Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. — 1 JOHN 3:9

People sometimes ask me, “How can I tell whether it is my own spirit or the Holy Spirit telling me to do something? It may just be me wanting to do it.”

When you say “me,” what are you talking about? If it is the real you — the man on the inside that’s a new creature, with the life and nature of God in him, indwelt by the Holy Spirit — then it is right. If you mean “me,” talking about the flesh, that’s a different thing entirely. Learn to differentiate between the two.

A Christian’s inward man isn’t the one who wants to do wrong. If the inward man wants to do wrong, that person has never been born again. First John 3:9 has bothered some Christians. They have made mistakes and failed, and they’ve thought, If I were born of God, according to the Bible I wouldn’t sin. But this verse is talking about the inward man who doesn’t sin.

I’ve done things that were wrong, but my inward man didn’t do them. In fact, he didn’t agree with me when I did them. He tried to get me not to do them. Physically, we are born of human parents, and we partake of their human nature. Spiritually, we are born of God, and we partake of His nature. And it is not God’s nature to do wrong. Therefore, let your spirit dominate your flesh.

Confession: I am born of God. My spirit has the life and nature of God, and its desires are right desires.