Which Nature do you Feed?

I was watching a sermon and the speaker gave an analogy to the sinner's struggle that I found to be very relevant to my own life. Inside every human being are two different sides - There is the nature that we inherited from the first Adam. It is sinful and self-serving, there is nothing good in it: "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Romans 5:12
But there is also a nature that can be imparted to us by the second Adam, Jesus Christ: "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." Romans 5:19

These natures are constantly at war within us for dominance. One nature has the devil as the master, and the other has Jesus Christ as the Saviour. The analogy that the speaker gave was this: You have two dogs, and they are in your care for two weeks. At the end of the two weeks, they have to fight against each other. You let one dog loose in the yard, so it can run about and exercise; you feed it the best food, and make sure it has plenty of water. The other dog, you tie up and put inside a dog cage. You never let it out, and you don't give it food or water. At the end of the two weeks, when these dogs have to fight, which dog do you think will win? (Never mind the fact that the one in the cage will most likely be dead, it is an analogy after all).

It's the same with our spiritual life. I wonder sometimes at how weak I am when it comes to resisting temptation. And there is my answer. What nature to I feed? Because at the end of the day, the stronger nature will win, and strength is determined by whether that nature is fed. Do I read my Bible more than I watch television? Do I spend more time talking to God, or more time gossiping about my brothers and sisters? When we waiver before temptation, it is because we have not strengthened ourselves to resist. Every temptation is a dog fight, and the stronger dog will always win.

That being said, we can always call upon God when we need Him, and He will always answer.

"But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul." Deuteronomy 4:29