You think that I don't know what it means to walk according to the flesh? I have been having victory over the flesh for quite some time now; and I am fully aware of that victory that the Lord has given unto me.
I don't really have any thought on to what degree you know what it means to walk according to the flesh.
I'm just asking where your certainty is. It sounds like you arrive at this conclusion based on what you understand about yourself and how you are, would that be fair to say?
For myself, I find that as I continue to mature in the Lord, I continue to realize that things I didn't previously recognize as sin, I now do, and I wonder whether that will continue in the future, meaning, there may be aspects in my life right now that I don't recognize as being derived from the flesh. So I don't consider my knowledge perfect.
And then there is the matter of knowing one's own heart. Paul himself said he wasn't fit to judge himself concerning whether he was sinning or not. Specifically,
1 Corinthians 4:3-5
3) But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self.
4) For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.
5) Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
He's saying here, I don't judge myself, because I don't know anything against myself, but I'm not justified in that, it's the Lord Who will judge me. So don't you do it, Jesus will when He comes back, because He is the one who reveals what's inside us.
"I judge not mine own self" because it is Jesus who will reveal what we are really about. We don't always know even our own selves, and should recognize we really just have a perception of our self, and from that perception we form our opinion. But that's all it is. We have opinions based on our perceptions of our self.
I hear some say, My conscience is clean every day, this is what Paul said in other words. But he goes on to say, again, in other words, that's not what matters. What I think of myself means nothing, it is Jesus Who will show what's real about me. It's easy to hope for His mercy!!
But this is how it is I wonder when someone says that they aren't sinning. Paul seems pretty clear in this passage, and it really makes a lot of sense to me as I look at myself.
Much love!