Romans 7 Part 2: The Battle Within

Introduction

In Part 1 of our journey through Romans 7, we explored Paul’s deep and often difficult teaching on our relationship to the law. We saw how the law is holy and good—but also how it cannot save. It acts like a mirror, revealing our sin and showing us just how far we fall short of God’s righteousness. We learned that we have been released from the law through the death of Christ, so that we may belong to Him and bear fruit for God. That’s the foundation.But what comes next in Romans 7 is something every believer needs to hear: even though we are no longer under the law, the battle with sin doesn’t just disappear. In fact, for many of us, the battle becomes more visible, more painful, and more humbling than ever.In the second half of this chapter, Paul opens a window into his own inner conflict—the war between the desires of the flesh and the will of the spirit. He confesses what so many of us feel but are afraid to say: “I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” This is not a description of an unbeliever, but of a redeemed man who still wrestles daily with the presence of sin.So if you've ever felt frustrated that you know what’s right but still don’t do it... if you’ve ever set out to walk in the Spirit but found yourself falling back into old habits... if you’ve ever looked at yourself and thought, “What is wrong with me?”—this part of Romans 7 is for you.But Paul doesn’t leave us in the tension. The chapter ends with a cry for deliverance—and an answer that bursts open into the glorious promises of Romans 8: “Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!”Let’s step into this sacred struggle together. Not to wallow in our weakness, but to find freedom in the One who is strong enough to carry us through it.

When the Flesh Wins: Why We Don’t Do What We Know Is Right

Romans 7:15–17“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For I do not practice what I will to do, but I do the very thing I hate. But if I practice what I do not will to do, I agree with the law that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”These verses hit home for any honest believer. Paul, the apostle who met Jesus face-to-face and who penned much of the New Testament, is saying: “I don’t get myself.” He knows what he wants to do—he wants to walk in obedience, to honor God, to live by the Spirit. But that’s not what he consistently does. Instead, he finds himself doing the very things he hates.Have you ever made a plan to start your day in prayer and Scripture... only to wake up and go straight to your inbox or your favorite app? You meant to spend time with God, but somehow the scroll was more compelling than the Scripture. You planned to draw near to Christ, but the noise of the world got your attention first.Paul is describing that exact tension. He’s not minimizing sin here; he’s acknowledging its power. He’s not making excuses, but he’s being brutally honest: there is something in me—this indwelling sin—that keeps pulling me in the wrong direction.And notice something: Paul affirms that the law is good. His struggle isn’t with the law; it’s with his own heart. The fact that he hates what he does proves that his heart has been changed. The old Paul didn’t struggle like this. The new Paul is engaged in a spiritual war.This passage reminds us that the presence of struggle in the Christian life is not a sign of failure—it’s a sign of life. The unbeliever doesn’t wrestle like this. But if you’re in Christ, you feel the tension. You want to obey. You grieve over your sin. You desire holiness. That very battle is proof that God is at work in you.So if you’ve ever looked at your own inconsistency and wondered, “Why do I keep doing the things I hate?”—take heart. You’re not alone. Even Paul felt that pull. And the grace of God doesn’t run from that struggle—it steps into it.

Who Will Deliver Me? The Cry That Leads to Hope

Romans 7:24–25“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of 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.”This is the emotional climax of Romans 7. After wrestling through the inner turmoil of wanting to do good but falling short, Paul cries out with raw honesty: “O wretched man that I am!”This isn’t spiritual defeat or self-pity. It’s the confession of someone who has come to the end of himself. Paul isn’t saying he’s worthless—he’s saying he’s helpless. He’s no longer pretending that discipline or determination can deliver him. He’s acknowledging what every believer must eventually admit: we cannot fix ourselves.And then comes the breakthrough: “Who will deliver me…?” Not what. Not how. Who.Deliverance isn’t a technique. It’s not found in five steps or a better routine. It’s found in a Person. “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”That’s the gospel in a single breath. Paul doesn’t find relief by doubling down on effort—he finds it by looking up. Jesus is the Rescuer. The One who not only paid for our sin but walks with us in our weakness. The One who is strong when we are not.And yet, Paul doesn’t pretend the tension disappears: “So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”This is the summary of the entire chapter. The mind, renewed by grace, loves and serves God. But the flesh still resists. It’s the believer’s daily reality—a divided experience between what we long for and what we sometimes live out.Romans 7 ends with a cry—but it’s not a cry of despair. It’s the final turning point before the flood of hope in Romans 8. Paul has brought us to the bottom so we can see just how high grace lifts us.We’ve walked through the war within. Now we’re ready to hear the words that change everything: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”