You can't serve two masters. To be friends with the world it's the wrong thing to do if you walk with Christ. Your mind is at War with your members. Apostle Paul explains this. And scripture tells us to renew our minds. There is a war for your mind as they say. This is why even when we are born again we still need the righteousness of Christ imputed on to us. Remember it is written the master prunes the branches. It is also written it is more profitable for you to lose a member then to be cast into hell with that member. Shall we go on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth? God forbid in Paul's own words
The law is Holy
Romans 7:12
King James Version
12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good .
We are not under the law. We are under grace through faith. If we were under law and we broke one point we would be trampling the blood of Christ under foot. Yes of course we are being tempted. The subliminal spiritual idolatry we are being led into is because the world functions on the food lust. It's in everything. It's in the music and in the music videos. When it is written in James 4:4 to befriend the world is enmity with God it is for so many profound reasons. You know even the story about the virgins that were wise because they had oil in their lamps is profound. Sting had a song called "All This Time". In the song he says all this time the river flowed endlessly to the sea. He talks about losing his way but the real way was there all this time. You see you can't serve two masters. And Sting talked about living in a monastery how that only made men worse. In other words you can't hide from it that you have to face it. I'm talking about lust and living in the spirit instead of the flesh. Part of living in the flesh is by your speech. With the same tongue used to eat and bless people; people use it to curse people. The truth is there's not even one who is good. God in his words says they have all gone astray and there is none that listens. Sure there were holy men that used to be very very Wicked and Paul the Apostle Paul was one of them. Even others such as Elijah they say he was very anointed. How did they achieve that yet they were not perfect as God? They lived in the spirit. Even though they were not perfect they understood that all is Vanity just as King Solomon did. Now of course Jesus being the true biblical Holy One never sinned. You can say that maybe he was helped because he was born of a virgin. He was the unblemished Lamb of God before he gave his life as a ransom for many on the cross. It is written the letter of the law kills but people disobey the heart of the law. And of course we have an adversary that tries to tempt you and me. But you also have a past and Christ said a man who looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God. So if you put your hands on the plow go forward. Remember he said to deny yourself and to fast. Remember when he went into the desert and wasn't it some 40 days or nights he was hungry but he denied himself. Remember when Moses crossed the desert and any other man would have died. Look at some people trying to cross into the United States what happens to many of them. Where did Moses get the strength to overcome? April 20th 2022 3:33 a.m.
" This new life we live in the grace of God is shown by the fruits of righteous works. So then grace, God’s kindness and goodness toward us, motivates us to change and helps create the desire to receive the divine nature, the mind of God ."
Above quote Credit : The Apostle Paul on Struggling With Sin Yet Still Under Grace | United Church of God
Struggling with sin yet still under grace Looking for what the apostle Paul said?
Romans 7:22-24
King James Version
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind , and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members .
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death ?
So if you read Romans 7:22 to 2:24 Paul is admitting that he is not perfect even though he has a law in his mind. So how does he overcome it? He : Delights in the law of God. And God has provided "Grace" as he knows we are weak. But shall grace abound? God forbid and in Pauls own words. So when you find yourself struggling don't wash it away. Deal with it. You can overcome. We can overcome. Remember Satan made sin seem tasteful almost like an adventure. This is why in part God forbade imagery. Vanity all is Vanity said the preacher. To walk in the flesh is death but to live in the spirit is life. Prayer will help but be motivation too walk in the spirit. Set your mind on things from above.