Romans 7 is a very important chapter for our Christian walk. The first three verses give an illustration of how a woman is not permitted by law to marry another man while her husband is still living. In the same way, since we have died with Christ in a spiritual sense, we are no longer bound to the law of Moses. We have been set free to marry the One who was raised from the dead, the Lord Jesus Christ, so that we can “bring forth fruit unto God” (verse 4). Verses 5 and 6 explain how that when we were under the law, we broke the law by doing fleshly things that result in death. However, now that we have been delivered from the law, we have been set free to serve the Lord through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Verses 7-12 explain that the law itself is not sinful. Instead, the law caused mankind to understand what was sinful. When the law was broken, those actions were sinful, and sin leads to death. However, the law itself “is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good” (verse 12). Verses 13 and 14 explain that the law itself does not cause death. Instead, it is the sin that we do in breaking the law that brings death. There is nothing wrong with the law. The problem is with us. We were slaves to sin which results in death.

Verses 15-25 describe the struggle that occurs within every believer. We have fleshly desires to do sinful things. However, we also have Godly desires to please the Lord. We have an old nature that loves to sin and a new nature that loves to please the Lord. It is important to realize, as we read in verse 18, “that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh” (NASB). The climax to this struggle is found in verse 24, which reads “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” The answer is found in verse 25, which reads “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”

The Lord is able to give us strength to honor Him and not do sinful things. Having victory over our sinful desires is not accomplished by trying harder to do right things. As verse 25 said, the key to victory is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we need to focus on Him, spend time with Him in prayer and reading His Word, and let Him empower us to live victorious lives. The importance of focusing on Christ is found in 2 Corinthians 3:18. This verse reads, “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” The Lord Jesus desires to make us more Christlike, but this is only possible as we focus on Him. Be encouraged, dear believer! The Lord is with you and desires to give you moment by moment victory over sin in your life. “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). (244.4) (DJ)