The Sinful Nature (The flesh)
The nature of man is deceitful and desperately wicked Jer 17:9
It produces sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, orgies and the like. Gal 5:19-21
"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." Matt 15:19
There is no one who is righteous and all have turned away from God. Psalm 53:3
See also Rom 3:10-20
The mind and conscience are corrupted. Titus 1:15
The sinful nature:
- Does not seek after God. Rom 3:11-18 Psalm 14:1-3
- Has a mind at enmity with God, not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. Rom 8:7
- Cannot please God. Rom 8:8.
- Opposed to all thought of God. Rom 1:28
- Does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. 1 Cor 2:14
- Does not understand. Rom 3:11 Eph 4:18
- Has a blinded mind. 2 Cor 4:4
- Cannot see or hear spiritually. Rom 11:8-10 Is 6:9,10
- Cannot see (perceive) the kingdom of God. John 3:3 Matt 16:17 Acts 28:26,27
- Cannot believe to salvation John 12:39,40 Is 6:9,10
- Cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5
- Cannot come to Christ unless ... John 6:44,65
- Is an evil principle within Rom 7:8-11 Matt 15:19
All this is described in the phrase, "Dead in trespasses and in sins." Eph 2:1,5
From the above, it is clear that the mind of fallen man is subject to bias and limitations. A mind that is at enmity against God is certainly not the seat of a truly free will.
The natural man is not a puppet or robot. He can make a vast number of choices in the natural and physical sphere, and also in the sphere of the soul. From his own point of view therefore, his will appears to be free, but in all aspects of his relationship with God, that is the spiritual sphere, his will never makes choices outside the limitations set for it by the sinful nature.