Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just saying that sinful actions displease God; it's revealing a fundamental impossibility. When someone is "in the flesh," their very core – their deepest desires and motivations – are oriented away from God, making it morally impossible for them to genuinely please Him, not just because of bad choices, but because of who they are without His Spirit.
Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is drawing a stark contrast between two fundamental ways of living: one driven by the "flesh" (our corrupt, self-centered nature) and the other by the Holy Spirit. He's just established that those who live according to the Spirit are truly children of God and have life. Now, he's emphasizing the inevitable consequence for those still completely dominated by their fleshly desires: they cannot possibly please God in that state.
What does it truly mean to be 'in the flesh'? It's more than just having desires—it's about who's in charge.
The phrase 'in the flesh' here doesn't just mean being tempted by desires. The commentaries highlight that it describes a state of being governed or characterized by our sinful nature. It's about the dominant 'mind' or attitude of an unregenerate person. When Paul talks about being 'in the flesh,' he's talking about an all-encompassing orientation of life that is not led by God's Spirit. It's the default human condition before special grace.
Think of it like this: you can have a car that's functional but filled with clutter, or you can have a car where the clutter has taken over the driver's seat. Being 'in the flesh' means the sinful nature is driving the car. It means your primary concerns, desires, and motivations stem from this fallen nature, not from God's Spirit.
The verse states we 'cannot' please God in this state. Why is it not just difficult, but impossible?
This 'cannot' isn't about a lack of effort; it's a statement of moral impossibility. When we are 'in the flesh,' our very nature is in opposition to God's will. The commentaries emphasize that our natural desires and motivations are fundamentally misaligned with what pleases God. It's not that God is being unreasonable; it's that our unregenerate state is characterized by enmity towards Him.
Trying to please God from this state is like trying to build a house on a foundation of sand during a hurricane. The very basis is unstable and contrary to the goal. God is pleased by righteousness, love for Him, and trust – qualities that are absent and even opposed by the dominant mindset of the flesh. Therefore, while specific actions might seem good on the surface, they lack the right source, the right motive, and the right object to truly be pleasing to God.
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Understand the original words
areskō · Greek Verb
To do what is well-pleasing or acceptable to God. This term denotes the posture of one whose life and actions align with God's will and are validated by His favor.
This passage speaks of living a life that pleases God, directly contrasting with the inability of those 'in the flesh' mentioned in Romans 8:8. It highlights that pleasing God involves growing in knowledge and wisdom, which is impossible apart from His Spirit.
Galatians 5:16-17This passage directly addresses the conflict between 'the flesh' and 'the Spirit,' explaining that if you follow the desires of the flesh, you cannot please God, echoing the core message of Romans 8:8. It shows that these two desires are in opposition to each other.
John 3:6This verse states that 'what is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.' This fundamental distinction explains *why* those 'in the flesh' cannot please God, as their very nature, apart from the Spirit, is contrary to God's will.
Hebrews 11:6This verse offers a crucial condition for pleasing God: 'without faith it is impossible to please him.' It underscores that those 'in the flesh,' lacking true faith in Christ, are fundamentally unable to meet this requirement.
cambridgeRomans 8:8: "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
8 . So then ] Lit. But ; and perhaps better thus. The opposition is to the idea implied by the previous clauses of a condition which can love and submit. in the flesh ] Of course in the moral sense of “the flesh,” and as being not merely beset by it, but characterized and determined by it. Practically the phrase = “ after the flesh” ( Romans 8:4 ). The difference in idea is that between a condition and the resulting action.—It…
bensonRomans 8:8: "So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God."
Romans 8:8 . So then, &c. — The inference to be drawn from the principles just laid down, is, they that are in the flesh — In the sense explained in the preceding verses, and especially Romans 7:5 , where see the notes; they who are under the government of the flesh, of their animal appetites and passions, or of their corrupt nature; they who are carnally minded; cannot please God — Namely, while they continue so, or, till they…
This verse isn't just saying that sinful actions displease God; it's revealing a fundamental impossibility. When someone is "in the flesh," their very core – their deepest desires and motivations – are oriented away from God, making it morally impossible for them to genuinely please Him, not just because of bad choices, but because of who they are without His Spirit.
Paul is drawing a stark contrast between two fundamental ways of living: one driven by the "flesh" (our corrupt, self-centered nature) and the other by the Holy Spirit. He's just established that those who live according to the Spirit are truly children of God and have life. Now, he's emphasizing the inevitable consequence for those still completely dominated by their fleshly desires: they cannot possibly please God in that state.
Paul is drawing a stark contrast between two fundamental ways of living: one driven by the "flesh" (our corrupt, self-centered nature) and the other by the Holy Spirit. He's just established that those who live according to the Spirit are truly children of God and have life. Now, he's emphasizing the inevitable consequence for those still completely dominated by their fleshly desires: they cannot possibly please God in that state.
"Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." — This verse isn't just saying that sinful actions displease God; it's revealing a fundamental impossibility. When someone is "in the flesh," their very core – their deepest desires and motivations – a…
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Last reviewed October 2026