Romans 8:9 makes clear that people are in one of two categories. They are either in the flesh or in the Spirit. Writing to the Christians in Rome, Paul indicated, “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.” (Romans 8:9) Everyone is either saved or unsaved…either a Christian or not a Christian…either in the Spirit or in the flesh.
According to 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Christians can be either spiritual or fleshy (carnal). A spiritual Christian is led by, walking in, filled with, and keeping in step with the Holy Spirit. A fleshy or carnal Christian is one who is being dominated by the lusts of his sinful flesh. Two of the works of the flesh are envy and strife (Gal. 5:20). It’s not surprising then that Paul wrote this to the Corinthians, “For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal (fleshy) and behaving like mere men?” (See 3:3)
The remedy for these fleshy Christians or babes in Christ was the word of God, not just the milk of the word, but the meat (solid food) of the word. They needed to grow up as Christians, to become mature by their intake of the word of God. As a baby starts out on milk and moves to solid food, a newborn Christian starts with the elemental things of the word of God, but must transition to the deeper things if he or she is to grow spiritually.