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Romans 7:14-15
In Romans 7:14-20 is what I believe may be the most confusing and hard to understand passage in the New Testament if not the entire Bible. But with some basic Bible study, we will break it down so that we may grasp a better understanding of it and what it means to us.
In Romans 7:14, Paul teaches us that the law is spiritual, and is so as it came from God who is spiritual. Paul also states in Romans 7:14b (NKJV), “but I am carnal, sold under sin.” And what he is referring to is the fact that, even so he is saved, the ways of this world – the carnal nature – which is Satan continuing to shoot his fiery darts at him, is still yet a reality that must be dealt with. Paul declares in Romans 7:15, “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.” This is a direct reflection of how the devil tempts us throughout our earthly lives. This is the ongoing battle for our souls that Satan does not just let go of when we are saved through Christ Jesus. This is referring to the struggle we face when we fall to temptation; “For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do” (Romans 7:15b-c). For what we will to do is follow Christ Jesus, but Satan puts stumbling blocks in our paths that are our weaknesses, and we fall to these temptations against our better judgment and will to please God.
This is a direct reflection of the reality of falling to temptation.
We are carnal, as the Apostle Paul puts it. We were all born into the carnal/sinful nature of this world. Putting our faith in Jesus and opening our hearts to Him is the hardest thing we will do in our earthly lives because it is against our earthly nature. But that is the sinful nature that Paul is struggling with in this passage. Satan will continue to tempt us in his attempt to regain our souls to be sinful in disobedience to God because that is Satan’s goal – to be disobedient or rebellious to God as he strives to present himself superior to God, which he cannot and is not.
The good news is that Jesus defeated Satan, sin, and death once for all (Romans 6:10). And the life that we live in forgiveness through Christ Jesus is a life that is not under the dominion of sin, but under the grace of God (Romans 6:14). We are set free from the sinful nature in Christ Jesus and are now able to overcome the sinful nature through putting and keeping our focus on Him. Romans 5:19 (HCSB) states, “For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”
Dear LORD,
Please help us to see that Satan will always try to trick us into sin and make us fall from Your grace, but that through Jesus we are set free from the chains of Satan and the sinful nature of which we all once lived. Through Jesus we are forgiven and find daily strength in His name. In Jesus name I pray, amen.