INTRODUCTION
The conflict within the “divided man” of Romans 7 defeats so many frustrated believers and allows Satan the opportunity to deceive many into leaving the faith. This is not necessary. A simple understanding of this chapter and especially the final verses would allow many struggling believers the tools available to fend off the enemy. God gives His people weapons both defensive and offensive. If Christians learn, understand, and apply these weapons and stratagem they could prevent a great deal of heartache. Before the study begins it would be prudent to examine a few statistics.
• 92% of American households owned at least one Bible in 1993.
• In 2000, 59% of Americans claim to read the Bible on occasion compared to 73% in 1980.
• The number of Americans that read at least weekly was 37% in 2000.
Most of these numbers were discouraging a decade ago. Just imagine how far they have dropped since these studies were published. With such a lack of truth in people’s lives it is no wonder they get lost so easily. Leading up to the last five verses of Romans 7 Paul masterfully illustrates the confusing conflict within the mind of many believers.
CHAPTER 1
In verse 21, Paul comes to the conclusion that there is a principle within believers that contends with our desire to do good or rather to be righteousness. But from where does this opposition come? We see in Romans 5:12-21 that the first sin was committed with the transgression of Adam when he accepted and ate the fruit from Eve.
It is commonly thought that the whole of humanity are sinners because they sin; however, it could be that they sin because they are sinners. This leads into a whole debate on “original sin,” which is far beyond the scope of this report. To make the point that all people have sin dwelling in the flesh a person only needs to look at young children. An infant cries because it us hungry with no regard to the parent’s need for sleep or a toddler will reach for your dinner rather than eat its’ own. Did anyone need to teach the infant to be selfish or the toddler to covet? How about these children honoring their parents enough to thrust that they are getting what they need? Sin, whether it is transgression of the law or simply a “motivationally twisted heart,” comes more naturally to the flesh than that of righteousness.3
The Bible explains who has sinned, “for all have sinned…” (Romans 3:23). What is the consequence of this sin? “For the wages of sin is death,…” (Romans 6:23). Don’t all die? Yes, the good and the bad, the righteous and the unrighteous, all die physically. Be that as it may, no-one ever dies spiritually. It can be seen in Hebrews 9:27, that after you die physically, then comes the judgment of God. As most people know, the judgment against an unrighteous person is Hell. Hell is a place of eternal fire and torment.
Romans 7:21 concludes with a desire to do righteousness. So, what gives men such desire if they are so ingrained with evil that they do not need to be taught to do wrong? It could be that if people are shown their own personal depravity, the consequences of this state and then a means of escape, people would be motivated to change. So, not only would men likely desire to change but would also develop a heartfelt gratitude toward the One who provided an alternative to their eternal punishment.
How do people see their sin as sin? The simplest method is to look at what the Creator says in His manual. After all, the Creator of heaven and hell should obviously know the entrance requirements to both. To enter hell, all you really need to do is nothing. Just live your life for yourself and your passions and desires (Gal 5:24; Col 3:5). In contrast, to enter heaven is to seek after righteousness. Righteousness is imputed to man after he admits his depravity and his inability to cleanse himself (Heb 9:14; Rev 1:5). If men accept and trust that God sacrificed Himself for them, he cannot help but be thankful for His salvation plan. When men trust in Him as Lord and Savior, they will desire to crucify the flesh or rather to endure the battle within the flesh and seek righteousness ( Gal 2:20, 5:24, 6:14).
CHAPTER 2
In verse 22 of Romans 7, the theme of desiring God is continued with delighting in the law of God according to the inward man. Once men are redeemed they will put off the old nature and find pleasure in the counsel of the Lord (Psams1:1-2). Not only that but, he should destroy the old gods or idols in his life, for he cannot serve two masters (Luke 16:13). Have you ever had two supervisors competing for your time and skills or seen a child attempt to obey conflicting instructions from its parents? It just does not work.
There is a peace that comes from knowing whom to obey or whom to trust. When a person begins a new job, it is likely that he would feel most at ease if he received quality training or a thorough new employee’s handbook. In fact, many sports or businesses have books or manuals they refer to as their “bible,” within their own shop jargon or slang. These uses of the term bible, though somewhat disrespectful, do give at least a cursory acknowledgement to the authority carried by the actual Bible.
Psalm 40:8 says “I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.” Not only should the redeemed delight in the law but store it up in their hearts. This should be the thing cherished and protected most. But is it? According to a Gallup Poll, done in 2000, only 16% of Americans read their Bible every day. Also, only 14% are in a Bible study of any sort. This is compared to 86% of American adults identifying themselves as Christians in 1990 and 76% in 2008. These statistics show a sad state of reverence for God’s law or following His will.
