Flesh can only be defeated by our God. The Flesh is still alive in us. Romans is a picture of the battle between the Old Man and the New. We have put on the New Man but as is the case with salvation, we are saved and being saved. We are New and being made New (Col. 3). Paul goes on to give us a beautifully clear view of how we should look at this battle which rages within us. He explains:

Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. Romans 7:20 NIV

We have been redeemed, and are whole and fully redeemed in the eyes of our Lord. It is not us who sins, but it is the Old Man or sin which does these things. We are the New Man, but there lives also in us the Old Man. We know truth but we can’t and don’t live it because the enemy of the Holy Spirit is also alive in us. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. We are saved from our duplicity by grace. We are saved by grace and need to continue to seek the grace which saves us from our enemy, the Flesh. Our choices are what determine who will reign over us. The purpose of the Wilderness is to put us in a dependent relationship with God our provider. The more we see Him, the easier it is to choose and believe in His goodness even when we are in need. The more we choose Him, the greater the power that is given to the New Man in our life and the more we weaken the Old Man.