There are some things God has buried that we need to stop digging back up.

Old habits. Old mindsets. Old insecurities. Old compromises. Old versions of ourselves that Jesus went to the cross to put to death.

And yet, if we are not careful, we can spend our lives asking God for resurrection power while using that same energy to keep resurrecting what He already told us to leave in the grave.

That thought has been stirring in me lately.

Romans 8:11 says, “The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you.”

Think about that for a moment. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you.

That means there is resurrection power inside of you.

Power to rise above temptation.

Power to overcome fear.

Power to break old patterns.

Power to forgive.

Power to walk in freedom.

Power to become who God has called you to be.

But here is the question we have to ask ourselves: What are we choosing to resurrect?

Are we allowing the Spirit of God to bring the new creation to life, or are we constantly breathing life back into the old nature Christ died to bury?

Scripture describes an ongoing battle between the flesh and the Spirit.

Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.”

Every one of us knows that tension.

There is the version of us that wants to trust God, and the version that wants to panic.

There is the version that wants to forgive, and the version that wants revenge.

There is the version that wants purity, and the version that wants compromise.

There is the version that wants to speak life, and the version that wants to say exactly what we are thinking.

There is the Spirit-led version and the flesh-led version.

One leads us toward freedom. The other leads us back toward bondage.

The Old Man Still Tries to Get Up

When we surrender our lives to Christ, something supernatural happens.

Second Corinthians 5:17 says, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

That is our identity.

We are new.

But just because the old has passed away does not mean it stops trying to climb out of the grave.

The flesh is persistent.

It shows up when we are tired.

It shows up when we are offended.

It shows up when we feel overlooked.

It shows up when someone pushes the right button.

It shows up under pressure.

Think about Peter.

Peter loved Jesus deeply. He was passionate. He was bold. He was the one who stepped out of the boat. He was the one who said, “You are the Messiah.” He was the one who drew a sword when Jesus was arrested.

But only a short time later, Peter denied that he even knew Jesus.

How could someone so committed fail so badly?

Because the flesh does not disappear simply because our intentions are good.

The old man still tries to rise.

That is why spiritual discipline matters.

Romans 8:13 says, “If by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”

Notice the language.

Put to death.

That means there are things we have to stop feeding.

You cannot starve the flesh while continuing to feed it.

You cannot pray for freedom while constantly returning to what keeps you bound.

You cannot keep giving your old nature oxygen and then wonder why it is still breathing.

Feed What You Want to Grow

I have learned that whatever we feed gets stronger.

Feed your faith, and your faith grows.

Feed your fear, and fear grows.

Feed bitterness, and bitterness grows.

Feed lust, and lust grows.

Feed insecurity, and insecurity grows.

Feed your spirit, and spiritual strength grows.

Paul understood this.

He said in 1 Corinthians 15:31, “I die every day!”

That means surrender is not something we do once and then never think about again.

It is daily.

Every morning we make decisions about which version of ourselves we are going to strengthen.

Sometimes dying to the flesh looks dramatic. Other times, it looks very ordinary.

It looks like holding your tongue.

It looks like apologizing first.

It looks like turning something off.

It looks like walking away from a conversation.

It looks like choosing humility when pride wants the last word.

It looks like forgiving someone who never apologized.

It looks like saying no when every emotion in you wants to say yes.

It looks like getting up and praying when you do not feel spiritual.

Those decisions may seem small, but they are forming you.

Every time you say no to the flesh, you are weakening the old man.

Every time you say yes to the Spirit, you are strengthening the new creation.

David Almost Resurrected the Wrong Version

One of my favorite examples of this is found in 1 Samuel 25.

David had been protecting the flocks and property of a wealthy man named Nabal. But when David asked for help, Nabal insulted him.

David became furious.

He armed his men and set out for revenge.

This was David, the anointed future king, ready to destroy his future over one moment of offense.

The old man was rising.

Anger was talking.

Pride was talking.

Revenge was talking.

Then Abigail stepped in.

She reminded David of who he was and what God had called him to become.

She essentially told him, “Do not let this moment turn you into someone you are not.”

And David listened.

That is powerful.

Sometimes we need someone to remind us, “That is not who you are anymore.”

You are not the angry version.

You are not the bitter version.

You are not the insecure version.

You are not the impulsive version.

You are not the person who has to retaliate.

You are a child of God.

You are called.

You are redeemed.

You are being transformed.

Do not resurrect the wrong version of yourself because of one bad moment.

Some Battles Take Longer

Let me encourage someone who feels frustrated because the same struggle keeps showing up.

Not every battle ends in one moment.

Some struggles are like Goliath. One decisive moment changes everything.

Others are more like Saul. Persistent. Exhausting. Reappearing when you thought the battle was over.

Some patterns take time to break.

Some mindsets take time to renew.

Some wounds take time to heal.

That does not mean God is not working.

Growth is often slower than we want, but slower does not mean stagnant.

Think about Jacob.

He wrestled with God, and God changed his name from Jacob to Israel.

His identity changed in a moment.

His transformation took longer.

He still had flaws.

He still had family problems.

He still had things to learn.

But God kept working.

That should encourage you.

Your struggle does not cancel your transformation.

Your weakness does not erase your new identity.

Your failure does not mean you are back at the beginning.

God is still working in you.

Peter Got Back Up

And then there is Peter.

Peter denied Jesus three times.

If that had been the last chapter, we might remember him only as a failure.

But failure was not final.

After the resurrection, Jesus restored Peter.

And the same man who once denied Christ stood on the Day of Pentecost and preached the Gospel with boldness.

Thousands responded.

The man who had been afraid to admit he knew Jesus became one of the boldest witnesses in the early church.

What changed?

Resurrection power.

The Spirit of God did not just raise Jesus from the grave.

That same Spirit raised Peter out of shame, fear, and failure.

And that same Spirit lives in you.

You are not sentenced to remain the person you used to be.

You do not have to keep resurrecting old insecurities.

You do not have to keep feeding old addictions.

You do not have to keep replaying old failures.

You do not have to keep answering to names Jesus has already removed.

The old version of you does not get the final word.

Christ does.

So today, make the decision again.

Walk in the Spirit.

Choose discipline.

Choose obedience.

Choose truth.

Choose forgiveness.

Choose purity.

Choose humility.

Choose courage.

And when the old man tries to rise, remind yourself, “That is not who I am anymore.”

You are a new creation.

You are being renewed.

You are being strengthened.

You are being transformed.

There is resurrection power living inside you.

Do not use it to keep reviving what Jesus died to bury.

Leave the old man in the grave and step into the life Christ died to give you.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the resurrection power that lives in me through Your Holy Spirit. Thank You that I am not trapped by who I used to be and that my past does not have authority over my future.

Help me recognize when the old nature tries to rise again. Give me strength to put to death the attitudes, habits, desires, and patterns that do not reflect who You have called me to be.

Teach me to walk by the Spirit. Give me discipline when I am tempted, wisdom when I am angry, humility when pride rises, courage when I am afraid, and grace when I stumble.

Lord, remind me that I am a new creation. Help me stop resurrecting what You have already buried. Strengthen the new work You are doing in me.

And when I fall, help me get back up. When I struggle, help me keep going. When transformation feels slow, remind me that You are still working.

Today I choose life. I choose obedience. I choose the Spirit. I choose to become the person You created me to be.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.