There is a lot of scriptural backing for the truth that we do not have a sinful nature anymore in Christ. The old nature was crucified with Christ, and a new creation now lives.
Galatians 5:24 says, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.” Colossians 2:11 declares, “When you came to Christ, you were circumcised, but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.” Romans 6:6 proclaims it clearly: “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.” But the truth that first opened my eyes was this:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, a new creature altogether; the old, previous moral and spiritual condition has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come” – 2 Corinthians 5:17 (see What the New Creation Is).
If you look up the Greek word for “new” in that verse, it’s kainos. It means freshly made—something that has never existed before. It’s not like taking a used car and detailing it, fixing chips and repainting—that’s refurbished. That’s not what we are. We aren’t refurbished sinners. When Scripture says we are a new creation, it means the old was crucified with Jesus. It means that what lives now is a brand new being—something that never existed before it was created. The Amplified Bible captures it when it says we are “a new creature altogether.” A new species of being (see Born of God, Not of Adam).
In the Old Testament, man carried the fallen nature of Adam. Occasionally the Spirit of God would come upon them to empower them for certain works. But now, in Christ, we are not fallen people with occasional visits from God. We are new creations. The old Adamic nature—the fallen condition—was crucified. And now the Spirit of God lives within us at all times, empowering us for life. In the Old Covenant, it was man and God, separate. Now, through Christ, 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” We are one (see Union, Not Separation).
This is how we come to 2 Peter 1:3–4, where it says God has given us everything needed for life and godliness, and that we have become “partakers of the divine nature,” having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. So I don’t have evil desires. I’m not battling “my” evil. Galatians 5:24 says my sinful passions and desires have been crucified with Christ. That old self, with all its cravings—dead. I am a new self, carrying the divine nature. And if we are ever going to walk free, we have to learn to differentiate (see You Are Already Free From Sin).
When a lustful thought presses in—passing by on the street, or encountering temptation in daily life—I answer it aloud with a firm “No.” I turn my eyes away and refuse to entertain it. I resist what does not belong to me. Because if I believe that evil desire comes from me, I am trapped. But I know 2 Peter 1:4—I have escaped the corruption. I have the divine nature now (see Freedom and Identity in Christ).
The corruption of the world still surrounds us. Fleshly thinking still urges many to see others through the lens of selfish desire. But when temptation crosses my path, I remember: that voice is not my own. It is the voice of the stranger.
“My sheep know my voice, and they follow me. A stranger they will not follow.” – John 10:4–5
How do I know it’s the stranger? Because Jesus would never lead me into the corruption He died to free me from. When the stranger speaks, I do not argue. I answer him with the truth of the Shepherd. I ask, “What does Jesus say? How does He see this person?” And I agree with Him. If the attack persists, I answer again with the Words of God.
If we do not learn to discern the Shepherd’s voice from the voice of the stranger, we will follow the wrong one. And often the stranger speaks cloaked in religious language. Fear-driven teachings, demon-obsessions, end-times panic—all dressed up with a sprinkling of Scripture. But the real question is simple: Is it about Jesus? Is it about life? Or is it about fear, control, and confusion? If it is not about the Shepherd, it is the voice of the stranger.
And so I stand firm: I do not have a sinful nature. I never will again. I believed that lie for years. No more. I am a partaker of the divine nature. That is who I am. It is all about renewing the mind (changing how we think). Colossians 3:9–10 says we “have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” So when I stumble, it is not proof that I still have the old nature. It is proof that my mind is still being renewed.
Old habits may linger in memory. But my nature is new. Stumbling is understandable. But it is not meant to be permanent. Every time I stumble, I ask: “Was that the old self or the new self?” If I speak in impatience, I remember: the new self is patient (Galatians 5:22–23). So I pray, “Holy Spirit, teach me to walk in patience next time.” The Spirit lives in me. I already have patience—it is a matter of bearing the fruit that is already inside. And He is faithful to teach me and strengthen me to walk in it.
There are moments when grumbling or complaining tries to rise up. But the Holy Spirit reminds me: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Philippians 2:14). I thank Him and ask: “Next time, remind me before I speak.” And He does. He is the Helper.
It is a joyful way to grow—walking in grace, not in condemnation. Real progress. True freedom. Grace is not the excuse for the old self. It is the life and empowerment of the new.
