No, it's not the "old self" within. The Apostle Paul explains it like this:
Romans 7: 20 "Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin living in me that does it.
To help us better understand, it's important to know that in the book of Romans, only 1 time is the word sin a verb (an action). Romans 6: 15
All other references to sin are nouns: person, place or thing.
In Romans 6, we learn that we have been set free from sin / dead to sin (noun).
But if I'm dead to sin, why is it that I still sin? Do I stop sinning gradually as I convince myself that I am dead to sin?
The answer to the question above: No
Jesus didn't die gradually to sin for us; He died "Once for All". (Romans 6:10)
In the simplest of terms: Jesus adopted us out of the family of sin and brought us home to the Righteousness family.
Though we were born into the sin family, because of Jesus' payment for us, His shed blood being the currency, we went from being a sinner to being the Righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
In the moment we believe in Jesus, we go from being a sinner to being a saint / Righteous before God-The word saint comes from sanctified, which means: to be made Holy.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5: 17)
Common misconception: if we have died to sin (noun), we will not sin (verb).
Let's look at this in context:
Apostle Paul says in Romans 6 that we are dead to sin and alive with Christ.
Then the Apostle Paul says in Romans 7, "For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do- this I keep on doing;" (Romans 7: 19)
However, right after he explains that he desires to do good, but still finds himself doing wrong (even though he is / we are dead to sin), he says in Romans 8: 1
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..."
Now that we are dead to sin (noun), the key to not committing repetitious sins (verb) is when we realize that we are no longer sinners, but righteous. This is called being Rooted in Righteousness.
Our un-righteous thoughts or actions do not make us a sinner again. We remain righteous before God = permanently righteous.
It was not our wrong doing that made us a sinner and it was not our right doing that made us righteous.
It was Adam's sin that made us a sinner and it was the 2nd Adam- Jesus, who did right on our behalf. (Romans 5)
Jesus, by shedding His blood, cleansed us from ALL sin, reconciling us to God. (Romans 5: 6-11 & 2 Cor. 5: 17- 21)
We get to choose to put our faith (choose to believe) in Jesus - that His blood has cleansed us and made us right before God. It's this revelation that keeps us from shrinking back in our faith (in our belief) that Jesus has made us righteous, and it is this understanding that enables us to remain consciously aware of God's presence in us and with us- the very source for change.
Condemnation aka: feelings of guilt and shame, keeps us out of the presence of God (our very source for change).
Simply put: It's when we no longer come under condemnation that sin will lose its power in our lives.
Fact: Condemnation empowers sin.
We have been set free from sin (noun); however, we still sin (verb), but because of our adoption, we are no longer sinners, but Righteous before God, only because of Jesus making us righteous due to His shed blood.
The more we focus on our new standing before God: Right before God = Righteous - the more we will believe who we really are now: Righteous.
The more we believe we are righteous, the more we will become righteousness conscious, and the result intended by God is that we become less and less sin- conscious. It is when we're not sin- conscious, yet Righteousness conscious, that our behavior will effortlessly become righteous. (Hebrews 9: 14)
This is called renewing our minds with the Word of God.
As we renew our mind to this fact:
Once we put our faith (belief) in Jesus, we are no longer, nor will we ever be un-righteous, even when we sin.
Why? Because of Jesus' finished work, Him taking the punishment for us and shedding His blood, sin has been put away (Heb. 9: 26) and as a result, we are now dead to sin (noun) and Alive in Christ!
By this adoption we are now heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ; we now have the right to call God- Abba Father... Daddy. (Romans 8: 15-17)
The more we focus on the fact that God so loves us that He sent His son, NOT to condemn us, but to save us; that Jesus put us in a position of Freedom to be who we are Right now before God, freedom to be in relationship, and the right to constant fellowship, even with all the un-righteous actions and thoughts, the more we will stay consciously aware of His presence with us and spend time acknowledging Him, receiving His acceptance and love- which is fellowship with THE very SOURCE for Change- Effortless change!
If our effort worked, we would not have needed a savior.
God has made it so simple; however, man /religion has made it hard.
It's when we KNOW God loves us, (un-conditionally) just as we are- we are drawn to that place of repentance.
Repentance simply means: Change of mind
Romans 2: 4 says: ... It's His kindness that leads us to repentance.
When we change our minds to the Truth that we have been made righteous, we will live righteous- Effortlessly!
