Paul began Romans 7 by showing us that the Law is good but it cannot save us. We cannot depend on our own “goodness” to make us right with God. The Law reveals what we should do, but it also exposes the fact that we’re helpless to do it. When we honestly evaluate ourselves against God’s righteous standard, we will see how far short we fall. The Law does not save us; it reveals our need for a Savior. When we put our faith in Jesus, we receive a new nature, and then the struggle gets real.
I have discovered this principle of life – that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? – Romans 7:21-23 NLT
Some scholars say Paul was talking about himself before he became saved. That this is a person’s reality before they know Jesus. But most don’t agree with that assessment, and neither do I. Paul says he “loves God’s law with all his heart.” That does not describe an unsaved person. An unsaved person knows God’s law and may even find much of it good and worth living by, but they do not love it. And if the Law ever comes up against their desires, it will lose out. Unbelievers do not struggle with the sin in their life. They may sometimes regret their choices, but not because they’ve offended God. They are more likely to be outraged by the Law that condemns their sin than by the sin itself.
Rather, this struggle between two natures characterizes every Christian’s life, and it is familiar to me! Before I knew Christ, there was no struggle because I only had one nature – my flesh. The struggle got real when the convicting work of the Holy Spirit shined a light on the sin hiding in the dark corners of my life. And the struggle continues because my new nature despises my old nature, but my old nature won’t go away peacefully.
“Sin contaminates us and frustrates our inner desire to obey the will of God.”
John MacArthur
The struggle is real, but so is the victory!
Is it hopeless? Are we doomed to damnation because we are still stuck with our flesh? Is it even possible to gain victory over sin that keeps rearing its ugly head? Thank God! The answer is “Yes” in Jesus Christ our Lord.
The battle between our redeemed spirit and our fallen flesh is real, but so is victory in Christ! God gives us abundant grace to help us override our will and surrender to His, but it takes discipline and intentionality to put His grace into action in our lives.
Remember these 5 things:
1. Fill your mind with the truth of Scripture so you can stand against the enemy’s lies.
2. Pray for wisdom to know the right way and the strength to take it.
3. Avoid temptation and immediately repent when you slip up.
4. Discern the difference between the loving conviction of the Holy Spirit that draws you to God and the enemy’s condemnation that pushes you away from God.
5. And press on! Hold on to your progress. Don’t look back. Keep your eyes on Jesus!
I do not mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. – Philippians 3:12-14 NLT
Stay on track and pace yourself. This life is a marathon, not a sprint. Let the grace of God be the wind behind you. You may still struggle with sin but don’t focus on the struggle. Focus on the victory. You do not have to sin. You have the power to overcome by the grace of God and the work of the Holy Spirit.
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. – Galatians 5:16-17 NLT
The struggle may be real, but God has given you everything you need to live an obedient life that glorifies Him because that is what He created you to do. His grace is activated when you put your faith in Jesus and receive the indwelling Holy Spirit. Claim that power and walk in it and you will have victory over sin!
“God reached down and with His grace changed our desire. He changed our hearts from stone to hearts that beat with affection for Him and set us free.”
R. C. Sproul
