Romans 7:7-25
Our Sinful Nature
7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. 9 Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. 10 I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. 11 For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. 12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
13 Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now 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.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Galatians 5:17
Our Sinful Nature
17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
Matthew 26:41
The Flesh is Weak, the Spirit is Willing
41 "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Within us we have this sinful nature...And Paul confesses his ways and how he too is a sinner...Being Perfectly Moral, like Jesus is seemingly impossible...And Paul writes with regret about his inability to stop sinning...It seems Paul thinks he should be able to stop his sinning...Paul says, " For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do...And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good...As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me...For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature...For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out...For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing...Now 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."...
Wanting to be and live like Jesus was something Paul and each of us try to do...And he says I desire to do good, but I cannot carry it out...Some, like Paul, recognize their sinful ways and try hard to be free of sin...I think it is important to recognize that we do sin...We can pray then for God to forgive us of our sins...But as hard as Paul tried not to sin he says he did what he did not want to do- (and he still sinned)...I suspect Paul tried, very, very hard to free himself of sin...And after we sin, and maybe even before we complete the sin, we recognize it, and we have these same regrets as Paul...For the flesh is weak and the flesh desires what is contrary to the Holy Spirit...And in the same way the Holy Spirit desires what is contrary to the flesh and thus we feel this regret and sometimes this division in us...The flesh is in conflict with the Holy Spirit...And many times the flesh wins and thus we live in the world as it is...