Thesis XXXIX. It is self-evident that Christ's faithful cannot now give such obedience, however richly he has endowed them with his Spirit. In all of them the flesh fights against the Spirit and again and again stirs up many impulses that rebel against right reason and so oppose the divine law.
They therefore find in themselves a strong bent toward doing evil and no small difficulty in doing good. As a result they stumble daily in many things, as James says, and there are few of them, if any, who do not at some time slip into grave sins as well.
Latin
XXXIX. Talem autem obedientiam jam a Christi fidelibus, quantumvis ampla spiritus ejus copia donatis, praestari non posse per se manifestum est. In omnibus enim illis caro luctatur adversus spiritum, & plures motus rectae rationi rebelles, adeoque legi divinae repugnantes, identidem excitat. Proindeque magnam ad male agendum pronitatem, & in bene agendo difficultatem non parvam in se experiuntur. Unde fit ut quotidie in multis offendant, juxta dictum Jacobi, & inter eos, vel nulli, vel rari sint, qui non etiam in gravia peccata quandoque labantur.