Who Is the Man Struggling in Romans 7?

Paul is still under the Law and self-identified in Romans 7:14 as "sold as a slave to sin" in that passage recounting his struggle with sin. So, that's a sinner who wasn't saved yet. He spoke of being delivered once he was in Christ Jesus and no longer walking according to the flesh in Romans 8:1-2. He said, "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2, comp. John 8:36 and Romans 6:18). That law of sin and death that was still at work in his members in Romans 7:23 was subdued in Christ and he was set free from it because "those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Galatians 5:24). 

Paul testified as a Christian, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). It's not longer a situation of committing sin because of "sin that dwells in me" (Romans 7:17). It was so for the apostle Paul in Christ and should be the same for Christians today because of the foundation laid out in Romans 6. 

Romans 6:4-14:
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,  6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.  7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.  8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,  9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.  10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.  11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 

Romans 7 is not the next level from the Romans 6 foundation. The entire chapter (6) actually exemplifies walking under the grace of God, with power received to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly desires (Titus 2:11-14) and to take this instruction: "Do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace" (Romans 6:13-14). The man who is "carnal, sold under sin" in Romans 7:14 cannot understand that instruction to the Roman believers.

1 Corinthians 2:14
But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Paul, the man under the Law and not under grace, and under condemnation as a salve to sin in Romans 7 is not led by God's Spirit in that account. So, it is not a Christian who is struggling in Romans 7, but someone who was not in Christ yet (Romans 8:9b). So, he is a honest man struggling with his sins and seeking a deliverance, which he found in Christ:

Romans 7:24-25
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death*? (comp. Romans 6:6) 25 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.

*sin bring forth death (Romans 6:23, James 1:15)

So, Paul writes again:
Romans 8:1-2
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.  2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

At this point the principles of walking according to the Spirit vs walking according to the flesh can apply:

Romans 8:12-14
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

"if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live"

This cannot be done by the man struggling in Romans 7 but it can be done by a believer who has and is led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9 check).


See also:
Freedom From Sin

Crucify the Flesh - video playlist

Old Man Addictions

Works Of Faith Are Not Works Of The Law (video)   

Saved From What?

Problem in the Church: Romans 7

Romans 7:14-25 Bible Study

Repentance According to the Bible

The Wretched Man (video)

This is what a punch of the devil against Christians looks like

Imagine all these things coming at you at once from many different directions...


When Christians are ready to argue about ongoing sin that they are dealing with in their lives as if the cross that Jesus commands them to pick up and follow Him (Luke 9:23) does not bring an end to sin (Romans 6:2; 1 Peter 4:1), that is a problem.

When Christians are ready to crush a brother or sister who shares the truth of the scriptures about being delivered from sin for good (the "Good News") with them while they have no idea who may be a false prophet in this world in this day (1 John 4:1; 2 Peter 2:1), that is a problem.

When these wolves in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15-20) who can't possibly be saved themselves are elevated on pedestals as idols and regarded as great men and women of God (2 Corinthians 11:13-15; Luke 6:26) who preach what tickles the ears of believers who do not love the truth (1 Timothy 4:3-4; 2 Thessalonians 2:12), that is a problem.

When Christians are ready to defend what they have been taught and believed (while already being oblivious to who may be a false teacher/prophet/"minister of God" in this perilous time), but don't have time to study what the bible is saying and pray for understanding to show themselves approved to God (2 Timothy 2:15), that is a problem.

When Christians don't know that those who have been saved have been saved (set free) from sin (Matthew 1:21; Acts 3:26) and empowered by the grace of God to live for Him, no longer to gratify their sinful desires (1 Peter 4:3), that is a problem.

When Christians never hear from their preachers what that grace of God is, why they receive it and what it's supposed to enable them to do (Titus 2:11-14) if they don't receive it in vain (2 Corinthians 6:1), that is a problem.

When Christians know Ephesians 2:8 about being saved by grace but are never taught nor have considered themselves Titus 2:11-14 that defines the grace that brings salvation, that is a problem.

When Christians are under a spell called "it's not of works lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 8:9) and once they have that in their minds, they are unable to study any other scriptures to know God's will, that is demonic and that is a problem.

What do you do with this? What's the context? Faith or keeping the law of Moses?
James 2:24
You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

When Christians don't care about the fruit they are bearing (Luke 6:43-45) and use the "judge not" card so no one disturbs them about the sins they are still doing, and so no one dares to expose that evil (Ephesians 5:11) and exhort them in love to do well (Hebrews 10:24; Galatians 6:1), that is a problem.

When Christians go after motivational messages but can't hear any exhortation to obey God and walk in the truth because they see that as opposed to grace, that is a problem.

When Christians know more about self-righteousness than they know about actual righteousness (1 John 3:7; Ezekiel 18:20-32), that is a problem.

