The Battle Within

Introduction

If you’ve been with us lately you know that we have been studying in the book of Romans together. Romans is the letter that Paul wrote to the church in Rome. And he was writing to Greeks and Jews who all were followers of Jesus.

This morning we are going to cover all of chapter 7. Two weeks ago we answered the question: Is the law of God bad? And our answer was Paul’s answer, emphatically, no, “by no means”, Paul says.

This morning in chapter 7 we see a battle that we are all very familiar with. The Battle between the flesh and the spirit. It’s the battle within.

And this morning as we look at chapter 7 we see Paul making a main point and then “fleshing” it out. No pun intended. Our passage breaks up in two big swaths. 1. The Believer is dead to the law and alive in Christ. (7:1-6) 2. The Believer is powerless against the law and needs a savior. (7:7-23)

I. The Believer is Dead to the Law and Alive in Christ. (7:1-6)

Read with me the first 3 verses of Romans 7 as we unpack the chapter together.

Romans 7:1-3 “Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law (both the Jews and the God fearing Gentiles would know God’s law)—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives?”

(Paul now introduces and illustration to unpack verse 1)

“For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage.” (Unless you are Dave)

“Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.”

What is Paul saying to us this morning?

As long as a person lives in/under the law then they are bound by it. But when a person dies they are released from the law.

As we continue reading we see how this applies to you and I.

Romans 7:4-6 “Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead,

For every person who has been saved by the substitutionary, atoning death and resurrection of Jesus—we are no longer dead in our sin. We are no longer slaves to our sin. We are no longer living under the law as those who will be judged by the law.

Paul says, “We have died to the law through the body of Christ”

And the result is that we now belong to Jesus who has been raised from the dead.

Paul continues,

“in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.”

And as a result—rooted in Christ—we produce fruits of righteousness instead of fruits of death rooted in our flesh.

Verse on of chapter 8 begins like this.

Romans 8:1-2 “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.”

This has led some commentators to say that as far as argumentation goes the letter Paul wrote could easily end Chapter 7 at verse 6 and start Chapter 8. Paul picks up in chapter 8 the argument he makes in the first 6 verses of chapter 7.

But Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit continues on in chapter 7 and has more to say about the law of God.

In the rest of our passage we will see Paul defend the value of the law, highlight our inability to keep it, and our deliverance from it in Jesus.

And where God leads in His word we will happily go. Amen?

So let us go there now. Read with me as we continue in Romans 7:7-12.

Romans 7:7-8 “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? (And our answer?)

“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.”

Sin twists the good law of God—and its good commands—and Paul says, “it seizes an opportunity” to tempt us to sin further.

It’s not that the law of God is bad—remember two weeks ago we said, “God’s law is not bad, but we are bad at keeping it.”

And the reason we are bad at keeping it is that you and I are born in sin. Thanks to our spiritual parents Adam and Eve all people are born with a nature of sin. And so our natural response when we are told not to do something is what? To do it.

If you don’t believe me—just spend some time with children. And if yours are prefect, just spend some time with my children.

Sin is deceitful. God speaks to Cain about sin in Genesis 4:7 “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.””

Our sinful flesh takes the good commands of God and we believe the same lie that Adam and Eve believe in the garden.

Genesis 3:4-5 “But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.””

What’s the lie? God is trying to keep something good from you.

And this is the same lie that the world believes and tells today. The Bible is not freedom—they say--it’s oppression. God is just trying to control you.

Happiness is found in freedom from God’s laws. Do what makes you happy. Be who you want to be. This is real freedom the world says.

The loudest lie that the world tells today is that real freedom and happiness comes in “sexual liberty”. Love is love. God is trying to ruin your life with his rules. Have sex with who you want when you want where you want. If you don’t want a baby just kill it. It’s your choice. Were you born a man? Doesn’t mattter. Be what you want to be. You want to be woman then be one. You want to be “non-binary” then be that—whatever that is. You want to be a cat. Then be a cat.

That by the way isn’t a joke. “Other kin” is a category for people who don’t quite feel like people. It’s the + on LBGTQA+. They say it’s a sort of “transpecies body disphoria”. Reasoning that maybe through a mistake in reincarnation they were placed in a human body when they really have the “soul of an animal”.

God is trying to keep something good from you, Satan says. God is trying to keep something good from you, sin tempts. And our flesh is tempted to believe it.

