ROMANS 7:22-23 | TENSION & VICTORY

Romans 7:22-23 ESV says, “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.”

This is a common struggle for the believer. We live in a tension between the glory of God and the pull of sin and compromise. Each of us faces this battle. Sometimes the temptation to sin is obvious. Sometimes, it is subtle, but no one is excluded from this journey. It can be a sobering and disheartening realization to come to.

That is why Paul brings the message of encouragement in Romans 8:1-2 ESV, saying, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

We can pass through the battle into freedom when we recognize the tension we live in and refuse to back down or lose hope. We can see that God has made a way for us to live in freedom. He broke the power of sin and death through his son Jesus Christ on the cross.

Therefore, our attitude to God is humble gratitude. We do well to remember that just because we love the law of God does not mean we are free from the battle of sin. Just because we delight in the law of God, as Paul says in his inner being) does not mean we are exempt from the temptations of the flesh. On the contrary! Since we have discovered the love of God and his truthful commands, we are now available and open to the temptations that would contradict and dismantle the foundation of our faith.

We are living in a daily battle with eternal stakes. We can choose to float down the lazy river, or we can stand on the promises of God, depend on his Spirit, and learn to live in freedom. Abiding becomes more than hanging out in the presence of God every morning. It becomes a lifestyle of breakthrough and victory as we experience God’s power working in our lives.

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