When Christians do not know that Jesus did not identify his followers who chose to follow Him faithfully as "sinners" (Luke 6:32-34), that is a problem.

When Christians are identified as "the sinners saved by grace" while they are still sinning under that grace and are ready to fight the supposed "self-righteous" who simply state the truth that Jesus came so people can have their eyes opened and turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18), they show they have not understood the salvation Jesus has shed his blood for them to experience. Sinners who have been saved by grace should understand that they are ex-sinners (precisely because they have been saved) and when that's not understood because salvation is not understood, it's like Jesus came to die for nothing, and that is a problem.

When Christians who are still sinning under grace don't see that as being in bondage to sin, trapped in the snare of the devil (John 8:34-36; 1 John 3:8; 2 Timothy 2:26), that is a problem.

When Christians call anyone who does not confess with his mouth "we are all sinners" (with no end in sight) a "self-righteous hypocrite", that is a problem (because we are not all sinners actually).

When Christians do not discern in the bible who are called the children of God who love, trust and obey Him, his servants, the righteous vs. the people called "sinners" or "wicked" or "evil doers" (those who are called to repent and be saved), that is a problem.

Luke 5:31-32
31 Jesus answered them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Matthew 13:41-43
41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness (sinners), 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous (not sinners saved by grace) will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Those who are truly Jesus' disciples hear Him and obey Him. That's what having faith in Him means practically. They do what He says (Luke 6:46-49). Especially, He does not tell them anything that leads them to sin. They apply his teachings and see the promised results like freedom from sin (John 8:31-36). They are walking on the narrow way to eternal life (Matthew 7:14).

When Christians are taught "it has all been done on the cross", "put your trust in what has been done" and that makes you a believer, they think they have nothing to do. And Jesus comes in and says, "Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Mark 8:34), or "If you love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15), or "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (not be saved)" (Luke 13:5) or "Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46), they can't receive Jesus' words in any beneficial way because He is telling them to do things. And they have been taught that if they do anything, they are doing works and they are trying to save themselves (like it was even possible), and that they have rejected grace and when they believe all those things, that's a problem.

See:
The Essence of Faith

When Christians do not know that obedience is God's love language (John 14:15; John 14:21), the very fabric of faith that works by love (Galatians 5:6), and that they have to "return the love" He has shown to them by sending his Son to die on the cross to reconcile them to Him (that's "doing something"), that's a problem.

When believers are taught passages of scriptures discussing the works of the law given to the Israelites with the understanding that keeping those works of the law have no role in making a person right with God (ex: Romans 3:25-31, Galatians 2:15-16, 21), they are taught right. But when those same scriptures are applied to believers who know nothing about keeping that law in the first place to make them understand that there is nothing to "DO" that accompanies faith, that is a deceptive use of the scriptures. On the contrary, when the bible gives examples of faith, it says what the people did which proved their faith (Hebrews 11). Believing is inseparable from obeying God, as Abraham did and that was accounted to him as righteousness (James 2:21-23). No righteousness was magically transferred to him. It's what he did that was right in God's sight and God declared him righteous ("He that does righteousness is righteous" cf. 1 John 3:7; Ezekiel 18:20-32). And disobedience to God is unbelief (Hebrews 3:12-19). So, people who are not in the faith need to be taught what it means to walk in the faith as disciples of Jesus if they believe the Gospel. That is why Jesus commanded the apostles to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;" (Matthew 28:19-20a). So many suppose that this means "put your trust in the finished work on the cross" but that does not mean one is a believer or saved. Jesus has called people who want to follow Him to do just that (hear his instructions and put them into practice). Each believer has his/her own walk to walk in submission to Jesus as Lord and Savior and if he/she believes that has been done for him/her already, that's a problem.

When Christian take the apostle Paul's words ***out of context*** to describe their present state in bondage to sin as "chief of sinners" (Romans 6:2 contradiction), that is a problem. Do Christians really believe that the man who was Jesus' greatest apostle remained a "top sinner" after his conversion? Was that what Paul had wanted to boast about? What does conversion mean then? Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mathew 18:3). The apostle Peter said to people who weren't saved, "Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord" (Acts 3:19). So why would such a chief of sinners, if that's what the apostle Paul was till he died, tell new believers "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). He said Christ was his example, so then Christ led him to sin and be a great sinner? Believing that may be close to blasphemy. May God be the judge. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) and if that is not happening in the life of a Christian, that is a problem.



May God help all those who love Him!




Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.


1 Peter 4:17-19
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God. If it begins first with us, what will happen to those who don't obey the Good News of God? 18 "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will happen to the ungodly and the sinner?" 19 Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.


See also:
The Gospel of Jesus

Call to Repentance