The Conflict of Natures
THE CONFLICT OF NATURES
Why You Feel Torn… and How the Holy Spirit Leads You Into Real Freedom
By Pastor Aaron Rios | Garden City Church | Nov 30th, 2025
There’s a war happening inside every human being, and you don’t need a theology degree to know it’s true. Just look at your daily life. One part of you honestly wants to honor God. The other part wants cheesecake at 11 p.m., revenge on the person who offended you in the group chat, and the last word in every argument.
Yeah… that part. Paul calls it the flesh. And it’s noisy. The Struggle Is Real — And It’s Scriptural
In Romans 7:14–21, Paul lays himself bare:
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why do I keep doing the thing I swore I’d stop doing?”—you’re already in the conversation Paul started 2,000 years ago. That tension, that pull, that wrestling is not proof that you’re failing. It’s proof that God’s Spirit is alive in you.
Before salvation, that longing for goodness has nowhere to land—so people try to fill it with good deeds, humanitarian efforts, “good karma,” or crossing their fingers hoping their “good outweighs their bad” when they meet God.
But after salvation, everything changes. Your sinful nature loses legal rights. It loses power. A new nature awakens. But that old nature? Oh, it still shouts. Loudly.
And so begins the conflict of natures.
The Real Key Isn’t Trying Harder — It’s Surrendering Deeper
People wear themselves out trying to “behave better.” Christianity wasn’t meant to be a spiritual treadmill where you run harder but go nowhere. The Bible is not behavior modification. It’s life transformation.
The key to victory is simple and powerful: Surrender to the Holy Spirit. Yield to Him. Rely on Him. Walk with Him.
Romans 6 says it plainly:
This is the kind of surrender that leads to actual peace, not self-condemnation or religious exhaustion.
Your Flesh Craves Junk
Let’s be honest: nobody ever says, “You know what I’m craving right now? A bowl of steamed broccoli.”
One of my friends just completed a 50-day juice fast—fifty days of liquid sadness. When it ended, she didn’t crave carrots or cucumbers. She craved cheesecake. Cookies. Sugar. Anything bad.
Why?
Because our flesh naturally gravitates toward the junk. That’s why Paul calls the flesh ruthless.
And he lists its fruit in Galatians 5: sexual immorality, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, envy, drunkenness… it’s basically a highlight reel of our pre-Jesus life. But thank God that’s not the end of the story.
The Spirit produces something entirely different:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
When the Spirit leads, your nature changes. You don’t have to force fruit to grow. Fruit grows naturally from the nature that’s in you.
Why the Law Can’t Save You — But It Can Locate You
Paul brings up the law again and again, so here’s the refresher:
Romans 3 gives a list that could easily describe half of every Thanksgiving table in America:
But then he takes a Spirit-filled turn:
“There is therefore now no condemnation…” — Romans 8:1
The law locates your problem. The Spirit brings the solution.
When you come to Christ:
Romans 8 gives us the answer:
Being a person of the Spirit means:
It also means this:
You’re going to face rejection like Jesus did. That’s what Paul means when he talks about “suffering with Christ” (sympaschō)—not helplessness, but identification.
The world may not applaud you. That’s fine. Heaven does.
Have You Received the Holy Spirit?
This is where Acts 19 hits home.
Paul meets disciples who were believers… baptized… sincere… but still missing something:
So Paul lays hands on them. Their hearts are open. And God fills them.
This is New Testament Christianity.
Not dry doctrine.
Not religious routine.
A Spirit-filled life.
And we’re not talking about chasing manifestations for their own sake. This is about a heart posture that says:
Tongues? Beautiful.
Prophecy? Powerful.
But the most important evidence is surrender. A humble, open, obedient heart.
So How Do We Live This Out?
Paul gives practical instructions in 2 Timothy 2:
And Peter adds in 2 Peter 3:
This is Spirit-empowered living. Not perfect, but surrendered. Not behavior modification—heart transformation.
Ask With Confidence — God Gives the Spirit Freely
Jesus said in Luke 11:
Not to those who earn it.
Not to those who perform well.
To those who ask.
James adds:
God is not holding Himself at a distance.
He is not stingy with His Spirit.
He is not reluctant.
He is a Father who loves to fill His children.
Your Invitation Today
So here’s the question:
Have you truly received the Holy Spirit?
Not “Have you been around church?”
Not “Have you been baptized?”
Not even “Have you believed?”
But:
Have you opened your heart fully for the Spirit of God to transform you?
You don’t have to be afraid of what God might do to you or through you - i think we can agress its much better than what the devil is looking to do...
You don’t have to figure it all out.
You don’t have to control the outcome.
Just open. Ask. Receive. Surrender. Obey.
Because the life He wants to give you isn’t a life of constant struggle—it’s a life of Spirit-led freedom, joy, and victory. Struggles will happen - they're meant to highlight the victories ahead.
This is the conflict of natures…
But the Holy Spirit always wins when you yield.
And your life—your joy, your peace, your transformation—begins on the other side of one simple prayer:
Yeah… that part. Paul calls it the flesh. And it’s noisy. The Struggle Is Real — And It’s Scriptural
In Romans 7:14–21, Paul lays himself bare:
“For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do… it is sin living in me.”
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why do I keep doing the thing I swore I’d stop doing?”—you’re already in the conversation Paul started 2,000 years ago. That tension, that pull, that wrestling is not proof that you’re failing. It’s proof that God’s Spirit is alive in you.