As the heart continues to beat, Christians should also persevere (2 Cor 4:16). As this hidden person (the inner man) of the heart finds and even holds precious the law one must ask, what law is to be held so dear?
The law started out as the Law of Moses which included the Ten Commandments. As most know, it was and is impossible for any man to keep the whole law (Rom 3:20; 1 Tim 1:9). Trying to earn righteousness through the law is works salvation, which cannot save (Eph 2:8-9; Gal 3:10).
In Romans 3:20 you see that the intent of the Law of Moses is actually to give a knowledge of sin. There is no way for man to uphold or fulfill the law. However, Jesus said that He came to fulfill the Law of the Prophets (Matt 5:17). If the law has been fulfilled, what law are believers currently under? In Romans 13:8-10 one reads, “… he who loves another has fulfilled the law… therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” In Matt. 22:37 Jesus says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all you heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” If Christians follow His command and love Him to this extent, then it follows to reason that they would also love the thing He loves most. God loves His creation, the thing He breathed life into, specifically mankind. Again, if we love Him then “… the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4).
CHAPTER 3
Here, in Romans 7:23, see that the root of the frustration felt by so many Christians is due to the law of the flesh being at war with the law of the mind, which should be led by the Spirit.
How are Christians to fight spiritual war according to scripture? Evil should be slaughtered completely. No trace of sin should be found in their lives. However, due to weakness in the flesh most choose not to do this. One example is, King Saul, found in 1 Samuel 15. He was told by Samuel the Prophet to “utterly destroy” the Amalekites; all the people, old and young, as well as all the livestock. Saul disobeyed and kept their king, King Agag, as prisoner and kept the best of the Amalekites livestock for himself. The result was Saul losing his position as king and trouble for his whole family.
In Ephesians 4:30 the believer is told not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. Verse 31 states, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.” Why separate malice? It would be a safe argument to say that Paul is suggesting the malice be directed at the other five attributes listed. As John Piper says, “There is a mean, violent streak to the true Christian life.” He continues by asking, “Violence against whom or what?” Quickly, he answers by emphasizing that it is not against other people, “but on every impulse in our soul to be violent to other people.” Still he adds, “[A] violence of mean streak in Christianity against our own selves and all in us that would make peace with sin.”
2 Cor 10:3-6 says that every thought must be taken captive. Not should but, must be taken captive! The word captive in itself is a strong word, meaning; to be held as prisoner or to be held under the control of another. To take something captive is a conscious and deliberate action, it is not passive, it does not happen without effort being afforded. There are strategies in this physical world that aide believers in this battle with the flesh. One such technique is found in the book Every Man’s Battle called, “Bouncing the Eyes.” This consists of training your eyes to “bounce” immediately off of anything that entices your fleshly nature. This strategy starves your desire and like any battle in war, it is not easy. These verses also emphasize the fact that the weapons for fighting this war are not carnal, which means according to the flesh, but are spiritual weapons given by God.
The whole Armor of God is listed in Eph 6:11-18. The armor looks like this: the Belt of Truth (cf. John 8:31) and the Breastplate of Righteousness (cf. Phil 3:9), the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace (cf. Is 52:7), the Shield of Faith (cf. 1 Pet 1:5), the Helmet of Salvation (cf. Psalm 27:1) and the Sword of the Spirit (cf. Heb 4:12). Like all tools these take practice and conscious effort to master their application. This passage in Ephesians ends by reminding us to be watchful with perseverance and supplication (prayer).
In 1 Tim 6:12 Christians are instructed to, “Fight the good fight of faith.” Likewise, in 1 Cor 9:24-27 Christians are taught to, “Run in such a way that you may obtain …the prize.” If believers apply these verses to their daily battles they will see that they are to fight with diligence, to win. Fight in a way that expects and anticipates victory and nothing less. Follow the Lord and beat down the enemy. The advisory will not quit until there is total destruction or until destroyed by the One with the power to do so. ”Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
CHAPTER 4
All this warring in the flesh leads many to a tired and worn down state of body and mind that leaves people asking or even begging for help. Paul describes this state in Romans 7:24, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Or to be restated, “Oh, pitiable and miserable man that I am! Who will rescue me from my sin?”
The first part of this verse is more than a declaration or admission of his present state. It is a cry out to the One with the power and proven ability to save. Many people, even those that do not claim to be Christians, have an intellectual knowledge of the Savior but until a personal fallen state can be realized a person may never come to a saving knowledge of Christ (1 Tim 2:4).
In the second portion of the text, he uses a rhetorical question to emphasize the answer that is immediately given in verse 25. It may also be used to show the reader that there is indeed a cure for their current conflicted condition. The answer is, of course, that there is a savior. Still at this point one needs to ask, who is this savior?
