I don`t see this passage as saying that we divide ourselves, "a house divided against itself cannot stand," we either "walk acording to the flesh or the Spirit" we are to as Paul put it "depart from iniquity," a believer has the God givenn power not to sin fullstop, we do not go on sinning but we "punish and enslave the body," this isn`t a man who knows that part of himself will always sin but that that part is not of him, Paul punished and enslaved all of himself so that he would not lose out on the prize.
Paul certainly "divided" himself from the "sin indwelling" him, calling it "no longer I." That was the point. Yet Paul still served the law of sin as it pertained to his flesh. Here is the power that sin has and still has to this day:
Romans 3:20
for by the
law is the knowledge of
sin.
Romans 5:20
Moreover the
law entered,
that the offence might abound
Romans 7:
5-For when we were in the flesh,
the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members
Romans 7:14
For we know that the
law is spiritual: but I
am carnal, sold under
sin.
(note the use of "am" not "was")
1 Cor. 15:
56 The sting of death is
sin; and
the strength of sin is the law.
This working of The Law as it pertains to SIN remains working to this day. NO one can "live" under the law without revealing the SIN that indwells their flesh. Not even Christians. They too will STILL prove that sin indwells their flesh UNDER the Law.
That Law of Moses was for "the lawless."
1 Timothy 1:9
Knowing this, that
the law is not made for a righteous man, but
for the lawless
That Law revealed to Paul, that the SIN INDWELLING him was NOT HIM, but THE LAWLESS, as SIN is of the devil and the DEVIL is the lawless one.
Ultimatly the wages of sin is death, any sin, even if you think that it is not you who do it, it is still a sin that you commit (because God gives the way out from all temptation, therefore the option was there to take that way out) and therefore left unrepentant could lead to death.
As stated previously IF we are believers, we have already accounted our bodies as dead because of that which STILL dwells therein, SIN.
I have also said that any particular sin that a person's body including their MIND may be bound with is particular to that person's flesh, so in that way it is THEIR sin as it is IN their body. That still does not make THEM the same as that which dwells therein.
But we can`t implicate only the devil because that is contrary to scripture, 1 corinthians 10 states that God always provides the way out when we are tempted and that we are never tempted beyond that which we can endure, if we chose not to take that way out then we (you and I) are to blame. Sins will be counted against mankind
Then you would appear to have a contradiction on your hands, no, a resistance to the scripture:
2 Corinthians 5:19
that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting men's sins against them.
You see, there is "something" in you that desires to STILL COUNT. Paul tells us that JESUS is NOT COUNTING. Why are YOU?
God will have everyone give an account for what they did in the body whether good or ill, and all men will recieve recompense for that, for some (those who are saved) it will mean loss of reward, for the rest (those hwo are not saved) it will mean to what degree they are punished in hell.
That would seem very problematic if Jesus is NOT COUNTING eh?
Yet IF, even as "you say" the devil is IMPLICATED, then it can certain be that THE DEVIL will pay the price of SIN, seeing as how the devil is clearly implicated in ALL SIN, and in that way Jesus can remain, NOT counting against mankind, just as the scripture states. (there are several more scriptures for this position of "not counting" against mankind i.e. Mark 3:28, 1 John 2:2, Heb. 9:26 etc.)
If mankind is not accountable for their sins, why did God still prononce judgement on Adam and Eve, yes the worst of it was on satan, but they did not escape judgement "for the day that you eat of the tree you will surely die," they didn`t die that day physically they died Spiritually, they paid a price for their sin.
We have to be "very" careful when "counting sins." For example, if you desire to "blame Adam" I will make a couple of observations about Adam. First and foremost Adam was Gods son (Luke 3:38) so I'd be very careful about how I handled Adam in "that light."
Also, I doubt very very much that Gods Intentions as it pertained to His son, Adam, was to leave Adam eternally bound in a wet compliation of dust, so the death of Adam's flesh was clearly on God's Menu for Adam as it pertained to his flesh, seeing that in the first command contained a DEATH THREAT to Adam's flesh. And Adam, though he was Gods son, was certainly made "subject to" temptation by THE Temptor, the serpent, THE DEVIL. And the devil certainly had "his way" with Adam. We know that 'thereby' sin ENTERED Adam as it pertained to his flesh.
Yet that isn`t what that passage says, the Spirit convicts the world of sin..........because they do not believe in me, "by your words you will be justified, by your words you will be condemned," and "if you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth you will be saved," men will be condemned by their words (out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks) they will be condemned for saying "no" to Jesus.
Were mankind the "only party" in play here I could agree with that, but that is assuredly not the case. Jesus already said of those who hear and do not believe, "I JUDGE HIM NOT." And Jesus did "take away the sin of the world." So using a little Divine Math here, there is only ONE party left to look at, and we also KNOW from scriptures that it is the "god of this world" who BLINDS the captives of SIN.
I have no need then to blame any man, or the world. There is simply more than "one world" going on here, and obviously that "other world" cannot be seen by "fleshly eyes" therefore many "do not believe" because they cannot see SATAN or the mystery of the working of iniquity or Mystery Babylon APART from the Word or with flesh eyes. These things are "spiritually discerned" via Word disclosures.
