Every believer faces a daily, internal battle between the desire to honor God and the pull of the flesh toward sin. This struggle is not a sign of spiritual failure, but rather evidence of a heart made new by the Spirit—a heart that both hates sin and loves God’s law. Like Paul in Romans 7, we often find ourselves doing the very things we wish we wouldn’t, feeling the tension of wanting to do right but falling short. Yet, this honest confession is the mark of a true believer, not perfection but a willingness to fight, to resist, and to depend on God’s grace. The law exposes our need, but it is Christ who delivers us, and the Spirit who empowers us to keep fighting the good fight. [03:44]
Romans 7:15, 22-25 (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... For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 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. 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: Where in your life do you feel the strongest pull between what you know is right and what you actually do? How can you bring this struggle honestly before God today and ask for His help in the fight?
God’s law is holy, righteous, and good—it reveals the depths of our sin and exposes the hidden desires of our hearts. The law is not the problem; rather, it acts as a mirror, showing us how far we fall short and how much we need a Savior. Sin, like a dormant volcano, lies hidden until the law awakens it, making us aware of our spiritual sickness. Only when we admit our need can we experience the healing and forgiveness that Christ provides. The law’s true purpose is to lead us to grace, not to condemnation. [13:01]
Romans 7:7-13 (ESV)
What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Reflection: What hidden desires or attitudes has God’s Word recently exposed in your heart? How can you respond to this revelation with confession and a renewed dependence on Christ’s grace?
Though the law reveals our sin, it is the Holy Spirit who gives us the power to resist and overcome. Our willpower alone is not enough; we must daily depend on the Spirit, confess our failures, and feed our minds on God’s truth. In our weakness, God’s strength is made perfect, and His grace is sufficient for every struggle. The Christian life is not about self-reliance, but about surrender—admitting our need and trusting in Christ’s power to change us from the inside out. [01:05:16]
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (ESV)
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Reflection: What is one area of weakness or repeated failure where you need to stop relying on your own strength and instead ask the Holy Spirit for help today?
Despite our ongoing battle with sin, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Our identity is not defined by our failures, but by the finished work of Christ—He has set us free from guilt and shame. Every stumble is a reminder of our need for Him, and every victory is a reason to give thanks. Real thanksgiving is not just words, but a lifestyle of trust, surrender, and service, shaped by the gospel and empowered by grace. [01:02:02]
Romans 8:1-2 (ESV)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
Reflection: When you fail or fall short, do you tend to dwell in guilt or run to Christ for forgiveness? How can you practice living in the freedom and assurance of “no condemnation” today?
The Christian life is a call to daily battle against sin, not a promise of perfection. We are to confess, surrender, and keep pressing forward, celebrating small victories and trusting that Christ has already won the ultimate battle. Our hope is not just for today, but for the day when the struggle with sin will be over and we will be with Christ, made perfect in His presence. Until then, we fight with confidence, knowing that greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. [01:08:30]
Philippians 3:12-14 (ESV)
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Reflection: What is one practical way you can “press on” in your battle with sin today, trusting in Christ’s victory and looking forward to the hope of being made new in His presence?
Every one of us knows the battle within—the tension between our desire to honor God and the pull of our sinful nature. As Paul confesses in Romans 7, even when we know what is right, we often find ourselves doing the very things we hate. This struggle is not a sign of spiritual failure, but a mark of genuine faith. The law of God is holy, righteous, and good; it exposes the depths of our sin, not to condemn us, but to reveal our desperate need for a Savior. Sin is not just an external force; it is rooted deep within our hearts, twisting even good desires and intentions. The closer we draw to God, the more we become aware of our own brokenness and the more we long for deliverance.
Yet, in this struggle, there is hope. God does not abandon us in our weakness. Through Jesus Christ, we are delivered from condemnation. The Holy Spirit empowers us to resist the flesh and to walk in newness of life. Our identity is not defined by our failures, but by Christ’s victory and the forgiveness we receive in Him. The daily fight against sin is not a call to despair, but an invitation to depend more deeply on God’s grace. We are called to confess our need, surrender our striving, and trust in the Spirit’s power to change us from the inside out.
This journey is not about achieving perfection, but about honest confession, daily surrender, and persistent reliance on God. The law reveals our need, but Christ provides our rescue. Even when we stumble, we are reminded that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Our gratitude is not just expressed in words, but in a life shaped by God’s mercy—a life that battles sin, celebrates small victories, and looks forward to the day when the struggle will finally be over and we will be with Him forever.
Romans 7:7-25 (ESV) — - Romans 8:1-2 (ESV)
- Galatians 5:17 (ESV)
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