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1. What is it to be sanctified? Sanctification means, "to be set apart unto holiness," Lev. 8:10. Those that God has justified in Christ, are sanctified in Him as well. They are wholly set apart in His righteousness and unto His righteousness, Jude 1:1.
2. How is the sinner sanctified? This is wholly a work of the triune God, (1 Corinthians 6:11). In election, God the Father set apart a chosen number of sinners unto holiness. In redemption, each on the elect was numbered and set aside to holiness in God the Son. In regeneration, the elect are set aside, being called of the Spirit unto holiness, through the Gospel, 2 Thessalonians. 2:13.
3. Is the believer in Christ sanctified or being sanctified? 'Yes!' The sanctified sinner IS SANCTIFIED having been chosen of God the Father, redeemed by God the Son, and regenerated by the Spirit of God. In every way, that one has been set apart unto holiness, not only in his legal standing but also in his conduct, 1 Peter 1:15,16. He is called a saint because God sees him as holy in His Son. He is called to be a saint, because of the Spirit of Holiness within him.
This is not a static, passive, state of the believer. As sanctified, the believer is being sanctified. Nevertheless, it is not a sanctifying, as taught by works religion. Those who teach that believers become holier, and progressively more perfect through living a life of morality, have neither understood their own sin nature, nor the Gospel of righteousness. The sin nature is what it is and cannot be perfected, Romans 7:21. The new nature that God gives to the elect by His Spirit is perfectly holy, and needs no perfecting, 1 John 3:7.
So, in what sense are believers BEING SANCTIFIED? It is in the faithful intercession and keeping power of the Mediator. Having been sanctified in Christ, the elect are kept in that state through Him who ever lives to intercede for them, Hebrews 2:11. All who have BEEN SANCTIFIED in Christ are BEING SANCTIFIED by Him. They are daily set apart in their hearts to Him, John 17:19. Consequently, they separate themselves from every false way, which is all that is contrary to the TRUTH whether in doctrine or practice, 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
Have you been sanctified in Christ Jesus? Then you are being kept sanctified in Him.

THE SPIRIT VS. THE FLESH

“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh:

and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”

Galatians 5:17

It is clear, from the Word of God, and from the experience of every born again sinner, that our flesh is what it has been from birth- sinful, corrupt, and lustful. So long as we are in this life, we can expect fleshly desires to work in us and through us. ‘The flesh lusteth’ [literally ‘continually rages against the Spirit in angry passion]. The good news is that it cannot condemn those for whom Christ died, Romans 8:1. Being born of the Spirit of God, Christ indwells us, by His Spirit, giving life to our otherwise dead souls, and transforms our enmity into oneness with His person, will, and grace, reconciling our spirits to His, and bringing us to believe Him who died for us, and in whom is ALL our righteousness. The Spirit’s work is to reveal Him continually to our souls, (John 15:26; 16:13), giving grace to believe Him and rest in what He completed at Calvary.

I know that “in my flesh dwelleth no good thing,” Romans 7:18, but THANK GOD in Christ’s living, dying, rising again and ascending on high is EVERY GOOD THING, to whom the Spirit continually directs my heart, will, and affection. If in me dwells NO good thing, then it must also be that the only righteousness I have is not one seated in me, but that ONE seated ABOVE in the person of the Lord Jesus, by whom I was redeemed, justified, and reconciled at the cross, and who ever lives to intercede for me, Heb. 7:25. It is there that the Spirit of God continually turns our hearts, minds, and affections away from the flesh, and therefore we do set our affection on things above, NOT on things on the earth, Colossians 3:1,2