Scripture (Romans 7:21-25 ESV): "So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 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. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin."
Devotion:
Ever felt like you're caught in a no-win situation, trying to do right but feeling like you're wrestling with an invisible enemy? Paul's confession here might just resonate with you. He continues talking about his internal struggle to live according to the perfect standard the law of God sets, and yet failing to do so. He acknowledges a relentless battle within—a desire to live up to God's standards, yet a haunting presence of sin that seems to undermine his best efforts.
This passage paints a vivid picture of the Christian life: a battlefield where our renewed selves and our old nature are in constant conflict. On one side, there's the principle of wanting to do God's will, fueled by our new identity in Christ. On the other, there's the principle of sin, pulling us back toward our old ways. This is a battle every Christian faces every day. If you are anything like me, it is a battle that the new identity in Christ often loses. Our old selves, our old ways sometimes feels like the much stronger enemy. And we not only fight against our old selves, we are also fighting a spiritual battle against Satan, and the world! It can sometimes feel as if the fight is unwinnable.
Paul gets it. His outcry, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" shows us that he too knew what this felt like. But notice where he leads us. He doesn’t stay there, he answers his own question with a triumphal cry: Jesus Christ! He is the answer. Who will deliver me? Jesus will. Our struggle with sin isn't the end of the story. Jesus has the last word. He has already conquered sin and death and as a believer you share in that victory.
This doesn't mean the fight is over, but it does mean the outcome is secure. We may still experience the tension of this battle. But we aren’t fighting for victory, we are fighting from a place of victory. The war has already been won even if the battle still rages. The battle simply serves to remind us that we are dependent on Jesus every day.
Prayer:
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