Putting off the old and putting on the new

I had lunch with my accountability partner. Both of us talked about our struggles and our victories. The main thing I am struggling with right now is gossip. So I made a commitment to text her every night to let her know if I gossiped or not.

Aside from gossip being a sin, the biggest problem with it is that that is not who I am anymore, so I feel convicted every time I do it. God convicts me, not so I will feel guilty, but because I am acting in complete contradiction to my new identity. This is what God says about my new identity:

I am a holy priesthood
I am dead to sin
I am a slave to righteousness
My old self was crucified on the cross with Christ
I am seated with Christ in the heavenlies
I have self control
I am perfectly loved, accepted and forgiven

I am realizing more and more that the key to not sinning is not about working harder or trying to get right with God. I became right with God the moment I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. It's about believing what God says about me. When I believe what God says about me, which is the truest thing about me, I live according to my new nature. And my new nature is dead to sin and a slave to righteousness.

Scripture verse:
"Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness" ( Eph. 4:22-24).