People do the opposite of what God commands because the old Adamic sin nature inherited from Adam is contrary to the revealed will of God and wars against it.
That nature, which Les Feldick says can think nothing but contrary to the revealed will of God, is what makes every person go the opposite direction from what God says is best (Clips 2, 5). Even the Apostle Paul experienced this conflict, doing the evil he hated and failing to do the good he wanted (Romans 7:15, 19). The answer, Les teaches, is to keep old Adam starved and feed the spirit side through the Word of God (Clip 0).
Romans 7:19 — Paul states in his own words the experience of doing the opposite of what is commanded — the good he would do he does not, and the evil he would not, that he does.
Romans 7:15 — Paul confesses that he does what he hates, capturing the conflict that arises whenever God's commands meet the fallen human nature.
Romans 5:12 — Traces the rebellion to its origin — sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and all have sinned as a result.
The Bible gives a remarkably honest account of this struggle. In Romans 7:15 the Apostle Paul writes, 'For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.' And in verse 19 he adds, 'For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that do I.' Even the chief apostle found himself doing the opposite of what he knew was right. Romans 5:12 locates the source of the problem in Adam: 'Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.' Sin did not begin with individual choices; it entered the race through the first man, and every descendant inherited that fallen nature. The same portion of Romans that describes the struggle also announces the remedy. Romans 6:6 declares, 'Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.' And Galatians 2:20 records Paul's testimony: 'I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.' The old nature has been dealt with at the cross.
Les Feldick explains the phenomenon in a single phrase: the old Adamic nature. Every person is born with the old sin nature inherited from Adam, and that nature can think nothing but contrary to the revealed will of God — which is what makes the human race enemies of God (Clip 5). This is why, as Les says, everything God has told the human race that is for our own good, from the human side, we will always find ourselves going the opposite direction (Clip 2). He illustrates it with a child who, told not to go through a door, tries it the moment no one is looking: just as soon as God says 'thou shalt not steal' or 'thou shalt not commit adultery,' the whole human nature says, 'I'm going to try it' (Clip 4). Les traces the rebellion back to the Garden of Eden, where Satan convinced Adam to eat and sin came on the scene. From that point Satan became God's greatest adversary, and he continually urges people in the opposite direction — everything God says is best not to do, Satan says 'Do it' (Clips 2, 4). For the believer, this produces the warfare described in Romans 7 between the old Adam and the new life in Christ. Using the picture of the two dogs, Les says the one you feed the best will be victorious: feed old Adam with the lustful desires of the world and he wins; keep Adam starved and feed the spirit side through the Word of God, fellowship, and prayer, and victory comes (Clip 0). God's decree is that the old nature must die, and the good news is that the old man has already been crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6) — though no human endeavor can break its power; only the power of God can (Clips 3, 6).
Les Feldick teaches that the source is the old Adamic nature. We are sinners by virtue of being the offspring of Adam, and that old sin nature can think nothing contrary to the revealed will of God (Clip 5). The nature is evident in children before they are taught anything: fits of anger, lying, and bad language are not taught but arise from the old nature (Clip 3). God's decree is that this nature has to die, and the scriptural answer is that it was crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6; Clip 3).
According to Les Feldick, Satan is behind much of the pull toward disobedience. From the Garden of Eden onward, when Satan persuaded Adam to eat and sin entered the world, Satan became God's greatest adversary (Clip 4). Since then, everything God says is best for us, Satan says 'Don't do it — the world isn't doing that, why should you?' and everything God warns against, Satan urges, 'Do it' (Clips 2, 4).
Les Feldick emphasizes that God does not force anyone. The believer can either let old Adam rule supreme or let the grace of God come in and overwhelm old Adam so that grace rules — the matter of choice is central (Clip 1). Likewise, Les says it is not part of the Christian endeavor to corner people and force things down their throats; as the Lord creates interest and people begin to ask questions, the believer should be ready with Scripture at command (Clip 1).
