It comes as a surprise to some new Christians that the habits, temptations, actions, and desires that they experienced as a non-Christian do not disappear when they begin to follow Christ. Man’s sinful nature is not eradicated when a person is born again. Instead, a new conflict begins between the desires of the flesh and desires of the Spirit. 

The apostle Paul confessed to experiencing this conflict in his own life (Romans 7:14-25). The things he wanted to do he was not able to do, and the things he didn’t want to do he found himself doing. He declared that only through the power of the Holy Spirit could he be set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). In Galatians 5:16-25, he contrasts living by the Spirit and living in the flesh. Living by the Spirit means yielding to the leading of the Spirit and trusting in His power to overcome the desires of the sinful nature.

Form the practice daily of asking God to fill you with His Spirit; practice the discipline of sensing and following His leading.

He who has the Holy Spirit in his heart and the Scriptures in his hands has all he needs.
Alexander MacLaren