Romans 7:7-25
Struggling With Sin
7What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." 8But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. 9Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.
11For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. 13Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! But in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it produced death in me through what was good, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
We can see the difficulty of following Jesus' Teachings when we read what St. Paul wrote his epistle to the Romans...St. Paul tells us for in his inner being he delights in God’s law...But he also sees another law at work in him, that is waging war against the law of my mind and making him a prisoner of the law of sin which is also at work within him...St. Paul is trying to be sin free, but he is struggling with the daily sins of his life...And his is struggling with the thoughts in his mind to overcome his sinful ways...
As St. Paul says that he struggles with sin, we too may struggle with sin in our daily lives...And I understand his dilemma...I think most everyone sees the Saints situation because we to struggle with sin in our thoughts and daily lives...It is easier for me to write about the gospel than to practice living it each day...That is why I need Jesus because He died for my sins and He is my Savior from my sins...I too am a slave to sin...But Jesus saves me from myself and my sins for struggling to live out His Teachings, because it is so hard to follow each of His Teachings...