Les Feldick's practical answer is to keep old Adam starved and feed the spirit side. People think they can attend church twice a year and maintain their Christianity, but just as the body cannot survive physically eating twice a year, the inner man cannot survive spiritually on that — it takes constant nourishing from the book, fellowship, and prayer (Clip 0). The power of the old Adamic nature must be totally broken, and no human endeavor can do that; only the power of God can, through the believer's crucifixion with Christ (Clip 6; Romans 6:6).
Feed the Spirit, Starve Old Adam
Les teaches that believers face an ongoing warfare between the old Adam and the new life in Christ: whichever side they feed best will be victorious. Victory comes by keeping Adam starved and feeding the spirit through the Word of God, prayer, and fellowship.
The Choice: Old Adam or Grace
Les teaches that the choice belongs to the individual: old Adam can rule supreme or the grace of God can overwhelm old Adam and rule. God will not force anyone, so the believer must be ready with Scripture when others ask questions.
The Pull Toward the Opposite Direction
Les observes that everything God says is for our good, fallen humans tend to go the opposite direction, and the result is the heartache in the world. Satan reinforces the pull by asking why a person should obey when the world doesn't.
The Old Nature's Early Evidence and Its Decree
Les explains that the old Adamic nature shows up in children without being taught — anger, lying, bad language — and that God's decree is that this nature must die. The scriptural answer is that the old man has been crucified with Christ.
The Attraction of the Forbidden
Les uses the child and the forbidden door to show that human nature is drawn to what God forbids. As soon as God says 'thou shalt not' steal or commit adultery, the whole human nature says 'I'm going to try it' — with Satan behind it.
The Sin Nature Is Contrary to God
Les teaches that the old sin nature inherited from Adam can think nothing but contrary to the revealed will of God, which is what makes the human race enemies of God. We sin because we are sinners by birth.
Only God Can Break Old Adam's Power
Les teaches that while good parenting can teach inhibitions, every person will still give in to old Adam at some point. Only the power of God — the substitutionary death of Christ — can break the old nature's control.
Every Person Is Capable of the Same Failures
Les shows that even those who learned right from wrong at their mother's knee can suddenly lose those restraints, because every one of us is capable of the same sins; under like circumstances we would do the same things.
Romans 7:15: For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Paul describes the frustration of doing the opposite of what he wants — the exact human behavior this question asks about.
Romans 7:19: For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that do I.
Paul's direct statement that the good he wants to do he does not, while the evil he wants to avoid is what he practices.
Romans 6:6: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
The scriptural remedy Les points to: the old man is crucified with Christ so the body of sin loses its power.
Romans 5:12: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
The origin of the problem — sin and the sin nature entered the human race through Adam.
Galatians 2:20: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
The Galatians passage behind Les's statement that Paul makes it plain Christ died the believer's death substitutionarily.
Exodus 20:14: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
One of God's 'thou shalt not' commands that, Les observes, the fallen human nature is drawn to try.
Exodus 20:15: Thou shalt not steal.
Another 'thou shalt not' command that, Les observes, human nature responds to with 'I'm going to try it.'
Because every person is born with the old Adamic sin nature, which is contrary to the revealed will of God. When God says something is good, the nature resists it, and when God warns that something is harmful, the nature urges us to try it anyway. Les Feldick says this pull is reinforced by Satan, who tells people to do the very things God warns against.
This is not a problem that disappears at conversion. Les Feldick teaches that even believers experience the warfare between the old Adam and the new life in Christ, described in Romans 7, and that every person — no matter how well raised — is capable of the same failures under like circumstances because the old sin nature remains.
Keep old Adam starved and feed the spirit side. That means constant nourishment from the Word of God, fellowship with believers, and prayer — a believer cannot survive spiritually eating twice a year. Les also points to Romans 6:6: the old man has been crucified with Christ, and only the power of God can break the old nature's control.
Watch the Teaching: Why Every Believer Still Struggles With Sin — Romans 7:15-25