Connect Romans 7:25 with Galatians 5:17 on the conflict within believers. The Apostle’s Honest Admission Romans 7:25: “Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I serve the law of God, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” • Paul celebrates the deliverance Christ provides, yet he still feels the pull of indwelling sin. • Two spheres operate inside every believer: ‣ “my mind” (renewed, delighting in God’s law) ‣ “my flesh” (the old, sin-bent nature that resists God) • The verse shows both gratitude (“Thanks be to God”) and realism (“I serve the law of sin” in my flesh). An Ongoing Tug-of-War: Romans 7:25 Meets Galatians 5:17 Galatians 5:17: “For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.” • Paul uses different letters to describe the same inner conflict. • Romans 7:25 reveals the two masters; Galatians 5:17 explains their mutual hostility. • The Spirit’s desires are God-ward; the flesh’s desires are self-centered. Understanding the Combatants: Flesh vs. Spirit • Flesh (sarx) ‣ Not merely the physical body but the sin-corrupted nature inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12). ‣ Cannot submit to God’s law (Romans 8:7). • Spirit (pneuma) ‣ The Holy Spirit indwelling every believer (Romans 8:9). ‣ Produces new desires that mirror Christ’s character (Galatians 5:22-23). Why the Conflict Remains After Conversion • Redemption is complete in Christ (Ephesians 1:7) but sanctification is progressive (Philippians 2:12-13). • The “new self” is created in righteousness (Ephesians 4:24), yet the “old self” must be put off daily (Colossians 3:9-10). • God uses the battle to expose our need for ongoing dependence on grace (2 Corinthians 12:9). Living Out the Victory Already Won • Romans 8:1-2 assures “no condemnation,” yet Romans 8:13 commands: “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.” • Victory is not self-reformation but Spirit-empowered mortification. Practical Steps to Walk by the Spirit 1. Renew the mind with Scripture (Romans 12:2). 2. Confess sin quickly (1 John 1:9). 3. Yield moment-by-moment to the Spirit’s promptings (Galatians 5:16). 4. Cultivate fellowship and accountability (Hebrews 10:24-25). 5. Clothe yourself with Christlike virtues (Colossians 3:12-14). Encouraging Promises for the Struggle • “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). • “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). • “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). |
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