2Corinthians 5:17 (Amplified) says, "If any man is (ingrated) in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation (a new creature altogether)."
We've already become a new creation, once we're born-again. It's not "we will become new creations in Christ Jesus once we're in Heaven." I'm not for sure what the reason is, but we've always at the above scripture as being for sometime in the future and not for now. Satan's strategy is to keep us bound, for as long as possible. When we fail to understand the Truth of the Word for our present lives, we're not as "dangerous" to him as we could be.
We've mostly tried controlling the flesh, by the flesh. We've taken God's Word and made traditions and religions from it, instead of being taught by it. Once we became a new creation, we were created brand-new in the Likeness and Image of God Himself. Jesus said in John 4:24 (Amplified), "God is a Spirit (a Spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (reality)."
When God created man, He created him brand new in his spirit. Man was supposed to be guided and led by his spirit, not his flesh." Jesus reiterated this message in John 6:63 (Amplified) saying, "It is the Spirit Who gives life (He is the Life-Giver) the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it) the Words (Truths) that I have been speaking to you are Spirit and Life."
If the Word of God isn't being fed into our new creation spirit, then we just make mental ascent to it and make it religious. God's Word is what feeds and nourishes the new man. Just like steak and potatoes feed the natural man, the Word of God feeds the spiritual man. When we fail to feed on the Word like we're supposed to, our spirit man becomes weak and the natural man will dominate him. Reading a Promise Card from a Promise Box, is like feeding a singular doughnut to the natural man in one twenty-four hour period. Most of us wouldn't have enough strength to carry on our natural lives on that puny amount of food.
An under-fed new man, allows the natural man to take control and that results in our trying to control the flesh without the spirit. Simply being able to quote scripture, doesn't mean it is "Bread" to our spirit. The Pharisees could quote things from the old covenant and from that, created amendments to make themselves holy. Jesus said they were, "The blind leading the blind." We're sometimes like that and they weren't even born-again yet.
The Holy Spirit led the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:14 (Amplified) saying, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." Other translations say that they are "mature sons of God." My wife gave birth to our two sons (who are now 53 and 48) and although they are mature sons, they remain our sons. They're not perfect, but they are grown up. I no longer need to lend them my car, because they have their own cars. They are adults and have responsibilities as adults. I raised them to be able to govern themselves according to what they've learned and they are still learning.
When we are mature sons of God (as new creatures in Christ), we're to govern ourselves by the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Word. We're to teach our spirits, by the Holy Spirit and the Word, to the place where our spirit now dominates our natural man. God gave us a natural body, to be able to contact this natural world we live in. The natural body was simply a house or covering for the real you, that lives inside the body. Your body wasn't supposed to rule you, anymore than the house you currently live in (your board and shingle house), is to rule you.
Led by the Holy Spirit, your spirit was always to be in control of your flesh, instead of the other way around. We still have many problems in today's Church, because we're mostly very carnal in our thinking. Paul instructed us to "renew our minds," in Romans 12:2 (Amplified) saying, "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), (fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs) but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude) so that you may prove (for yourselves) what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect (in His sight for you)."
The "renewal" of your mind, isn't something taught in school, but is something your new creation man teaches your mind, as it becomes dominate over your senses. Paul spoke about this in Hebrews 5:14 (Amplified) saying, "Solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to distinguish and discriminate between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law."
This is a man who is led by the spirit and not the flesh. He is a mature son and hasn't remained a baby Christian. The only true manner a new creation being can mature, is by allowing the Word to be Spirit and Life to him, instead of simply being a book of rules. When we continue to refer to ourselves like we were, instead of who we are, we're not being led by the Holy Spirit. When we place more faith in the Curse of the Law, rather than in the Blessing, we're still carnal and led by our flesh.
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