Galatians 5:17 English Standard Version (ESV) For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

It is important to listen to the Spirit because He will not lie to us and yet we can and often do lie to ourselves. The habit of being defensive goes all the way back to original sin. Denial is in our DNA. And yet the only way to break out of the bondage is confession that comes from the heart.

Paul made this same confession in Romans 7.

Romans 7:15 English Standard Version (ESV) For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

It isn’t easy to make these confessions, Our DNA tells us we are unworthy, it’s the urge to hide from God when we know we have done wrong.

We must not ignore the Truth that came by faith in Christ.

Romans 7:4 English Standard Version (ESV) Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

We belong in this family no matter how we feel about ourselves. Nothing can undo the grace that has already been given. It is the conflict of conscience.

God gave us a conscience to prevent us from doing wrong but it is a part of the mind and therefore flesh. The mind has to be convicted by the truth not convinced. Conviction is a heart condition born of the Spirit.

This is why the mind has to be transformed, reprogrammed to respond to the truth and not our emotions.

Romans 12:2 English Standard Version (ESV) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Genesis 3:4-5 English Standard Version

4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Much of what is written about mankind’s behaviors are lessons about our natural inclinations.

This is mankind’s first inclination, their first sin, the original mistake that caused the ball to start rolling downhill.

What Adam and Eve were inclined to do is no different than our inclinations right now as we have been born again in Christ.

Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day. Being that close to God made them want to be like God.

Satan knew that, having been in His presence and wanting to be more than just an angel. He fed Eve what she desired, a quick and easy way to be like God.

Now we are in Christ and we are close to Him and just that fact causes that same desire, to be more like Him. That desire about how to be more Christlike is not unlike Satan’s temptation of Eve. We want easy answers and instant results. That is our natural inclination.

The rest of the lesson makes us uncomfortable because at the time of our rebirth we have already lived a life and been influenced by our natural inclinations without realizing we have to return to our pre-fall condition, innocence.

Innocence is a condition of never having done anything wrong. We never made a choice to do wrong until we were given an opportunity to disobey. Being born again is being born into a state of grace in which we already made the one choice that restored our innocence.

In our minds, in our memories, we have a conscience that remembers our past wrongs. It does not allow us to feel innocent because that is a spiritual condition, a right standing with God.

Father God gave us His Son so that by faith we are restored to the pre-fall innocence of walking with Him in the garden.

This is where our natural inclinations once again takes us into the natural realm and away from the gracious state where we walk with God.

“Nothing is given, we have to earn it.” That is grace confounded.