Fasting

## Core Position

Fasting is the voluntary abstaining from food to bring the flesh into submission to the Spirit. Its primary purpose is not technique or spiritual leverage — it is the active crucifixion of the fleshly will so that God's will can govern. The flesh is the seat of our will in its fallen expression, and fleshly will is of the devil. Fasting is the discipline by which the believer trains their will to submit to God. Jesus said when you fast — not if — assuming it as a normal part of the believer's life.

The Flesh-Will Battle — The Core Purpose

Fasting is part of putting the flesh into submission. It helps with the great battle for will: God's will vs. our will, and fleshly will is of the devil.

1 Corinthians 9:27 — "I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." Paul uses the Greek hypopiazo — to strike under the eye, to beat the body into subjection. Fasting is one of the primary tools for this.

Matthew 4:1-11 — Jesus fasted 40 days in the wilderness, then faced the devil's three direct temptations — each one a will-battle. The 40-day fast prepared the battleground of the will. The fasting did not make Jesus more divine — it submitted the flesh entirely to the Father so that when the devil came, the flesh had no independent claim.

Luke 22:42 — Gethsemane: "Not my will, but yours be done." The ultimate posture of will-submission. This is the destination fasting is moving toward — a will so submitted to the Father that even the cross becomes possible.

Galatians 5:16-17 — "Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." Fasting is one of the active disciplines of walking by the Spirit rather than by the flesh.

Romans 8:13 — "If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live." Active, ongoing mortification of the flesh through Spirit-governance.

Supporting Scripture

Matthew 6:16-18 — "When you fast..." Jesus assumes fasting as normal practice for his followers. Not if but when.
Luke 4:1-2 — Jesus fasted 40 days before his public ministry.
Acts 13:2-3 — The Antioch church was fasting when the Holy Spirit gave direction on sending Paul and Barnabas. Fasting connected to hearing God's will.
Acts 14:23 — "With prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord."
Isaiah 58:6 — "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free?"

What Fasting Produces

When the flesh is brought into submission through fasting: the will is trained toward God's will and away from fleshly impulse; the Spirit has greater governance over the mind and decision-making; spiritual discernment sharpens; spiritual strongholds weaken — the flesh is the enemy's primary entry point; prayer deepens; the posture of Gethsemane becomes more accessible — not my will but yours.

Frequency and Method

The NT gives no fixed fasting schedule. Jesus fasted 40 days. The Antioch church fasted while seeking direction. Jesus assumes regular fasting in Matthew 6:16. The method is voluntary abstinence from food — the duration and frequency are between the believer and God.

The goal is not religious performance. Matthew 6:16-18 — Jesus specifically warns against making fasting a public display. The fast is between the believer and the Father.

What This Rejects

Fasting as a technique to manipulate God — fasting submits the believer's will to God; it does not obligate God to respond.
Fasting as purely religious ritual — Matthew 6:16-18 (not for public display); Isaiah 58 (God rejects fasting without genuine heart change).
Fasting as optional and irrelevant — Jesus said when you fast.