Romans 7:13-25 - The Battle Within Against Sin

Romans 7:13-25

Law Cannot Save from Sin

13 Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 17 But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Since the Law is utterly unable to save us and only brings death and certain judgment when we attempt to fulfill it as only the perfect man Jesus could do, we must see its infinite value for us before and after salvation.  Keeping the Law cannot deliver us from the wrath of God on our sin but aiming to follow the commandments by grace when the Law of placed in our hearts after our conversion is necessary and priceless in pleasing God.  The commandments which we cannot keep on our own reveal the righteousness of God that we require as they reveal our sinful nature and actions.  This continues even after salvation in that the hidden secrets of our hearts are revealed as when we first hear and believe the gospel (1 Corinthians 14:25).  We find ourselves doing things we do not understand when we know better to do the right things and then agree that the Law is right in revealing these truths to us as we do what we hate and struggle to live rightly in willing obedience in following Christ according to His word.  The sin of the old man still dwelling within needs to be killed daily in exercising mortification by prayer and the power of the Spirit (Romans 6:13, 8:12-13, Colossians 3:5) living in us.  We need the enabling power and presence of God to defeat the sin which we war with in these mortal bodies until His return and our resurrection where we will find the presence of sin removed and uncorrupted and incorruptible new vessels there (Philippians 3:20-21).  Our sanctification is this process and we can find the strength to not lose hope in the knowledge and assurance that He will finish this work in us (Philippians 1:6) as surely as He did on the cross and up from the grave after His atoning death for us.  Yes, we will to do good and fail often, but this sin does not reign over us anymore (Romans 5:21, 6:12-14) in spite of our lost battles each day.  We, like Paul, see this present evil around us inciting rebellion as we wish and aim to do good in following towards holiness, and then see that deliverance comes only through Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:56-57) who has already delivered us from the death of judgment and captivity to sin.  We are free from that bondage and find grace to help in times of need (Hebrews 4:15-16) as we struggle against this sin-stained flesh.  Like the apostle, we realize the war within as we strive to live to please God in His power and wisdom of grace as we learn to serve the law of sin in these corrupt vessels until that day when all is taken away!  Forgetting the failures behind, we run after Jesus to the finish line of grace (Philippians 3:12, 13-14).  This is our battle within against sin which has victory in sight as we find the ability to keep the moral Law by God’s empowering grace in a changed life.  We do not lose heart, therefore.