Transcript

Harry Houdini, the famed escape artist from years ago, issued a challenge wherever he went, that he could be locked in any jail cell in the country and set himself free in short order. He always kept his promise, but one time something went wrong.

Houdini entered the jail in his street clothes; the heavy, metal doors clanged shut behind him. He took from his belt a concealed piece of metal, strong and flexible. He set to work immediately, but something seemed to be unusual about this lock.

For thirty minutes, he worked and worked and got nowhere. An hour passed, and still he had not opened the door and could not pick the lock. Finally, after laboring for two hours, Harry Houdini collapsed in frustration and failure against the door he could not unlock.

But when he fell against the door, it swung open! It had never been locked at all! But in his mind, it was locked, and that was all it took to keep him from opening the door and walking out of the jail cell.

In our minds, we might feel like we are locked, enslaved, in bondage to our flesh and its desires. But under grace, we can experience victory over the flesh by the Spirit.

Christ has set us free, and all we need to do is to believe it, live it, and walk through the unlocked door and live in the power of our liberty in Christ.

Romans 7:19-23:

“For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

“For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 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.”

One author wrote this about Romans 7, “Most people are attracted to legalism in the first place because it offers the prospect of living up to God’s standards by one’s own power…

“Paul is here describing the most spiritual and mature of Christians, who, the more they honestly measure themselves against God’s standards of righteousness, the more they realize how much they fall short. The closer we get to God, the more we see our own sin.

“Thus, it is immature, fleshly, and legalistic persons who tend to live under the illusion that they are spiritual and that they measure up well by God’s standards.

“The level of spiritual insight, brokenness, contrition, and humility that characterize the person depicted in Romans 7 are marks of a spiritual and mature believer, who before God has no trust in his own goodness and achievements.”

Paul gives a personal testimony and self-portrait in Romans 7 about his battle with the law, the flesh, and sin in his own life.

Continuing that testimony, he states in verse 19, “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”

In Paul’s struggle between the old and new nature, he found himself failing to do the good he wanted to do, and instead doing the evil that he did not want to do.

Again, in this passage, we see Paul being willing and determined to do good, but failing to accomplish it. And the evil which he was determined not to do, that he ended up practicing. He did the opposite of what he wanted. Instead of doing the good and shunning the wrong, the flesh produced the opposite in him.

This is a common problem for believers. In our own strength and willpower, we are powerless against the flesh, and verse 19 demonstrates that.

In verse 18, Paul wrote that in the flesh, “how to perform that which is good I find not.” And thus, as a result of that truth, in verse 19, he said, “For the good that I would I do not.” The flesh is powerless to help the believer to do what is good.

In verse 18, Paul said that in the flesh “dwelleth no good thing.” And thus, as a result of that truth, in verse 19, he said, “the evil which I would not, that I do.” Yielding to the flesh, or the sin nature, in which is no good thing, is why the believer does what is wrong.

And that’s what Paul says in verse 20, “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”

When Paul stated, “it is no more I that do it,” what he meant is that his sin did not originate from his true self now, his new identity in Christ, and the new nature. The new man is the “I” here and the real Paul now.

Rather, when he did what he did not want to do, it came from “sin that dwelleth in me,” or the old man and the sin nature.

Two natures were contending in Paul for the mastery. Paul, by the new nature, had a desire to do what was right and good, but the old nature in Paul would overrule that desire, and he would end up doing what he did not want to do.

Thus, Paul said in verse 21, “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.” Paul stated something that he had come to realize as a settled conclusion, something he had discovered based on his own experience.

The word “law” in this verse refers to a governing principle and not the law of God. And this principle was at work in his own life.

That principle is that whenever he wanted to do what was good, there was something ingrained and inherent in him that wanted to go against what was good and do what was wrong. Sin does battle with every good thing a believer desires to do.

He observed that every time he was determined to do good, the evil lurking in his flesh stymied its fulfillment.

There are opposite capabilities for good and evil within the believer at all times.

And sin, through the sin nature, is right there with believers. Evil was always present with Paul, he said. A corrupt desire and evil propensity were always near, close at hand, ready to spring into action. It was there to impede and turn him from his good designs and influence him to do what he did not want to do.

On this side of glory, we will never be completely free from the pull of the sin that is inside us. As long as we are in these mortal bodies, we will wrestle and struggle with sin.

This is such a common reality, Paul called it a law, a fixed rule, a spiritual principle that operates in the lives of all believers.

In verse 22, Paul wrote, “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.”

In verse 16, Paul sided with the law in his agreement with it against his own actions. Here Paul’s inner man, through his new nature, does not side with sin, but delights in the law and its righteousness and agrees with its being against sin.

In its place, and for its purpose under grace in giving a knowledge of sin, Paul delighted in the law of God.

Paul’s new man in this passage, hated sin and what was wrong and desired what was good. And because “law is holy…just, and good,” and he desired to do what was holy, just, and good, Paul concurred with the law after the inward man of the new nature.

But in verse 23, Paul stated, “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.”

Paul saw “another law in my members,” a contrary principle at work in his life, striving against “the law of my mind,” he says.

