In Romans 7 starting in verse 15 the apostle Paul relates to his struggles with the sinful side of his nature as he laments.

“For that which I do, I know not. For what I desire, that I do not do; but what I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I do not desire, I consent to the law that it is good. But now it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwells no good thing. For to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I do not find.”

The first time I saw this I thought wow who is Paul talking about.  Then I realized that he was talking about himself.  No, this couldn’t be not Paul, not the great apostle and super spiritual Paul.  Not the author of most of the New Testament. How could it be that Paul has the same struggles that I do? 

It’s because like me he knows what he should do but no matter how hard we try we do the very things we hate.  It’s why when I should be thinking good of people I think bad.  Why when I should have pure thoughts my mind so easily slips into thoughts, if seen by others, would condemn me as anything but a Christian.  God why do I do the very things I hate the most? 

Finally we cry out as did Paul in verse 24 “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”

At this time it would seem all is lost as we realize that we are so wicked in our own hearts there is no hope for us.  Then comes the solution and hope in the next two verses.
 
“ 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 those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Dear Christian please understand we do not walk alone. That victory comes not when we try to be perfected in our flesh under our own power.  But we move towards perfection when we walk in the Spirit.  When you accepted Christ as your Savior a miraculous thing happened.  The Spirit of God came into your life.

It is through the Spirit inside us that we are able to become more like Christ.  That we are able to put off the sins of the flesh and become sin-less-ers each day.  Knowing that we are not condemned allows us to love the Lord and rely on Him for strength. 

Remember dear saint that we  walk in the Spirit and not the flesh because of what Christ has done not because of what fail to do.

Pastor Garry