The law of God is holy, righteous, and good, but its purpose is not to save us; rather, it exposes the true depth and exceeding sinfulness of our hearts. When we measure ourselves against God’s perfect standard, we see that sin is not just a minor misstep but a complete rejection of His ways, leaving us utterly unable to justify ourselves by our own efforts. This realization is not meant to drive us to despair, but to a sober understanding of our need for grace, as all sin—no matter how “small” in our eyes—separates us from God and reveals our desperate need for a Savior. [05:44]
Romans 7:13 (ESV)
"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."
Reflection: In what ways have you minimized your own sin, and how might honestly facing its seriousness lead you to a deeper dependence on God’s grace today?
Even as believers, we experience a daily battle between the desires of our flesh—the old self—and the new life given by the Spirit; this internal war is not a sign of failure, but a normal part of the Christian journey. The flesh, with its old patterns and sinful inclinations, constantly seeks to regain control, but the Spirit within us gives us new desires and a longing to honor God, even as we feel the tension and sometimes fall short. Recognizing this struggle helps us not to despair, but to humbly rely on God’s power rather than our own, knowing that the presence of the battle is evidence of the Spirit’s work in us. [11:55]
Romans 7:14 (ESV)
"For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin."
Reflection: Where do you most feel the pull of your old self, and how can you invite the Holy Spirit to strengthen you in that area today?
There is a real and often painful conflict inside every believer: we genuinely desire to do what is right and to please God, yet we find ourselves doing the very things we hate. This internal struggle is not a sign that we are not saved, but rather a mark of the Spirit’s presence, convicting us and confirming the goodness of God’s law. Instead of hiding from this conflict or pretending it doesn’t exist, we are invited to bring our struggles honestly before God, trusting that He understands and is at work in us even when we feel weak and conflicted. [15:52]
Romans 7:15-16 (ESV)
"For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good."
Reflection: What is one area where your actions don’t match your godly desires, and how can you bring that struggle honestly to God in prayer today?
When we come to the end of ourselves, recognizing our inability to overcome sin by our own strength, we are pointed to the only true solution: Jesus Christ. The answer to our cry of “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” is not found in more effort or stricter rules, but in turning to Christ in faith, trusting that He alone has the power to set us free from sin’s grip and to assure us of final victory. This hope is not just for the future, but for today—Jesus invites us to lay down our burdens and rest in His finished work, knowing that He will complete what He has begun in us. [30:45]
Romans 7:24-25 (ESV)
"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 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: What burden or area of defeat do you need to surrender to Jesus today, trusting Him to be your deliverer?
The ongoing battle with sin is a normal part of the Christian life, but it does not define our identity or our destiny; our assurance rests in God’s faithfulness and the finished work of Christ. We are not called to resign ourselves to failure, but to persevere in hope, knowing that God will bring us through every struggle and ultimately set us free from sin’s presence forever. In the meantime, we are invited to walk in the freedom Christ provides, laying aside guilt, shame, and man-made burdens, and living in the confidence that He who began a good work in us will see it to completion. [36:42]
Philippians 1:6 (ESV)
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
Reflection: How can you remind yourself today that your ultimate victory over sin is secure in Christ, and what step can you take to walk in that freedom?
Romans 7 brings us face to face with the deep and ongoing struggle every Christian experiences between the desires of the Spirit and the persistent pull of the flesh. Paul, writing as one who has been set free from the law by the grace of Christ, describes a war within himself—a war that is not unique to him, but is the common experience of all who belong to Jesus. The law of God is holy, righteous, and good, but it was never meant to save us. Instead, it exposes the exceeding sinfulness of sin, showing us just how far we fall short of God’s perfect standard. Sin is not simply a matter of degree or comparison; it is a total rejection of God’s holiness, and even the smallest sin is an act of cosmic treason.
Paul’s honesty about his own inability to do the good he desires, and his repeated failure to avoid the evil he hates, is both sobering and strangely comforting. Even the “super Christian” apostle finds himself doing what he hates and failing to do what he loves. This is not an excuse for sin, nor a denial of responsibility, but a confession of impotence—a recognition that, left to ourselves, we cannot overcome the power of indwelling sin. The flesh, the old self, continues to wage war against the new desires given by the Spirit, and this battle is not a sign of spiritual failure, but of spiritual life.
Yet, in the midst of this struggle, there is hope. Paul’s cry, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” is met with a triumphant answer: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” The solution is not found in more effort, more law, or more guilt, but in the finished work of Christ. Only Jesus can set us free from the power and penalty of sin. This freedom is not the absence of struggle, but the assurance that the victory has already been won, and that one day, when Christ returns or calls us home, we will be finally and fully delivered from the presence of sin.
Until that day, the ongoing battle with sin is a normal part of the Christian life. We are not called to resignation or despair, but to perseverance and hope, knowing that God, who began a good work in us, will bring it to completion. The invitation remains open: lay down the crushing burden of self-salvation, and trust in Christ alone for freedom, forgiveness, and new life.
Romans 7:13-25 (ESV) —
> 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.
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