Why Do I Still Struggle After Being Born Again?
1) Direct Answer
You still struggle because the new life is in you, but your body and human spirit have not been redeemed yet. The Holy Spirit in your inner man wars against the flesh. That conflict is a sign of life, not a sign that you were not born again. God allows the fight to train you, prove you, and make you an overcomer.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- The Bible says, “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17). That’s the battle you feel.
- Paul said he delighted in God’s law “after the inward man,” yet felt another law in his members (Romans 7:22-25). Then he declares, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1-2).
- We “groan within ourselves, waiting for…the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:23). The soul is reborn now; the body’s redemption is future.
- Those sealed “with that Holy Spirit of promise” are “sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). God keeps what He births.
- “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him” (1 John 3:9). The Seed in the soul cannot deny the Word. When a believer stumbles, he is grieved and confesses (1 John 1:9), and has “an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).
- God chastens sons (Hebrews 12:6-8). Correction is proof of sonship, not rejection.
- “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). “God…will…make a way to escape” for every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13).
- Put on the whole armor of God and use the Sword of the Spirit, the Word (Ephesians 6:10-18).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- New birth changes your nature. You love the Word and hate sin. The struggle remains because you’re still in the same body with old habits pressing from the outside. The Seed inside cannot disbelieve the Word, but the flesh must be crucified daily. Feed the inner man with the Word and prayer, and starve the flesh by refusing its avenues (eyes, ears, thoughts, companions, places).
- Condemnation is the enemy’s voice; conviction is the Spirit drawing you to confess and walk on. If you can sin without grief, that’s danger; but if it pains you and drives you to Christ, that’s life.
4) Short Reinforcing Counsel
- Stay in the Word daily; speak it back to temptation.
- Pray and watch; avoid the doorways of the old life.
- Confess quickly; don’t hide. The Blood answers the accuser.
- Fellowship with the faithful; put on the armor.
- Remember: the battle means you’re alive. God started the work, and He will finish it.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
You must be born again
61-1231M §14
...e people and see sin creeping in, then I have to just tear in there with all that's in me, you see, to tear it out. And that makes it look hard, to my way of looking at it, why, to say those things. But yet, down at the bottom, true love runs like that. See, true love.
You must be born again
61-1231M §135
Now remember, I believe that Jesus Christ says this to every human being, on His first doctrine: "Except a man be born of the water [that's the Word, washing of the water by the Word] and of the Spirit [which is the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit confirming the Word], he cannot see the kingdom of heaven." Do you believe that? "By the water," washing of the water by the Word, Word and truth, He is the truth. "Water and Spirit," the Spirit coming with the Word to confirm the Word, making God live in me, see. We cannot...
You must be born again
61-1231M §39
Like a contractor to build a building, unless he could read a blueprint, there's no need of him trying to build a building, if he doesn't understand the blueprint. And then when he understands the blueprint, then he knows how to build the building. That's the way it is. That's what happens about building the kingdom of God. You've got to understand the blueprint, and you won't know the blueprint until you're born again. And when you're born again and then deny the blueprint, what takes place?
You must be born again
61-1231M §115
They say, "I got born again. Hallelujah! I joined this. I joined... I don't know. Last year I believed in Jesus' name, I backed it out; now I believe this. I did believe you had to be holy, but I... So-and-so say..." Wanderers, tossed about with every wind of doctrine, see. There you are. But be born of the Spirit and grow into the stature of Christ. You see it, Brother Dauch? Growing into the stature of Christ! Through your life, proves. Like if you were born a prophet, you'll remain that. If you were born a Chris...
You must be born again
61-1231M §54
Yes, to be born again you must go through a process of death. Everything does. You take a grain of corn, if that corn ever expects to live again, it's got to die first. If a grain of wheat ever expects to live again... It's totally impossible for that corn, that wheat, that flower, that tree, that grass, that vegetable... Everything that expects to live again must die first. Then how're you going to escape it? You got to die first. You got to die. Die how? To yourself, die to everything, so that you can be born aga...