Followers of Christ have two battle fronts – the flesh and the Spirit.
As followers of Christ, we receive the hope of Christ to take away our sins because He has become our Savior.  We will have times of conflict in our thinking and our emotions because we were born with a flesh nature…and that nature creates opposition to God.
When we received Christ as our Lord and Savior…we were given the Holy Spirit to live within us.  Jesus said we need to be ‘born again’ by His Spirit.  Jesus explained our two natures in John 3:1-8.

We are told to “live by the Spirit”.
(NASB) Galatians 5:16-17 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

Followers of Christ have choices in how we live our day-to-day lives.  We can give in to the desires of the flesh OR we can follow the Lord Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit He has given us.

How can we be sure that we are followers of Christ who have received His Holy Spirit?
(NASB) Romans 8:9 “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.  But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

God states that each person is accountable to God…either people have the Spirit of God within or they do not.  It is either…or…

So!  Does the Spirit of God live within you?  Does your life reveal that fact to others, especially those with whom you live?

OR

Does the Spirit of Christ not dwell (live) within you?  Going to church, giving to charities, being a church member is not the deciding factor…your faith in Jesus as your Savior and your Lord…that is the determining factor.

(NASB) Galatians 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

Followers of Christ please God by obeying His words~
this is to walk by the Spirit.