Something to think about as a new, young, growing and older believer in Christ

This will be about "Flesh vs. Spirit"

aka "old nature" vs. "new nature"

Often as a brand new believer we struggle with the things that we were so used to doing before we got saved, and now find it difficult to continue in activities that originally brought us pleasure. You may get this sense of guilt for what you're doing and feeling as though it's wrong, but not actually taking the steps to correct it. As Paul puts it in

Romans 7:15-20 (New Living Translation) "I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it."

What Paul fails to do here at this time, is admit that it is indeed him that does the wrong, now i am not disagreeing with the Word of God by any means. Even though we still have sin in us, and we still have our flesh which lusts after sin,(James 1:14-15) it does not have to control us!
However in order to be free from this feeling, there are a few things that need to take place. One of them is ownership. As many of you in order to be saved prayed the prayer that you are a sinner and that you have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) so is much of the same mentality needed here to make the next step.
We now as Christians must know that the holy spirit dwells within us;

John 14:17 (King James Version)
"Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

OK so we know that we're sinners, we know that our flesh is sinful, we then take the step to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we receive the Holy spirit.. so what next?
We all have the power of choice, but obviously as seen above we cant just merely choose; because we still end up doing the things that we don't want to. So then we need faith, we need to trust God's word and see that we have died with Christ and so we shall also rise with Christ.

Romans 6:4 (King James Version)
"Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

Notice how Paul says should! We have to consciously and through faith know and trust that we are putting away our sinful nature, and walking in the grace of our Lord. In order to do this successfully we need to "separate" from the things that are our tripping stones.

Proverbs 18:1 (King James Version)
"Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom."

Again what we should be doing is separating us from these "temptations," yes i know that some may not want to stop going to the bars, stop going to parties and hanging out with our so called friends that we used to party with, drink together, chase members of the opposite sex etc... (but) I must stress that we cannot be successful if we disagree with God and try to justify our keeping of the old friends.

1 Corinthians 5:5-7 (King James Version)
"Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:"

Here we see once more the need for separation; as well as, that once we do so we allow what Christ has done for us to make us new and leaven free.
So now lets talk about the Holy Spirit that dwells in us. Even though He is in us, He does not take control and render us as bystanders to watch while He runs our life. so we then find ourselves with the necessity to pray and walk in a way that would be pleasing to Him.

Romans 8:5 (King James Version)
"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit."

You can have the Holy Spirit but still pursue the things of the flesh. So to remind you, we should first be seeking the things of God

Matthew 6:33 (King James Version)
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

As well as walking by faith, and in fellowship with those who are like minded.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (King James Version)
"For we walk by faith, not by sight:"

1 John 1:5-7 (King James Version)
"This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."

To Close this message, we have forgiveness of sins, but only through the blood of Christ, we have an old nature that lusts after the things of this world, but we are given the wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit, if we walk in darkness we displease God and can not truly have fellowship with Him, but if we recon ourselves dead to the things of this world, and are risen with Christ, we can then walk in the light and enjoy the many and vast things that our Father in heaven so graciously wants to give to us.

p.s. some other relevant verses to look at when dealing with this struggle:

(Romans 8:13,32) (Romans 12:1-2) (Galatians 5:9) (John 3:3-8) (2 Corinthians 5:17) (Proverbs 14:6, 12) (Philippians 3:8)

Psalm 18:30 (King James Version)
"As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him."