The conflict is the result of trying to retrain the flesh to please God. The answer is motivation . Of course you must work, of course you must obey, but the key is why. Our human efforts should not be viewed as a means to accomplishing a spiritual end. Instead, we should be motivated by the quest to know Christ.
Some people study the Bible because they heard that a chapter a day keeps the devil away.
Or they were told that all good Christians have devotions. Perhaps they simply feel guilty if they dare to miss a day. Imagine how it would be transformed if their sole motivation were to know Him. Yes, Paul worked. But the motivation for the work wasn't what the work might accomplish.