The very moment one exercises saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, a new nature is imparted by the Holy Spirit to the believer. This is described as regeneration in Titus 3: 5 and 6. Immediately a hitherto unknown conflict also begins within. And the two natures each strive to go in opposite directions, and to have the upper hand in the life of the believer.
Both natures cannot reign at the same time, so one will have to be rendered inoperative, or put out of commission. It is here that the will of the believer comes into play and determines which of the two natures shall rule. A good chapter for study on this subject is Romans 6. Our salvation puts us in union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, and we are identified with Him. This is what is meant by the word baptism in Romans 6:3. His victory can be our victory in a practical sense in our daily lives. In fact this is the will of God for all believers.
This identification with Christ gives the believer both the power and authority to exercise the will over the old nature. This is a wonderful privilege because the believer can demonstrate in his own life the power and glory of the Lord’s resurrection for the world to see.
Even though the believer determines which nature shall rule in his life, it is also very important for him to remember that the old man is not dead or eradicated when rendered inoperative: he is ready to spring to life the very moment the new nature is dethroned by the believer. The old nature cannot be eradicated until resurrection.
In Ephesians 4: 22-24 we are told to put off … the old man. The negative comes first. The positive, put on the new man. As nature abhors a vacuum, so it is folly to stop at the negative position and try to make the Christian life a series of don’ts. We put on and continually grow in the Lord, going on to perfection (or maturity – MMP).
