Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.  Romans 7:25 

 

When does the battle begin? The moment your feet hit the floor! Paul writes, 'The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but...not all of me joins in that delight...' (Romans 7:21). What's happening? Your flesh is at war with your spirit, seducing you into relaxing your defenses. And the moment you do, it'll 'nail you.' It'll whisper, 'Go ahead, it's no big deal; everybody does it. Who'll know anyway?' Learn to identify that voice before it becomes a thought entertained, a deed done, a habit formed and a character ruined. Your new birth doesn't do away with your old nature, it just brings it into sharp contrast. You may be redeemed, but you still live in a carnal body. If you try to fight the flesh in the power of the flesh, you'll just end up fighting yourself. What's the answer? 'Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh' (Galatians 5:16). How do you do that? By obeying God's Word - instead of doing what comes naturally! If you 'blow it' occasionally, don't get discouraged. You were programmed from birth to walk in the flesh. Now you're learning to walk in the Spirit, with a new set of values, new companions, new priorities, new resources and new management. Your new birth began a new battle. If you're going to win it, learn to live in 'war mode'!