SATAN and the OLD MAN

I want to start by saying that I totally agree with the statements made by Joey concerning Satan as our enemy in spiritual warfare. I know for a fact that Satan attacks me on a daily basis. However, I believe that there is a distinction to be made between Satan and the sin nature. Although Satan may be a huge force in bringing down believers through temptation, the true act of sin comes from within ourselves, our sin nature.

Romans 6:5-14
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self(man) was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free(justified) from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

It seems to me that the Old Man plays just as big of a role in sin as does Satan himself. It really comes down to the fact that Satan tempts us and that if we are not spiritually sound and in tune with the Spirit, then we will fall into the temptation.

My point is this. It is just as important for us to focus on our actual sin nature and remember that the actual sins are from our body and not from Satan. We mustn't try and pin all of sin after salvation on Satan, instead, we must remember that we still retain our sinful nature and we must guard against our own wants and desires for sin just as ferociously as we battle against Satan.