King James Bible
"Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh."
Paul draws a conclusion from his previous teaching about life in the Spirit, addressing believers as family ('brethren') who carry an obligation. The debt metaphor implies we owe allegiance to someone—setting up a contrast between two possible masters. Paul explicitly denies any obligation to our sinful nature ('flesh'), which in his theology represents humanity's tendency toward sin apart from God. Living 'after the flesh' means being controlled by selfish desires and impulses that lead to spiritual death.