Why doesn't cleaning up a dead battery make it work?
A dead battery has no internal energy, so washing and polishing it only changes its appearance; it stays dead. Turning the key produces nothing until an outside source, such as a jump or generator, supplies power. Spiritually, external cleanup cannot fix a dead spirit; God's power must energize it and make a new creation.
Les explains that the dead battery illustration shows why mere external improvement cannot restore life. If a car battery is dead, you can bring water, soap, and a rag and wash it until it shines like a new dime, but when you turn the key nothing happens because it is still dead. The battery needs outside energy—a jump or a generator—to produce power. Spiritually, Adam's sin made his soul a sin nature and his spirit died, so he lost fellowship with his Creator. We too have been dead as a result of Adam's sin. It takes an outside source, the power of God, to energize our spirit; when He energizes the Spirit, He makes us a new person, a new creation. You cannot just fix up the old.