Romans 7:14-25(CEB)
14 We know that the Law is spiritual, but I’m made of flesh and blood, and I’m sold as a slave to sin. 15 I don’t know what I’m doing, because I don’t do what I want to do. Instead, I do the thing that I hate. 16 But if I’m doing the thing that I don’t want to do, I’m agreeing that the Law is right. 17 But now I’m not the one doing it anymore. Instead, it’s sin that lives in me. 18 I know that good doesn’t live in me—that is, in my body. The desire to do good is inside of me, but I can’t do it. 19 I don’t do the good that I want to do, but I do the evil that I don’t want to do. 20 But if I do the very thing that I don’t want to do, then I’m not the one doing it anymore. Instead, it is sin that lives in me that is doing it. 21 So I find that, as a rule, when I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me. 22 I gladly agree with the Law on the inside, 23 but I see a different law at work in my body. It wages a war against the law of my mind and takes me prisoner with the law of sin that is in my body. 24 I’m a miserable human being. Who will deliver me from this dead corpse? 25 Thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So, then I’m a slave to God’s Law in my mind, but I’m a slave to sin’s law in my body.
Reflection
I have to admit, today’s Scripture reading is a difficult one for me to fully grasp. What exactly is Paul talking about here? Is he saying that sin lives in us—or that goodness does? If we truly desire to do what is right, why is it so hard to follow through? What control do we have over our actions, and how can we choose what is good instead of giving in to what is wrong? These are big, honest questions—and I believe Paul is asking them too.
Paul paints a vivid picture of the internal struggle every believer faces: the conflict between our desire to follow God and the pull that the sin we face in this world has on us. He speaks of wanting to do what is right but constantly falling short. It’s not a lack of desire—it’s a lack of ability in our own strength alone to overcome the war sin wages on our minds.
There are many things that happen in this world that we have no control over and many of these things can be very difficult for us to deal with and make sense of. They can easily lead to us giving in to despair and giving up on the war that sin wages on our mind. However, one principle that’s helped me make sense of this struggle is the motto: We cannot always control what happens around us, but we can control how we respond. With God’s help, we can respond with grace, faith, and perseverance—even when everything around us feels overwhelming.
I hear that same message in Paul’s words in verses 22–25 when he writes: “I gladly agree with the law on the inside, but I see a different law at work in my body. It wages war against the law of my mind and takes me prisoner with the law of sin that is in my body. I’m a miserable human being. Who will deliver me from this dead corpse? Thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Life throws a lot at us—things we didn’t choose, can’t control, and don’t always understand. These challenges can tempt us to despair, to give up, or to give in. But Paul reminds us: we are not without help. We are not left to fight this inner war on our own.
Through Jesus, we are offered grace, not condemnation. Peace, not chaos. Strength, not despair. When sin tries to take hold of our hearts and minds, we can lean on the power of Christ to overcome. And not just for ourselves—we can be a source of strength, peace, and encouragement for others who are struggling too.
Prayer: God, thank You for understanding our struggles and for not turning away from us in our weakness. We confess that we often feel overwhelmed by the war within us—the pull of sin, the weight of discouragement. But we praise You that we are not alone. Thank You for Jesus, who delivers us, strengthens us, and walks with us through every battle. Help us respond to life with grace, peace, and faith—not in our own strength, but in Yours. Amen.
