By Nick Bibile
Every person born into this world, including Christians, descends from Adam and Eve. Because of this, we all inherit original sin.
What exactly is original sin? It's the sin we're born with, an inherited part of our human nature. Simply put, every human being is born a sinner. As Psalm 51:5 states:
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Christ, however, was an exception; he was born without sin.
A key scripture explaining original sin is Romans 5:12:
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.
Those who don't believe in Christ have only one nature: their fallen, fleshly nature. They are essentially slaves to sin. Jesus himself said in John 8:34:
Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.
However, when someone experiences a "new birth" in Christ—when they become born again—Christians receive another nature. John 3:3-6 describes this:
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
2 Corinthians 5:17 beautifully summarizes this transformation:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
So, Christians now have two natures: the fleshly nature we inherited through sin, and the new nature we receive in Christ Jesus. These two natures are in a constant, intense battle.
Galatians 5:17 perfectly illustrates this struggle:
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.
When we live according to the flesh, the results are clear, as seen in Galatians 5:19-21:
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
In stark contrast, when we live by the Spirit, we see the following fruit of the Spirit, listed in Galatians 5:22-23:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Despite having a new nature, Christians are still in the flesh, and because of this, we sometimes fall into sin. Paul describes this internal conflict in Romans 7:15:
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
This verse powerfully captures the frustration of wanting to do good but finding ourselves doing the opposite due to the persistent influence of our fleshly nature. Paul further laments in Romans 7:18:
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
This constant conflict between the spirit and the flesh can lead to deep frustration. As Paul cries out in Romans 7:24-25:
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Even though this battle is real, we have hope and a way to overcome. Galatians 5:24-25 reminds us:
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Jesus himself acknowledged our weakness in Matthew 26:41:
Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
When we do fall into sin, we should immediately run to God's throne of grace and ask for forgiveness. 1 John 1:8-9 gives us this assurance:
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We are called to actively crucify the flesh daily, seeking God's help through prayer. Romans 8:13 offers a crucial practical step:
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
This means that through the Holy Spirit's power, we can actively "put to death" sinful desires and actions, which leads to true spiritual life. As 1 Peter 2:11 urges us:
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
Finally, while our primary battle is internal, it's also connected to a larger spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:12 states:
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
This verse reminds us that the internal battle with our flesh is often an area where spiritual forces of evil try to exploit our weaknesses and attack us.
For Christians, the ultimate victory over the flesh and sin comes through death itself. While that might sound impossible, it's in death that our earthly, fallen nature is finally laid aside. But the true power and hope for Christians lie in the resurrected Christ. His resurrection is the guarantee of our own future resurrection and our ultimate triumph.
This profound truth is powerfully declared in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57:
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This passage reveals that for believers, death is not an ending but a transition to immortality, where the limitations and struggles of our flesh are overcome. The "sting of death"—which is sin—loses its power because of Christ's perfect sacrifice. Through Him, God grants us the ultimate victory!