Victory over the appetites and weaknesses of the flesh, even in private thoughts and when alone? Yes. How? Through pure dedication, devotion and discipline to maintain a measure of purity? Well, no actually. Choosing to meet the "expectations" of the Christian life through merely attempting to choose "right over wrong" will lead to consistent defeat and guilt not to mention a cold, mechanical, miserable and lifeless existence. Neither God nor man benefits from any of this "activity".
From Colossians 2
"...You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following rules of the world, such as, 'Don't handle! Don't taste! Don't touch!' Such rules are mere human teaching about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person's evil desires."
From Galatians 2
"For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law - I stopped trying to meet all its requirements - so that I might live for God."
From Romans 7
"But now we have been released from the law, for we died with Christ, and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.
From Romans 2
"...a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not obeying the letter of the law, rather, it is a change of heart produced by God's Spirit."
From Galatians 5
"So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves."
So walking in intimate oneness with the Spirit of Christ who gave us our new life is in contrast to our own self-driven self-discipline to "right and wrong" which leads to defeat. Our choices, because Christ met all the righteous requirements of the law, are no longer merely a choice to do right simply as apposed to doing wrong. In stead of merely choosing between right and wrong, we now choose in our thoughts and actions to LOVE Someone who is very near to us, actually living in us, rather than choosing to ignore and be unfaithful to the one who loves us and who has freely given us undeserved life.
From James 4
" What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, jealously longs for us to be faithful?"
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