CHAPTER 5
Verse 25 states the answer with an exasperated, thanks! Here Paul not only thanks God but calls Him out by name, Jesus Christ. He also adds, “our Lord” to the description. Thus, revealing that He is not only Savior but also, Lord. If God has the power to forgive and save, does he not deserve your allegiance? “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (2 Timothy 2:4).
With, Paul’s summary statement of these conflict verses, “So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin,” he clearly states the two opponents at war within each believer.
CONCLUSION
While Satan cannot send anyone to hell, he does everything within his power to get humanity to choose hell or at minimum to keep Christians from rising above a lukewarm faith, which is a form of complacency (Eph 6:12; Rev 3:16-17).
It has been said that “knowledge is power.” Truly, an understanding of the scriptures at minimum gives an armament of weapons with which to fight. The good news is that in Romans eight Paul moves into describing the victory over the flesh and Satan available through Christ work on the cross (8:3-5). Additionally, if you seek to live by the Spirit of God then you may become an adopted son or daughter and thus an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven (8:12-17).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Arterburn, Stephen, Fred Stoeker and Mike Yorkey, Everyman’s Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temtation One Victory at a Time (Colorado Springs, Colorado: WaterBrook Press, 2000), 125-132.
christopherbennett07 June 19, 2008 “Make War – John Piper.” YouTube.com. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wrY0h33coR4 (accessed June 10, 2010)
Gallup, Alec and Wendy W. Simmons, Six in Ten Americans Read Bible at Least Occasionally, Percentage of frequent readers has decreased over last decade,” gallup.com (October 20, 2000), http://www.gallup.com/poll/2416/Six-Ten-Americans-Read-Bible-Least-Occasionally.aspx (accessed June 10, 2010).
Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fousset and David Brown, A commentary, critical and explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. On spine: Critical and explanatory commentary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc, 1997.
Kosmin, Barry A., and Ariela Keysar, American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2008, (Hartford, Connecticut: Trinity College; Program on Public Values, 2009), 1.
Packer, J. I., Concise theology: A guide to historic Christian beliefs. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1995, c1993), Original Sin – Depravity Infects Everyone (Section two, topic two).
Torrey, R. (1995, c1897). The new topical text book : A scriptural text book for the use of ministers, teachers, and all Christian workers. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos research Systems, Inc.
Uncertain Original Author and Publisher. http://epicvelocity.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/armor-of-god-poster-web-11.jpg (accessed June 15, 2010).
Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-c1985). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books .
Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Expository Commentary. “An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire ‘BE’ series”—Jkt. Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press; Victor Books, 1996.
Wiersbe, Warren. W. (1993). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the Old Testament. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
FOOTNOTES
The Barna Group, “The Bible,” barna.org, quoted in Michael J. Vlach, “Americans and the Bible: Bible Ownership, Reading, Study and Knowledge in the United States,” Theologicalstudies.org, http://www.theologicalstudies.org/ page/page/1572910.htm (accessed June 10, 2010).
Alec Gallup and Wendy W. Simmons, Six in Ten Americans Read Bible at Least Occasionally, Percentage of frequent readers has decreased over last decade,” gallup.com (October 20, 2000), under “Wellbeing; Religion and Social Trends,” http://www.gallup.com/poll/2416/Six-Ten-Americans-Read-Bible-Least-Occasionally.aspx (accessed June 10, 2010).
J. I. Packer, Concise theology: A guide to historic Christian beliefs. (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1995, c1993), Original Sin – Depravity Infects Everyone (Section two, topic two)
All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version unless otherwise noted.
Alec Gallup and Wendy W. Simmons, Six in Ten Americans Read Bible at Least Occasionally, Percentage of frequent readers has decreased over last decade,” gallup.com (October 20, 2000), under “Wellbeing; Religion and Social Trends,” http://www.gallup.com/poll/2416/Six-Ten-Americans-Read-Bible-Least-Occasionally.aspx (accessed June 10, 2010).
Barry A. Kosmin and Ariela Keysar, American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) 2008, (Hartford, Connecticut: Trinity College; Program on Public Values, 2009), 1.
christopherbennett07 June 19, 2008 “Make War – John Piper.” YouTube.com. http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wrY0h33coR4 (accessed June 10, 2010)
Stephen Arterburn, Fred Stoeker and Mike Yorkey, Everyman’s Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temtation One Victory at a Time (Colorado Springs, Colorado: WaterBrook Press, 2000), 125-132.
Original Author and Publisher uncertain. http://epicvelocity.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/armor-of-god-poster-web-11.jpg (accessed June 15, 2010)