And what is the result of all this “good” that God is trying to keep from us?

The largest mental health crisis our country has ever known. There is not freedom here—freedom does not come as a result of rejecting God’s law. Where we reject God’s good law there is bondage to sin and death is the result.

Verses 7 and 8 show us sin for what sin truly is. Sin is not freedom, sin is death.

Sin tempts us to reject God’s law and to embrace death.

As we continue in our passage we see that what we need is not a life that dwells in the flesh, but we need a life that lives in the spirit. Read with me vv.9-11.

Romans 7:9-11 “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.”

We have to stop and ask the question of verse 9, “What does Paul mean when he says that he was “alive” apart from the law?

Is Paul saying that if a person does not hear the law of God—then they are alive—and it is only after hearing the law of God—that they die?

If that were true then we should never share the gospel with anyone—a person is safest when they don’t know God. If that is true let the un reached people groups of the world live in their ignorance because they can’t reject what they don’t know and they are alive as long as they don’t know.

Friends this is a great example of why we must have a “whole Bible theology”.

God is clear in his word that all people are dead in their sin—all people are law breakers—all people are in need of saving. Not one person—knowledgeable or ignorant is alive outside of Jesus. Because Jesus is life and in him alone we find life.

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””

So what does Paul mean when he says this? Paul is speaking to perspective.

All people are born into spiritual death—but many do not know it. Until they are aware of the law they are not aware of their death by the law.

A person with cancer has cancer whether they know it or not. If I walk into my doctors office for a “regular check up” and have cancer but don’t know it. From my perspective I don’t have cancer---even though I really do.

From my perspective I am healthy and well—even though I have stage 4 cancer. My perspective doesn’t match my reality.

From the world’s perspective—and from Paul’s perspective before he was saved in Christ was that he was alive. Apart from knowing the law he perceived that he was alive.

But then when knowledge of the law and knowledge of sin comes—a person realizes that their perspective didn’t match their reality.

This is why sharing the gospel with people involves showing them their sin—that they are law breakers.

This is why Ray Comfort shares the gospel with people by talking about the 10 commandments.

Because the reality regardless of perspective is that people are dead in their sin and in need of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus for their salvation.

So Paul concludes...

Romans 7:12 “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.”

Friends, God is not like us. Sometimes you and I are holy-ish, we are good-ish, we are just-ish. So what comes from us—as you survey our lives is a mixed bag of good and bad.

Luke 6:45 “...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

God though, is fully pure, fully holy, just, and good. So all things that come from him are incorruptible, fully holy, fully just, fully good.

From the abundance of God’s heart flow all his speech and actions.

His Word and the law within is the overflow of the abundance of His goodness.

Friends, when you read God’s word there will be times that you are tempted to think that something is not good, or is unjust—but I want to encourage you to reject that idea—nothing bad can come from God. There is no bad within him to overflow to his actions.

When we come to God’s word and think that there is something wrong—train your heart, in humility to realize that God’s Word is perfect and its our understanding or our perspective that needs to change.

So much spiritual turmoil can be avoided if we would trust God to be God and humble ourselves before Him.

Is there an area in your life where you struggle with what God says in his word? Don’t just ignore it. But face with the surity that God is good and as you dig into it, you are not in any danger of discovering a bad God. So wrestle with your thoughts and feelings and understanding from a sure place that God will continue to be good and that He will help you see clearly what is currently veiled. Amen?

As we continue in vv. 13-23 we enter into what I believe is one of the most relatable portions of scripture.

I want to read this portion of scripture to you—and as you follow along with me—I want you to raise your hand at the point at which you can relate to the apostle Paul.

Romans 7:15–23 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. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 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.

Friends, do you relate to Paul?

Paul is describing here the battle within. The battle every believer is familiar with.

Every believer is familiar with the struggle of sin. We have all found ourselves—as saved people of God—as born again ambassadors for Christ—regretting sin that we have committed.

Our justification in Christ is complete, but our sanctification is still taking place until we will one day experience glorification. There will be a day when all of those found in Jesus will be without sin. But that day is not today.

And so we are familiar with what Paul outlines here.

Have you ever decided that you are going to overcome some sin and then the opportunity to overcome arises and you fail—you sin again?

You don’t have to think further than your relationships to know that this is true in your life too. Paul isn’t alone.

Raise your hand if you want to be a selfish person? Now raise your hand if you are a selfish person sometimes?

