I. The Word: Romans 7:13-25

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Reflection Questions:

1. From reading today’s text, do you think Paul was at peace with himself?

2. What were the two opposing forces (or laws) that he was contending with?

3. How do you think he was able to overcome the battle taking place within himself?

Today’s verses depict the ongoing battle every believer faces–the struggle between following God’s Spirit or following the sinful desires of the flesh. The above verses reveal the inconsistency between Paul’s actions and the intentions of his heart.

First, Paul establishes that it is not the law that brings death. Like an X-ray, the law reveals the sin issue dwelling in every earthly body. He goes on to say that the law is spiritual and he is of the flesh…and therein lies the problem.

While the law can reveal sin, it cannot deliver us from it. Thankfully, Jesus came in the flesh and fulfilled the law in its entirety. What’s more, He bore the weight of sin and tasted death on the cross, so we can be completely free of sin’s dominion over us. Placing faith in Jesus Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection brings us back to life spiritually.

In the above verses, it is clear Paul has a sincere desire to obey God, but he is unable to live in complete holiness while he is bound by his earthly flesh. Although this struggle is difficult and painful, it beautifully unearths Paul’s new nature in Christ. As a new creation in Christ, Paul longs to obey God and to do the will of His heavenly Father. This is a stark contrast from the man we saw in Acts 8 who ruthlessly killed Christians without a second thought.

The struggle for holiness he’s now enduring indicates Paul’s spirit is alive and well. I’ve heard it said that even a dead fish can swim with the current. Likewise, a sinner whose spirit has not yet been regenerated in Christ will go with the flow of the sinful desires of his flesh. He’ll do so with no struggle or resistance because his spirit is dead and has no delight in God’s law.

Conversely, it takes an active, quality decision of the heart who delights in serving the Lord to fight against the natural desires of the flesh. While it may sound counterintuitive, we don’t fight the sinful nature by trying to be good, but simply by surrendering to the Truth that we have been set free from sin by Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection. Once we know this Truth and surrender to it (or believe it and receive it for ourselves), we will be free from sin’s tyrannical reign over us.

In verse 20, Paul proclaims a liberating truth: Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Did you catch that? He completely dissociates himself from sin. He’s cutting all ties to the sinful nature that still lurks in his earthly flesh. While those sinful desires may still echo in his body, that’s not who he is anymore, and he has no obligation to fulfill the demands of his flesh. His spirit is awakening to to his true identity in Christ. He is completely free to obey God and walk by the Spirit.

As believers in Christ, we all face the same ongoing battle within ourselves. While we dwell in these earthly bodies, we have two opposing forces at work within us. We can chose to follow the sinful nature or we can choose to follow the Spirit.

You may ask, “How can I know the difference between a sinful desire and God’s will?” Good question. The way we can know the will of God is by reading the Word of God. Understanding God’s nature and character in His Word is one of the best ways to develop spiritually and dispel deception. We can also keep ourselves accountable through authentic Christian community. Finally, we can pray and lay every burden and sinful desire at the feet of Jesus.

While the flesh may be screaming for our submission, we must consider the sinful nature is always hostile to God (Romans 8:7). If we give in to the flesh, we’ll be at odds with God. We may experience momentary gratification, but it is short-lived and will ultimately end in death. Worse, we’ll be denying ourselves the true, deep satisfaction that comes from doing the will of our Heavenly Father.

Beloved, we must choose to swim against the current, to follow God with our whole hearts. No matter how many times you’ve given in to sin, you can make a decision to submit to God at any point, including right this very moment.

Once we make the decision to follow the Spirit, His Spirit empowers us to squash all that is inconsistent with the nature and character of God.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Galatians 5:16-18)