O wretched man that I am!

Romans 7:13 “Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that [it is] good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 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. 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. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 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.” Roman 7:13-25

The word here is speaking of the law and it’s asking “has then what is good become death”? Sin is the cause of spiritual death, not the perfect law of God. An awareness of the true nature of sin and its deadly character, which brings the sinner to see his need of salvation, is the very purpose God intended the law to serve. Until Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, there was no knowledge of good and evil. Sin entered the world through Adam and by which DEATH! In the remaining verses of this chapter, some may interpret this chronicle of Paul’s inner conflict as describing his life before Christ. They point out that Paul describes the person as “sold under sin”; as having “nothing good’ in him, and as a “wretched man” trapped in a “body of death”. Those descriptions seem to contradict the way Paul describes the believer in chapter 6. However, we need to understand Paul here is speaking about a believer. This person desires to obey God’s law and hates his sin. He is humble, recognizing that nothing good dwells in his humanness, he sees sin in himself, but not as all that is there and he serves Jesus Christ with his mind.

Paul has already established that none of those attitudes ever describe the unsaved. Paul’s use of present tense verbs (in verses 14-25), strongly supports the idea that he is describing his life currently as a Christian. For those reasons, it seems certain that (chapter 7), describes a believer. However, for those who agree that this is a believer, there is still disagreement. Some see a carnal, fleshly Christian; others a legalistic Christian, frustrated by his feeble attempts in his own power to please God by keeping the Mosaic Law. But the personal pronoun “I” refers to the apostle Paul, a standard of spiritual health and maturity. Paul here, must be describing all Christians, even the most spiritual and mature who, when they honestly evaluate themselves against the righteous standard of God’s law, realize how far short they fall.

In verse 14 of chapter 7, Paul writes, " we know that the law is spiritual" meaning it reflects God’s holy character. Also, the word "Carnal" means “of the flesh". This means earthbound, mortal and still incarcerated, in-unredeemed humanness. Paul does not say he is still “in the flesh”, but the flesh is in him. Sold under sin means that sin no longer controls the whole man as with an unbeliever, but it does hold captive the believer’s members, or his fleshly body. Sin contaminates him and frustrates his inner desire to obey the will of God. In verse 15 the sense here is that Paul found himself doing things he did not approve of. We also see in verse 15, the struggle that every man faces. The struggle is truly between our flesh and our spirit. Paul desires to have his spirit in control at all times. He says that sometimes his flesh wins out. It is a daily struggle for all of us. To live for Jesus the spirit has to overcome the flesh. In, Galatians 5:17 we find “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” Paul’s new nature defends the divine standard; the perfectly righteous law is not responsible for his sin. His new self longs to honor the law and keep it perfectly. Friends, the quickest way to tell if we are following after the flesh is, if whatever we're doing feels good to the flesh. If the flesh is enjoying your actions, it is probably displeasing to the spirit. Paul’s new inner self, the new “I”, no longer approved of the sin that was still residing in his flesh like his old self did, but rather strongly disapproved. Paul was saying that his sin did not flow out of his new redeemed innermost (“I”) self, but from his unredeemed humanness, his flesh “in me”.

I know that in my flesh, in me! nothing good dwells. No man’s flesh follows God. Man’s flesh must be crucified for the spirit to reign. The flesh serves as a base camp from which sin operates in the Christian’s life. It is not sinful inherently, but because of its fallenness, it is still subject to sin and is thoroughly contaminated, poisoned! The flesh is that part of the believer’s present being that remains unredeemed. Galatians 5:24-26 “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” “Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” Paul is trying to say that the flesh of man is a hindrance to him. Even Jesus, when facing the cruel death of the cross, said (my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak). We must somehow get our flesh and the lusts thereof under subjection to the spirit of God within us. We see that flesh does not desire to do good, only evil. I feel Paul is making a point that we must stay away from the influence of the flesh. In verser 21, we hear the cry of a man who desires to please God. In Psalms 19:12-14 you'll find “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.” “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.” Friends This is not a reference to God’s law, but to an inviolable spiritual principle. In verse 22, we understand that the believer’s justified, new inner self no longer sides with sin, but joyfully agrees with the law of God against sin. In, Romans 7:23 “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.” This is a corresponding spiritual principle to the one in verse 21. But this principle, which Paul identifies as “the law of sin,” operates in the members of his body, that is, his unredeemed and still sinful humanness, waging war against his desire to obey God’s law. “Law of my mind” is equivalent to the new inner self, which longs to obey the law of God. Paul is not saying his mind is spiritual and his body is inherently evil.

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Finally, we see Paul’s point in all of this. There is no way within ourselves that we can overcome the problems between our flesh wanting to sin and our spirit knowing sin is wrong. The only solution is to give ourselves over to Jesus Christ and no longer live our own lives, but let Jesus live in us and through us. In frustration and grief, Paul laments his sin. A believer perceives his own sinfulness in direct proportion to how clearly he sees the holiness of God and perfection of His law. The word deliver means “to rescue from danger” and was used of a soldier pulling his wounded comrade from the battlefield. Paul longed to be rescued from his sinful flesh. “Body of this death”: The believer’s unredeemed humanness, which has its base of operation in the body. Tradition says that an ancient tribe near Tarsus tied the corpse of a murder victim to its murderer, allowing its spreading decay to slowly infect and execute the murderer. Perhaps that is the image Paul has in mind here. Paul, is certain that Christ will eventually rescue him when He returns. The second half of chapter 7, summarises the two sides of the struggle Paul has described. “With the mind” is the new inner self, which longs to obey the law of God. “The law of sin,” operates in the members of his body, waging war against his desire to obey God’s law