Before salvation, that longing for goodness has nowhere to land—so people try to fill it with good deeds, humanitarian efforts, “good karma,” or crossing their fingers hoping their “good outweighs their bad” when they meet God.
But after salvation, everything changes. Your sinful nature loses legal rights. It loses power. A new nature awakens. But that old nature? Oh, it still shouts. Loudly.
And so begins the conflict of natures.
The Real Key Isn’t Trying Harder — It’s Surrendering Deeper
People wear themselves out trying to “behave better.” Christianity wasn’t meant to be a spiritual treadmill where you run harder but go nowhere. The Bible is not behavior modification. It’s life transformation.
The key to victory is simple and powerful: Surrender to the Holy Spirit. Yield to Him. Rely on Him. Walk with Him.
Romans 6 says it plainly:
“Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God… do not let sin reign… offer every part of yourself to God.”
This is the kind of surrender that leads to actual peace, not self-condemnation or religious exhaustion.
Your Flesh Craves Junk
Let’s be honest: nobody ever says, “You know what I’m craving right now? A bowl of steamed broccoli.”
One of my friends just completed a 50-day juice fast—fifty days of liquid sadness. When it ended, she didn’t crave carrots or cucumbers. She craved cheesecake. Cookies. Sugar. Anything bad.
Why?
Because our flesh naturally gravitates toward the junk. That’s why Paul calls the flesh ruthless.
And he lists its fruit in Galatians 5: sexual immorality, jealousy, rage, selfish ambition, envy, drunkenness… it’s basically a highlight reel of our pre-Jesus life. But thank God that’s not the end of the story.
The Spirit produces something entirely different:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
When the Spirit leads, your nature changes. You don’t have to force fruit to grow. Fruit grows naturally from the nature that’s in you.
Why the Law Can’t Save You — But It Can Locate You
Paul brings up the law again and again, so here’s the refresher:
- The Law exposes you.
- Grace transforms you.
Romans 3 gives a list that could easily describe half of every Thanksgiving table in America:
“Their tongues practice deceit… their mouths are full of cursing… ruin and misery mark their ways…” Paul says, “Look closely. This is what the law reveals.”
But then he takes a Spirit-filled turn:
“There is therefore now no condemnation…” — Romans 8:1
The law locates your problem. The Spirit brings the solution.
When you come to Christ:
- You’re not under condemnation.
- You’re not under the flesh.
- You’re not under the law of sin and death.
- You are under the Spirit of life.
Romans 8 gives us the answer:
“If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live… for those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”
Being a person of the Spirit means:
- You reject the world’s voice.
- You silence the flesh’s demands.
- You invite the Holy Spirit to govern your desires.
- You see obedience not as fear-driven slavery—but as joyful responsibility.
It also means this:
You’re going to face rejection like Jesus did. That’s what Paul means when he talks about “suffering with Christ” (sympaschō)—not helplessness, but identification.
The world may not applaud you. That’s fine. Heaven does.
Have You Received the Holy Spirit?
This is where Acts 19 hits home.
Paul meets disciples who were believers… baptized… sincere… but still missing something:
“We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
So Paul lays hands on them. Their hearts are open. And God fills them.
This is New Testament Christianity.
Not dry doctrine.
Not religious routine.
A Spirit-filled life.
And we’re not talking about chasing manifestations for their own sake. This is about a heart posture that says:
“Holy Spirit, I want everything You want to give me.
I will obey whatever You ask.
My life is Yours.”
Tongues? Beautiful.
Prophecy? Powerful.
But the most important evidence is surrender. A humble, open, obedient heart.
So How Do We Live This Out?
Paul gives practical instructions in 2 Timothy 2:
- Flee youthful passions.
- Pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.
- Avoid foolish arguments.
- Be kind, teachable, humble, and patient.
- Be ready for every good work.
- Turn from wickedness.
And Peter adds in 2 Peter 3:
- Live holy and godly lives.
- Make every effort to be spotless.
- Stay at peace with God.
- Keep your eyes fixed on the coming Kingdom.
This is Spirit-empowered living. Not perfect, but surrendered. Not behavior modification—heart transformation.
Ask With Confidence — God Gives the Spirit Freely
Jesus said in Luke 11:
“How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Not to those who earn it.
Not to those who perform well.
To those who ask.
James adds:
“Ask in faith, without doubting.”
God is not holding Himself at a distance.
He is not stingy with His Spirit.
He is not reluctant.
He is a Father who loves to fill His children.
Your Invitation Today
So here’s the question:
Have you truly received the Holy Spirit?
Not “Have you been around church?”
Not “Have you been baptized?”
Not even “Have you believed?”
But:
Have you opened your heart fully for the Spirit of God to transform you?
You don’t have to be afraid of what God might do to you or through you - i think we can agress its much better than what the devil is looking to do...
You don’t have to figure it all out.
You don’t have to control the outcome.
Just open. Ask. Receive. Surrender. Obey.
Because the life He wants to give you isn’t a life of constant struggle—it’s a life of Spirit-led freedom, joy, and victory. Struggles will happen - they're meant to highlight the victories ahead.
This is the conflict of natures…
But the Holy Spirit always wins when you yield.
And your life—your joy, your peace, your transformation—begins on the other side of one simple prayer:
“Holy Spirit… I’m Yours.”
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