We’re all familiar with this struggle. With this battle within.

Until you and I are glorified as Christ our King is glorified—until all our struggles with sin are put to death—we will experience this battle over and over again.

And let me encourage you—the more you pursue Jesus and seek to walk with Him the more victory you will see over your sin. You will grow in the fruits of the Spirit. You will have more peace, patience and kindness, and gentleness and self-control.

But at other times—we will cry out as the apostle Paul does at the end of our passage. “Oh, what a wretched person I am—who will rescue me from this body of death?!”

Friends the key for you and I as we fight this battle is found in verse 18. Let’s read it again.

Romans 7:18 “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.”

“nothing good dwells in my flesh”

Child of God—as long as you seek to live in the power of your flesh you will fail where your spirit longs to succeed.

You cannot live out a spiritual life with fleshly strength. Your strength is not sufficient to walk in the Spirit.

You can try and you can carry yourself along—running off of fumes. And you can even make it look like it’s going well for awhile. But it’s only a matter of time before the always true words of Jesus will come true.

John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

The secret to fighting the battle within is to abide in Christ. To live in Christ. To shelter in Christ. It is to see the task before you and to know that without Christ you can do nothing.

It is by acknowledging your weakness and in the face of Christ’ strength that you will experience victory.

You were never meant to live this life in Christ on your strength. You were always meant to do it in His.

Friends, where are you trying to live our the spiritual life with fleshly strength? Is it your marriage? Are you trying to be the husband or wife that you are called to be—with your own wisdom, with your own principles, with your own strength?

Is it with your children? Do you know what scripture says about being a good father/mother? Are you conforming yourself to God’s word? Or are you doing it based off what feels right, based off of how you were raised, based off your own strength?

Is it with the goal of your life? Are you trying to force God to bless your plan for his person. You belong to God and He has a glorious plan for you—to use you for His glory. Can you imagine yourself being a missionary? Can you imagine yourself planting a church? Can you imagine yourself living everyday for Jesus with such strength of conviction and such zeal that God uses you to save and disciple and shepherd those who are right around you?

You might not be able to imagine it, but God can. He has a plan for you. Are you trying to forge the path of your life based off of the strength of your wisdom and plan or are you seeking his strength?

I want to encourage you this morning to ask God. “God show me where I am trying to call the shots, show me where I am trying to consider my ways and my wisdom as better. And God help me to repent and trust in you. Help me to abide in you King Jesus. I believe that you are a better King over my life than I am—help me believe it all the more.”

Will you do that this morning? Will you humble yourselves before your God?

As Paul has been arguing in Romans 7 he has shown us that in Christ we are free from the judgment of the law. We have seen that the law is good—we have seen our inability to keep the law—and we have seen the battle that rages within every believer.

And in our last two verses Paul wants us to know exactly where we can look for salvation. Read with me.

Romans 7:24-25 “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.”

Who will deliver us from death?

“Thanks be to God (it is) through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Friends, let me be clear. It is all about Jesus. There is no hope for you without Jesus.

The lie of sin—the lie of your flesh is that— “you are doing just fine without God, without Jesus” but one day either in this life or afterward your perspective will align with reality.

One day all knees will bow to King Jesus—all knees—every believer and unbeliever that has ever lived—and all will proclaim that Jesus is king. Some to great celebration and many to great dismay.

I was sharing the gospel with a friend on the airplane on my way home. And at the center of our conversation I said the same thing to her that I say to you now— “it’s all about Jesus”

This morning have you trusted in Jesus to be your substitution on the cross? Have you trusted Jesus as your righteousness?

God calls you to be perfect as He is perfect. That is the standard you and I must meet in order to enter into a reconciled relationship with God. And we cannot meet that standard.

But Jesus met it on our behalf. Have you trusted in Jesus? If you haven’t will you trust in Jesus today?

Bottom Line

You and I are either dead in our sin—under the law—or we are alive in Christ free in the Spirit.

And the bridge between those two places is Jesus.

Will you live in your own strength—hoping that God is not who has said He is in the Bible? Hoping that your own good works will be enough?

Or will you believe that God has spoken truth to you—that your works are not enough—but the perfect righteousness of Jesus is—the perfection of Jesus life is a gift to you—so that you may be reconciled to God and so that you may live your life in His strength.

What will you do this morning with the gospel of Jesus Christ? Let’s pray.