Romans 6:11 reads: "Even so consider yourselves to be dead to the sin nature, but alive to God in Christ Jesus."
In this passage of Scripture Paul is explaining positional truths about and attitudes we should take regarding our old sin nature and our new nature in Christ. Dr. H.L. Schafer writes:
"God counts believers to have already died to the sin nature. When Christians were baptized (immersed) into the death of Christ, they died to the sin nature. The sin nature did not die--rather the believer died to the sin nature. The sin nature is very much alive. The saint died and was resurrected in Christ; these are facts that God counts to be true. The believer is thus to be living resurrected life in Christ." (Maturing In Christ, Chapter 4, The Spiritual Christian, pp110)
Paul begins Romans chapter 6 with an important question.
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue living in the sin
nature in order that grace might increase?
2 May it never be! How shall we who died to the sin nature
still live in it?
3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized
(immersed) into Christ Jesus have been baptized (immersed) into His
death? Rom 6:1-3
This is true Spirit baptism--being immersed
(placed by the Holy Spirit) into Christ, His death and resurrection!
5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts
to idolatry. Col 3:5
All works produced by our sin nature.
4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through immersion
(by the Holy Spirit( into death, in order that as Christ was
raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too
might walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His
death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His
resurrection, Rom 6:4-5
Paul further explains his thought process and attitude in Galatians:
20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who
live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in
the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and
delivered Himself up for me.
21 I am not setting aside (or annulling) the grace of God, for
if through the law is righteousness, then Christ died undeservedly
freely without cause. Gal 2:20-21
Paul is totally dependent upon
the righteousness of Christ given to him at the point of salvation,
and allowing that righteousness to be lived out through Him.
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with
Him, that our body relating to the sin nature might be done away
with, that we should no longer be slaves to the sin nature;
7 for he who has died is freed from the sin nature.
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also
live with Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never
to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to the sin nature, once
for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to the sin nature,
but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore do not let the sin nature reign in your mortal
body that you should obey its lusts,
13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to the sin
nature as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to
God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments
of righteousness to God.
14 For then the sin nature shall not be master over you, for you
are not under law but under grace. Rom 6:6-14
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of the sin nature and of death. Rom 8:2
5 For those who are habitually dominated by the sinful nature put
their minds on the things of the sinful nature, but those who are
habitually dominated by the Spirit put their minds on the things
of the Spirit. Rom 8:5
The latter can be seen in the fruit of the
Spirit demonstrated in the life while having our reflective thinking
fixed on those things related to our position and possessions in
Christ.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the
desire of the sin nature....
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
kindness, goodness, faith,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sin nature
with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Gal 5:16, 22-25
1 Therefore since you have been co-raised up with Christ, keep
seeking the things above, where Christ is (and you in Him are),
seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind (reflective thinking) on the things above (our
position and possessions), not on the things that are on earth.
3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will
be revealed with Him in glory.