In Paul’s letters, we find him writing about the renewal of our MIND, brought about by the Holy Spirit’s work as it is renewed in knowledge by God’s Word and in knowing Christ.

As Colossians 3:10 states, “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created him.”

This renewing of our mind is something we must do continually, and in doing so it gives us strength and wisdom in the fight against the old nature.

As Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:22-23: “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”

In Romans 7, we find again and again that Paul’s mind, desire, will, and determination were to do what is good and right. And in his mind, he hated the sin and wrong that he had done. The law of his mind, therefore, was to earnestly desire and to do God’s will.

Thus, as the flesh is synonymous with the old nature, the mind is synonymous with the new nature, the new man.

It’s been said that, “No one should have been surprised by the rise of the USSR after World War 2. There were red flags everywhere!” Speaking of a war and red flags, Paul refers to the war within and the red flag of our sin nature.

Paul saw a law warring against the law of his mind, or his new man. This law was the law of sin. It operated in and through the members of Paul’s physical body.

The indwelling law of sin, or the sin nature, was in opposition to the new nature and constantly doing battle against it, trying to gain victory and control of Paul and his actions.

The word “warring” means a military expedition. And Paul shows us that sin carries out a military campaign against us in life. But it isn’t a skirmish or a one-time battle, but a long-term, lifelong campaign.

Sin is seen as a rebel army intent on doing battle, defeating, capturing, and destroying us.

And the law of sin made Paul a POW, a prisoner, a captive, he said. Paul saw that there was a war taking place inside him, and in losing the battle, he was taken captive.

He was overcome and made an unwilling captive “to the law of sin which is in my members,” or to the evil inclinations of the old nature.

Paul was experiencing defeat and frustration in his life. He stated in verse in verse 14 that he was “carnal, sold under sin,” and he demonstrated that in this passage. He was losing the battle against sin.

Paul has pointed out in Romans 7 that trying to live by the law does not overcome sin but rather awakens and inflames sin in us. He showed that the flesh is powerless against sin and fails every time.

And now he points out that the law of sin, or the sin nature, even wars against and can defeat the law of the mind, or the thinking and intentions Paul had through the new nature, and brings us into captivity. The new life alone is not sufficient for overcoming sin in us is what we are being taught.

Paul shows by his own testimony that he and every believer are in a losing conflict against sin and the sin nature. The continual struggle always ends, it seems, in defeat.

And after explaining all this defeat, defeat, defeat, Paul comes to the end of himself and exclaims, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

This is the cry of a spiritual believer who is cognizant of his own weakness, who is longing for deliverance from his captivity.

Paul acknowledged that he was unable to deliver himself from his captivity and this constant defeat. He knew he needed help from another source.

Paul called himself “wretched,” which means afflicted, miserable, beaten down from a continued strain, exhausted from hard labor.

Paul was worn out, and he threw up his hands and asserted that he was “wretched,” miserable, beaten down, and exhausted from his ongoing struggles with the sin nature.

He saw himself as having a persistent tendency to commit sin, and it troubled and frustrated him that he continually fell short of God’s standards.

Paul recognized that as long as he was in this mortal body he would experience this war and conflict with the sin nature and continually face defeat as he battled in his own strength, and that he needed to be rescued and delivered.

Like we need God and He must do something for us, if we are to be saved from the penalty of sins and to be justified, we also need God and He must do something in us, if we are to have deliverance over sin in our daily life and be sanctified.

Romans 7:25-8:2:

“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.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

The tables begin to turn now. Paul had asked the question, “who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” He wondered aloud, Who would deliver him from the mastery of sin in his life? He knew he was unable to live the Christian life in himself. He recognized that deliverance must come from someone else.

The answer to Paul’s dilemma was a “who,” not a how. And the Who is God.

Paul then interrupted the flow of his argument and logic and gave the solution parenthetically.

He couldn’t help himself but to break out in praise and express his deep gratitude to God for the deliverance and victory He gives. And thanksgiving overwhelmed Paul at the thought of what God had done for him through Christ.

Paul’s words express gratitude for a present deliverance that God gives to believers under grace. Only “through Jesus Christ our Lord” can come the necessary enablement to live a life of righteousness with power over the sin nature.

Returning back briefly to the flow of his argument, however, Paul summarized the essence of the struggle he had just described in Romans 7, to prepare us for the grand deliverance of God that he explains in Romans 8.

Thus Paul wrote, “So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” With the renewed mind, or the new nature, Paul served the law of God, but with the flesh, or his old, sin nature, the law of sin.

Paul said in verse 22 that “I delight in the law of God after the inward man.” Paul’s inner man was holy, and the law is holy. With his renewed mind, Paul sought righteousness, the righteousness of the law, not by the law but like the law. He desired to do what was right.

In the next chapter, we learn how we are enabled to have the righteousness of the law fulfilled in us. Thus, just as chapter 7 shows, “with the mind,” Paul, through the new nature, continually had the desire for righteousness and to do what is good.

But as we saw, he continually failed to live a righteous life in his own strength. And he succumbed to serving the law of sin with the flesh, or the old nature.

