Romans 7:7–25 – The Law and the Struggle with Sin
📖 Passage
Romans 7:7–25
Read Romans 7:7–25 (NKJV)
🧠 Context & Background
Paul has been showing that while the Law is holy and good, it cannot free anyone from the power of sin. Instead, the Law exposes sin and makes its seriousness undeniable. In this passage, Paul speaks from the perspective of a believer who has already been saved by Christ but still feels the reality of indwelling sin.
His words describe the inner tension of the Christian life: the renewed heart delights in God’s Law, yet the flesh still resists. This is not the testimony of an unbeliever but of one who has been made alive in Christ and now feels the war between the Spirit and the sinful nature.
This background helps us see the pastoral purpose of the passage. Paul is comforting Christians who feel the weight of this conflict. The cry, “O wretched man that I am!” is not hopeless despair but an honest confession of weakness that leads to gratitude: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The tension of Romans 7 prepares the way for the hope of Romans 8, where life in the Spirit provides freedom and assurance.
🌿 Key Themes
- The Law exposes sin — The Law functions like a mirror, showing us our corruption but not cleansing us from it.
- The believer’s inner conflict — Regenerate believers still wrestle with indwelling sin, highlighting both the seriousness of sin and the sufficiency of grace.
📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Romans 7:7 – The Law Reveals Sin
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law.”
- Law is not sin — Paul defends the goodness of God’s law.
- Revealing function — the law exposes sin; it names and defines what was hidden.
- Example — coveting becomes known as sin because the commandment reveals it.
Romans 7:8 – Sin Uses the Law
“But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire.”
- Sin’s distortion — the law, meant for life, is hijacked by sin.
- Rebellion awakened — forbidding something provokes desire to break it.
- Law exposes but cannot cure — it reveals sin but offers no power to conquer it.
Romans 7:9 – Spiritual Death through the Law
“I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died.”
- False sense of life — before the law’s demands were clear, Paul thought himself “alive.”
- Commandment’s arrival — once he understood the law, sin was stirred, and condemnation came.
- Result — death, not life, was the outcome of sin exposed by the law.
Romans 7:10 – The Law Intended for Life
“And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death.”
- Purpose of the law — designed to guide to life and holiness.
- Effect of sin — sin twists the law’s good intent into condemnation and despair.
Romans 7:11 – Sin’s Deception
“For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.”
- Sin as deceiver — promising freedom, but delivering slavery and death.
- Law as the stage — sin exploits God’s commands to increase rebellion.
Romans 7:12 – The Law’s Holiness
“Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.”
- Affirmation — the law reflects God’s character.
- Problem is sin, not law — the law is good; sin is the real culprit.
Romans 7:13 – Sin Exposed as Utterly Sinful
“Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good…”
- The law is not death — rather, sin is shown to be exceedingly sinful.
- Law magnifies sin’s evil — it reveals the true depth of humanity’s corruption.
Romans 7:14 – Spiritual Law, Fleshly Humanity
“For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.”
- Law’s nature — spiritual, from God.
- Human condition — fleshly, enslaved under sin’s power.
- Conflict — the gap between the law’s holiness and our weakness.
Romans 7:15 – The Inner Conflict
“For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.”
- Moral contradiction — Paul desires good but often does the opposite.
- Experience of all believers — the tension between new desires and old sin nature.
Romans 7:16 – Agreement with the Law
“If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.”
- Conscience testifies — by hating sin, Paul shows agreement with God’s law.
- Law’s goodness reaffirmed — the problem is not law but indwelling sin.
Romans 7:17 – Sin Dwelling Within
“But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”
- Not excusing guilt — Paul doesn’t deny responsibility, but highlights sin’s enslaving power.
- Indwelling corruption — sin still exerts influence even in regenerate hearts.
Romans 7:18 – Inability of the Flesh
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells…”
- Confession of weakness — flesh is utterly unable to produce righteousness.
- Desire vs. ability — wanting to do good does not equal being able to accomplish it.
Romans 7:19 – The Cycle of Failure
“For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.”
- Ongoing struggle — Paul repeats the conflict: desire for good vs. practice of evil.
- Reality of sin — sanctification is marked by battle, not perfection.
Romans 7:20 – Sin at Work in Me
“Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”
- Reinforcement — the culprit is sin’s power, still residing in fallen flesh.
- Distinction of identity — believers are not defined by sin, yet sin still dwells within.
Romans 7:21 – The Principle of Evil Present
“I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.”
- Observation — a principle of sin is always near, opposing good intentions.
- Tension — even in the desire to obey, sin lurks.
Romans 7:22 – Delight in God’s Law
“For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.”
- Inner joy — true believers love God’s law at the heart level.
- Contrast — inner man delights, but outer flesh struggles.
Romans 7:23 – War of the Two Laws
“But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind…”
- War imagery — an ongoing battle between flesh and spirit.
- Captivity — sin seeks to enslave even when the mind longs for obedience.
Romans 7:24 – The Cry of Desperation
“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
- Honest despair — Paul feels the weight of sin’s ongoing influence.
- Recognition of need — deliverance cannot come from within but from outside help.
Romans 7:25 – Thanksgiving for Christ
“I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
- Deliverer named — freedom comes only through Christ.
- Realistic summary — with the mind, Paul serves God’s law; with the flesh, he still wrestles with sin.
- Hope secured — the tension of chapter 7 leads directly to the triumph of Romans 8: “no condemnation in Christ Jesus.”
🔍 Trusted Insight
Charles Spurgeon once said of this passage:
“The believer is a new creature, but the old nature still remains. He is like a man who carries about with him a dead body — and he cries out for deliverance from it. Yet this very conflict, this struggle within, is one of the surest signs of spiritual life.”
This reminder helps us see that the presence of inner conflict does not disprove faith — it confirms it. The Christian is not at peace with sin but longs to be free of it, and that longing points us to Christ, the only One who delivers us.
🧩 Review Questions
- Why does Paul say the Law is holy, yet it produces death?
- How does Paul’s struggle in this passage encourage believers who feel the weight of ongoing sin?
- What does the contrast between “law of the mind” and “law of sin” teach us about sanctification?
- How does this passage prepare the way for Romans 8 and the Spirit’s role in the Christian life? 💡 Tip: Use the **Ask a Question Bot** to explore these questions more deeply and gain additional biblical insights. ---
🔍 Definitions
- Covet — To desire what belongs to another, revealing sin’s root in the heart.
- Indwelling sin — The remaining corruption of the flesh that resists God even after regeneration.
- Sanctification — The Spirit’s ongoing work of conforming believers to Christ, despite their struggle with sin.
🙋 Application Questions
- How does this passage shape your view of personal holiness and the seriousness of sin?
- In what ways can you rely more on Christ’s deliverance rather than your own strength?
- How should awareness of this struggle influence the way you encourage fellow believers?
🔤 Greek Keywords
- Hamartia (ἁμαρτία) — sin; the power that enslaves and corrupts.
- Nomos (νόμος) — law; God’s revealed standard of righteousness.
- Sarx (σάρξ) — flesh; human nature weakened and corrupted by sin.
- Sōma tou thanatou (σῶμα τοῦ θανάτου) — body of death; the fallen condition from which believers long to be delivered.
📚 Cross References
- Psalm 19:7 — The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.
- Galatians 3:24 — The Law is a tutor to bring us to Christ.
- Philippians 3:9 — Righteousness is not our own but through faith in Christ.
- 1 Timothy 1:8 — The Law is good if one uses it lawfully.
- Galatians 5:17 — The flesh and Spirit are opposed, showing the ongoing struggle.
📦 Next Study
Next Study → Romans 8:1–17