Quite right we are comanded to love our fellow man, and that love takes many forms the most prominant being to "warn them to flee from the wrath to come," what wrath is this? It is the wrath of God towards unbelievers, there will be non to deliever them on that day if they have not put their trust in Christ. No man can do any righteous act unless they are born from above, for "a bad tree cannot produce good fruit,
Jesus said make the tree either good or bad i.e. DON'T mix them. There is one or there is the other or there is more than likely BOTH, seeing how God does LOVE mankind.
Also, if the sum total of "your" love simply equates to "a warning" then that measure is far far short of 'love.' What do we know about Love? Love does NO ILL. Love keeps NO RECORD of wrongs. It would appear that has fallen from your list. And I know "why."
and a good tree cannot bear bad fruit" as only God is good then someone who has not got Gods Spirit residing within cannot do good. Their righteous acts are as filthy rags to God, the only thing any man can do to flee from the wrath to come is to cleave to the rock that is the Christ, otherwise they will meet this wrath. A second way of love is this, to warn others of their sin, if you do not then, according to scripture you hate them in your heart (leviticus 19 vs 16-18).
That will remain "counting" in spite of the 'other party' that is also involved. The only way to understand these contradictions is to "separate" the parties. It will remain a fact that the devil is clearly involved, yes even "in believers."
Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery "go away and sin no more," there is no possibility of part of the body being still in captivity to sin, this statement is made false and untrue if believers are still in some way sinners.
And you still see only the woman, whom Jesus did NOT condemn. And Jesus may very well have given a warning to that other entity that controlled that woman's flesh. It was said of Mary that Jesus cast 7 devils from that woman. There is just alot more going on here than just a woman.
But this is the complete opposite of what you think it means, it says that a person who is walking in the Spirit will not commit sin,
Christians cannot say they "have" no sin. Whether the "workings" show themselves on the outside or not is irrelevant. Even a single adulterous thought is the same as commiting the "act" in Jesus view. So even if a Christian looks good on the outside of the cup, it doesn't mean they are clean on the inside.
When we "separate" ourselves from that working, then we understand what is going on, and we know that "we" do not sin, but when "we do" we have an Advocate who has DIVIDED US from that working and does not "count it" against us, but that working is and remains CONDEMNED in the flesh, yes even in "ours."
either themselves or satan working through them, they have been given the power to be victorious over sin.......all sin, if we continue in sin in any way shape or form we will die in those sins and be punished for our disobediance for ever, this was the message of the apostles, the prophets before them and finaly this is the message as presented by the Christ.
And that will remain in any case judging Gods children as the sinners and as the sole cause, and imho, blinded to scriptural facts of the matter.
How are we divided, how do you know what is of the devil and what is of you, what you are teaching does not run parallel to many scriptures,
What you have is a what I call a "common mixture." Peter for example was advised by God in Acts 10 to call NO MAN common or "unclean" and a sinner would certainly be "unclean." We are also advised to know NO MAN after the flesh. When sin transpires in mind or body it is OF THE DEVIL and it is UNTO THE DEVIL that we look for judgment, and NOT the captive, the slave. Jesus did not come to CONDEMN the captives, but to FREE them. They are free by HIS DIVISION. Men shall not live by bread alone, but MEN WILL LIVE by "every word" of God.
there is no sin we can commit that we are not accountable for,
Then you have fallen under the condemnation of 1 John 3:6 and 3:9.
we will give an account of everything. It is not enough to just condemn the sin, "anyone who commits sin is a slave to sin,"
It is more than a bit bizarre to see you implicate the devil, and call men slaves, and then to turn and condemn the slave. That is what the devil does friend.
there is no room for satans workings in the flesh, this is any sin we commit. I agree that Jesus made sin to be seen in all by saying that if you did it in your heart then you are guilty of it, however this does not mena that believers should continue in sin, it is only the pure in heart who will see God, that presence of sin must be gone, we must be holy or we will not see God.......ever, to say otherwise is to add to scripture, something warnesd against in revelation.
You are telling me that God caused Paul to sin?
The Law aroused SIN INDWELLING the flesh and the LAW caused the lawless one(s) to be "revealed" in Paul's flesh. And yes, God did place a MESSENGER of SATAN upon Paul, perhaps not to "sin" but to INFLICT his flesh in some other way. The devil is also connected pain and suffering in the flesh.
Interestingly the early church fathers said that the messenger sent from satan had the power to bring migraines to Paul not cause him to sin.
Point taken, and point also made that Satan's messenger was there in the flesh of Paul as a SEPARATE from him working, judgments of "migraines" notwithstanding, as that is only a guess on their parts. We are not advised what torment that "thorn in the flesh" brought specifically and it could have brought Paul many things in his flesh OR even in his MIND that he had to "fight."
This is all contrary to scripture, we are not to continue in sin,
Never said otherwise. You also do understand that "faith" works through "love." One does not condemn their fellow man via faith in LOVE, particularly for the same things that "we" have.
we are not to allow satan to cause us to continue in sin, we are to be holy or we will not see the LORD, if you argue with this then you are arguing against God, (hebrews 12 vs 13 I think).
Mark 
Well, when your body and mind is free of sin, please give me a call.
enjoy!
squint