As he said, “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”

This summation by Paul of desiring righteousness through the new man, but having sin and the sin nature overwhelm and defeat that desire, and not having the strength in himself to do anything about it, sets the stage for the deliverance and victory of Romans 8.

Romans 8:1 reads, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Chapter eight begins a new emphasis in the book of Romans. This chapter puts great emphasis on the Holy Spirit. Life in the Spirit enables the believer to live on a higher plane in strength and victory. Chapter eight is the answer to the problem of the sin nature as Paul demonstrated clearly in chapter seven.

Now I understand that Romans 8:1 is a comfort to many and is and has been used as a proof text for eternal security. And we absolutely are eternally secure in Christ, which other Scriptures very clearly show, even in this same chapter later.

But with the qualifying clause at the end of verse 1, this verse that’s commonly used for eternal security can also lead one to question it. Because it makes it sound like our security is contingent upon our behavior and success in Christian living, that you must not walk after the flesh but after the Spirit to have no condemnation.

Some Bible translations even remove the second half of verse 1, based on some early manuscripts of the Scriptures that do not include it.

Paul wrote, “There is therefore.” And the old Bible-interpretation question needs to be asked, “When you see the word ‘therefore,’ you need to ask what is it there for?” Context is king when interpreting Scripture.

And chapter 8 verse 1 is a conclusion to the reasoning and to the logical progression of Paul’s teaching that came before it. And what you find as you look at the context, which leads Paul to say “therefore,” is that Paul IS speaking about our behavior and conduct. Thus, verse 1 should be interpreted in light of that truth.

At his frustration of continually not doing what he wanted to do and instead doing what he hated, it all led Paul to condemn himself in verse 24 of chapter 7, and said, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

And then Paul gave the wonderful truth that there is victory in Christ for believers who live in the power of the Spirit, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

In light of the struggle concerning sin dwelling in us who are believers, which led Paul in the strain and frustration of it all to condemn himself and declare himself, “Wretched!”

Paul says that there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Those who are in Christ Jesus, refer to those who are saved. And you have to be in Christ Jesus in order to have the Holy Spirit and to walk “after the Spirit.”

And Paul is teaching us that the Christian life does not now need to be a frustrating, toiling, self-condemning, losing battle with the sin nature.

The reason Paul thanked God in the last verse of chapter 7 was because of the gracious provision of the Spirit which empowers us to defeat the sin nature as it wars against us.

Because when we walk after the Spirit, there is deliverance, there is now no condemnation, there is power, and there is victory.

Paul had said in verse 18 of chapter 7, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.”

There is no good thing in the flesh, and Paul did not find how to perform that which is good in the power of the flesh. Thus, when a believer walks after the flesh, they will experience no good thing, the power of sin, defeat, and self-condemnation as a result.

But when the believer walks “after the Spirit,” His power, the power of God, is greater than that of the sin nature, and we can have victory, peace, and no condemnation in our Christian life.

And as we yield to the Spirit in our walk, the toil and struggle can be turned around and we can do the opposite of what Paul experienced in chapter 7.

Paul said, “For the good that I would I do not.” But after the Spirit, our experience can be, “For the good that I would, I do.” Paul said, “But the evil which I would not, that I do.”

But after the Spirit, our experience can be, “But the evil which I would not, that I do not.”

Instead of the law of sin warring and bringing us into captivity to the law of sin in our members, we can vanquish and live free from captivity to sin and the sin nature.

We do not do this by living by the law, which awakens, revives, and inflames sin in us, but rather by the Spirit. Walking after the Spirit is how we do battle with the sin nature.

Paul added in verse 2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” We saw the law of sin and death at work in chapter 7, and it fought hard against Paul, leaving him discouraged and defeated.

Now Paul introduces a law which counteracts, overthrows, and frees us from that law: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

At the moment we believe the gospel of grace, the Holy Spirit indwells and resides in us forever, and now we have the law of the Spirit of life at work in our lives.

A law is something that you can count on to happen in the same way. Both the Spirit and sin and death are called “the law” because of the constancy and certainty of their influence and action in us. Both the Spirit and the sin nature are in us and at work in us.

These are two opposite laws. One has to do with righteousness and life, the other with sin and death. The law of the Holy Spirit is to lift believers up and empower us for righteousness and give us fullness of life through Christ. The law of sin and death is to drag a person down to a lifeless, defeated experience.

But one overpowers the other. In 2 Corinthians 3:17, Paul wrote, “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” And the law of the Spirit liberates us and sets us free from the law of sin and death. The Spirit’s liberation is freedom from the sin nature’s rule and control over one’s life.

Walking after the Spirit enables us to live a life of righteousness, and not a life that is inundated with sin.

Without the Spirit within, our life would be nothing but condemnation and defeat. The believer has no power within himself apart from the Spirit, and ours would be a life of perpetual bondage to sin. But by grace, God has given us the Spirit.

And with the Spirit, there is now no condemnation, and there is power and victory for our lives as we walk after the Spirit.

And with Paul, our hearts can be overwhelmed with gratitude for this blessing of grace, so that we too cry out: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”