Romans 7

14 From verse 14 to the end of this chapter, Paul continues to speak of his own experience. Paul wanted to be a good Jew, to please God, to be righteous; but he could not. And Paul’s experience is shared by all men who try by their own effort to become righteous by following some religious law or by doing good works: it is not possible.

As we read this section of Chapter 7, a question arises: Is Paul speaking here of experiences that took place before he became a Christian, or after? It is not easy to answer this question with certainty; some Bible scholars say one thing, some another.

However, we can say two things. First, many people who are not Christians sincerely seek God and try to please Him. They even confess their sins, and try—by their own power—to stop sinning. Many Jews in Paul’s time were certainly like that. Therefore, what Paul writes here could possibly describe his experience before becoming a Christian.³⁵

The second thing we can say is that all Christians experience the same thing Paul describes in this section. Even after we become Christians, we experience a struggle between our “new self’ and our “old self,” between our spirit (or spiritual nature) and our “flesh” (or sinful nature). In fact, the struggle usually becomes much greater after we have become Christians. Even though we have believed in Christ and “our old self has been crucified” (Romans 6:6), it still seems as if our old self was not completely dead. From time to time we sin (see 1 John 1:8). Therefore, some scholars think that Paul is speaking here of his experience after becoming a Christian.³⁶

Whether we believe that Paul is speaking in this section about his experience before becoming a Christian or after, it is a fact that we all have experienced these same things at one time or another—either before we became Christians, or after. Probably most of us have experienced this inner spiritual struggle both before and after becoming Christians.

In verse 14, Paul writes: I am unspiritual.³⁷ He is speaking here of his “old self,” which is under the control of his sinful nature. To be “unspiritual” is the same as to be controlled by the sinful nature (verse 5). All men are “unspiritual” from birth. That is, they are not controlled by the Spirit; rather, they are slaves to sin. When we believe in Christ, our old selves are crucified, that we should no longer be slaves to sin (Romans 6:6).

Paul writes: I am … sold as a slave to sin. In Paul’s time, slaves were bought and sold like animals. They were the property of whoever bought them. Thus Paul’s experience was like that of a slave who has been sold to a master—the master being sin.

15 We have all experienced what Paul writes in this verse. We know what is good, and we want to do it. But sin comes and we do evil instead. Afterward, we are upset with ourselves. We don’t understand our own behavior. There is a struggle going on in our minds between our sinful nature and the Spirit (see Galatians 5:16-17 and comment).

16 Even though Paul does what he does not want to do (that is, evil), he still agrees in his inner being that the law is good.

17 The sin living in me that Paul mentions here is the impulse to sin, which arises from Paul’s sinful nature. When Paul sins, it is not his spiritual self that is sinning; it is his old unspiritual self that is sinning, which is under the control of his sinful nature. Inside Paul’s body, it seems as if there were two people—two laws—struggling with each other.

18 There is naturally no good in us—that is, in our sinful nature (see Romans 3:1012). The desire to do good is present in Paul’s inner being (verse 22); but Paul’s sinful nature prevents him from carrying out his good desire. Paul’s “inner spiritual being” doesn’t have the power to overcome his sinful nature. Paul’s body (eyes, arms, legs, etc.) obeys his sinful nature and not his inner being.

19 Here Paul repeats what he wrote in verse 15.

20 Here Paul repeats what he wrote in verse 17. Paul says that it is no longer I (my inner being) who does it (sin), but it is sin (my sinful nature) living in me that does it.

21 So I find this law at work. What law? The “law” that there is within Paul a continual struggle between good and evil. This struggle occurs in all men; it is like a principle or “law” of life.

22 The expression inner being means man’s human spirit, together with his conscience.³⁸ From our “inner being” come our highest thoughts and aspirations. In God’s sight, our inner being is more important than our “outer being,”—our outward appearance and behavior (Romans 2:28-29). Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

If verses 14-24 describe Paul’s experience before he was a Christian, then the term inner being would mean “conscience”; for all men have consciences, by which they can distinguish right from wrong. All men, through their consciences, know that they are sinners (see Romans 1:20; 13:5 and comments).

But if verses 14-24 describe Paul’s experience after he had become a Christian, then the term inner being would mean Paul’s new Spirit-controlled self. Both meanings are possible.

23 When Paul uses the word law in this verse, he means “principle.” The expression law of my mind,³⁹ can also mean “rule of my mind”; and the expression law of sin can mean “rule of sin.”

Paul writes: I see another law at work in the members of my body. This law is the law of sin mentioned later in the verse. This “law of sin” is waging war against the law of [Paul’s] mind. The “law of Paul’s mind” is the law or rule of Paul’s spirit, or inner being (verse 22).

Thus in every one of us, there are these two “laws,” (or principles, or forces): the “law of our mind” (that is, the law of our inner being), and the “law of sin” (that is, the law of our sinful nature).

The “law of sin” is at work in Paul’s members (eyes, hands, feet, etc.), causing them to do evil. The “law of sin” works to make Paul a prisoner or slave of sin (verse 14).

24 What a wretched man I am! This is the cry of every man who recognizes his sin and wants to overcome it.

Who will rescue me from this body of death? The body of death is the ‘body of sin.’ They are the same, because sin leads to death. Here the word body means physical body (eyes, hands, feet). The physical body is not evil or sinful in itself. The desire to sin comes not from our physical body but from our sinful nature.

25 Who will rescue me from this body of death, from my sinful nature? Here Paul gives the answer: Thanks be to God—I will be rescued through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Our rescuer is Jesus Christ. He will rescue not only Paul, but every person who calls upon Him in faith. It is Christ who gives us the power to overcome the law of sin within us. It is Christ who rescues us from the punishment of sin, which is death. Thanks be to God!

In our Christian lives, this struggle between good and evil, between our old self and new self, between our sinful nature and spiritual nature, does not need to go on forever. Through Christ, that is, through the power of Christ given to us by the Holy Spirit, we can overcome the ‘law of sin’ within us. In Chapter 7, Paul has described the inner struggle experienced by all of us. Now in Chapter 8, he will show us the way to obtain victory in that struggle, victory over sin. That way is to live in accordance with the Spirit (Romans 8:5), and to be led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14). Christ has given us the Holy Spirit; if we live by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature (Galatians 5:16).