Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)
When you gave your life to Christ, you became a new creation: your sins were forgiven, the sin nature you had received through Adam was removed and you received the nature of God. Yet so many doctrines seem to want to keep Christians wandering through life thinking they need to become broken or die to self to get right with God.
Where did these misguided doctrines come from? Well, one explanation lies with the early translations of the NIV version of the Bible. In it, the word “flesh” was translated into “sinful nature.” They have since rewritten the NIV to correct this inaccuracy, but the misconception remains.
We as believers don’t have two natures at war. You don’t have a nature of sin and a nature of God combined in you, with one pulling you into sin and one pulling to do God’s will. No, not at all.
You are a new creation. Yes, you still have old habits and desires to deal with, simply because your mind has been trained a certain way, and that’s what the word “flesh” is talking about. We all need to renew our minds in the Word of God to overcome these old habits and desires and begin to live out what this new creation means, but it’s not that you are fighting against the old nature within you. That old nature of sin and death is gone.
You need to know that the nature you have as a believer is the nature of God. You belong to God and are right with Him, which means you have the power and ability to choose right, every time!