For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate.
Romans 7:15 NET
In Romans 7:14-22, Paul described a battle that raged within him. It was a battle between two natures. On one side was the flesh, his old sinful nature, the nature we are all born with. On the other side of the battle was the new Paul, crucified, buried, and resurrected with Christ. It was a battle between the old man and the new man.
There is a debate about whether Paul is describing his current situation or his pre-Christian experience. But I find it very descriptive of my own experience as a believer. Before coming to faith, I had little interest in doing what God wanted from me. But now, as a believer, I do want to obey him. But my old self is still hanging on, and I frequently find myself giving in to it.
We often consider sin to be things we do that are against God’s laws, such as breaking one of the Ten Commandments. When described that way, I can feel pretty good about myself. But sin is more than that. The word means “to miss the mark.” It is just as much about what I fail to do as what I do. And that is, for me at least, the big battle.
The Battle Is Personel
In my spirit–the new me–I want to fully surrender to my Lord, trusting him in every part of my life. But the flesh–the old me–is lazy and self-centered. The battle is between being the person I believe God wants me to be and the person I am comfortable being. I start each day with a commitment to give the day to my Lord. But when I come to the end of the day, I often find that I have fallen short. I waste too much time on meaningless activities. I frequently fail to love my neighbor as I should. Sometimes, I find that I have been guilty of being judgmental. And on and on the list goes.
As I struggle with this, Paul’s concluding words give me hope: “Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom. 7:24-25a). I can have victory through what Jesus has done for me, and through the Holy Spirit he has given me. The battle may be challenging, but it is not hopeless. So I keep fighting, and with his help, I find progress slowly being made.
