Under the New Covenant, the way contradiction has occurred for a believer shifted.  Contradiction is not about how we are out of step with the Law.  It is about being out of step with the new creation we become in Christ and Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Spiritual progress is made by investing in the effort to renew the spirit of the mind.  Contradiction takes place when we allow our minds to remain tied to the old way of thinking instead of renewing it according to the New Covenant and the new creation’s way of being and doing.

The new creation that we are in Christ is righteous and holy.  It is righteous with God’s righteousness, and it is holy with the holiness of Christ.  This is the nature of the new creation that we are in Christ.  Our spirit within is aware of this and desires to live according to whom Christ made us to be but to do so, the work of renewing the mind must be engaged.

This is why there is such an assault on the mind by the enemy.  It comes through many distractions meant to keep us from discovering the truth in our minds concerning who we truly are and thus finding ourselves in a life of contradiction.

When we invest in renewing the spirit of our minds, it affects our choices.  We become more productive in the purposes of the kingdom, and we adorn the gospel more effectively.

Spiritual laziness could be defined as neglecting to put in the needed effort to renew the spirit of our mind.  Many might think it is defined as not doing what Scripture describes as new creation behavior.  But our behavior will often be in step with where we allow our minds to dwell.  A reluctance to invest in renewing the spirit of the mind produces the fruit of contradiction.

But I am not suggesting that a person goes to the law to rid themselves of contradiction.  The New Covenant is about living out your new identity in Christ.  God’s generosity towards Adam and Eve was great. They could eat from any of the trees in the garden except the one (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.)  So renewing your mind under the New Covenant does not require you to go and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  It sends you to see Jesus and what He accomplished on your behalf to make you righteous and holy so you can live as who He made you to be, as opposed to seeing yourself as what you are not according to the law.

If the spirit of the mind is not renewed in knowing where one’s righteousness and holiness come from so that it can tap into what has already been done on its behalf, a life of contradiction will be the outcome.  I encourage you to know the truth concerning who you truly are in Christ, fill your mind with what He accomplished on your behalf, and be thankful.