Is old Adam dead or still present in the believer?
In God's eyes old Adam is crucified and completely dead, out of the picture. Yet in the believer's experience he is still here, though defeated and not having to remain uppermost. The indwelling Holy Spirit creates the warfare, empowering the believer to live victoriously even while old Adam remains powerful and at times comes to the fore.
Les teaches that just as soon as old Adam is crucified, in God's eyes he is completely dead and out of the picture; but in our experience he is still here, defeated. Old Adam is powerful and will come to the fore at times, yet he does not have to remain uppermost. If he remains uppermost, it is because the believer is not fighting the battle. The warfare exists because the Holy Spirit came in and empowered the believer's spirit—body, soul, and spirit—so the Holy Spirit working in consort with our spirit enables victorious living. Without the indwelling Holy Spirit there would be no battle line, and we would not stand against the forces of old Adam and Satan. Les also points out the Greek Pneuma Hagion, meaning that power from on high.