Struggling with Sin …23But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.24What a wretchedmanI am!Whowill rescuemefromthisbodyof death?25Thanks 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.…
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.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. / Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. / But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. ...
Philippians 3:21 who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body.
Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not enter into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
James 4:1 What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from the passions at war within you?
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
2 Corinthians 5:4 For while we are in this tent, we groan under our burdens, because we do not wish to be unclothed but clothed, so that our mortality may be swallowed up by life.
Ephesians 2:3 All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.
1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, the components of your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Isaiah 64:6 Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.
Psalm 51:5 Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
Genesis 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.
Psalm 38:4 For my iniquities have overwhelmed me; they are a burden too heavy to bear.
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
1 Kings 8:38 What prayer and supplication soever bemade by any man,or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:
Psalm 6:6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
who.
Deuteronomy 22:26,27 But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing;there is in the damsel no sinworthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even sois this matter: …
Psalm 71:11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; forthere is none to deliverhim.
Psalm 72:12 For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, andhim that hath no helper.
the body of this.
Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified withhim, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Psalm 88:5 Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand.
What a wretched man I am! This phrase captures the Apostle Paul's deep sense of personal struggle and frustration with sin. It reflects the inner conflict between the desire to do good and the reality of human weakness. This sentiment is echoed in other parts of Scripture, such asPsalm 51, where David expresses his own awareness of sinfulness. The term "wretched" indicates a profound sense of misery and helplessness, highlighting the human condition apart from divine intervention. Historically, this reflects the Jewish understanding of the struggle against sin, as seen in the Old Testament law, which reveals sin but cannot save from it.
Who will rescue me This question points to the need for a deliverer, someone who can save from the power of sin. In the broader context of Romans, Paul is building up to the revelation of Jesus Christ as the ultimate rescuer. The concept of rescue is central to the biblical narrative, with God repeatedly delivering His people, such as the Israelites from Egypt. This anticipates the New Testament fulfillment in Christ, who is seen as the ultimate Savior. The question implies that human effort is insufficient for salvation, pointing to the necessity of divine intervention.
from this body of death? The "body of death" refers to the physical and spiritual consequences of sin. In Jewish thought, the body was often seen as the seat of sin, and death was the ultimate penalty for sin, as outlined inGenesis 3. This phrase underscores the mortality and corruption inherent in human nature due to the Fall. Theologically, it connects to the concept of original sin and the need for redemption. The imagery of death here is stark, emphasizing the seriousness of sin's consequences. This sets the stage for the hope of resurrection and new life in Christ, as elaborated inRomans 8, where Paul speaks of life through the Spirit.
Persons / Places / Events
1.Paul the Apostle The author of the Book of Romans, Paul is addressing the struggle between the sinful nature and the desire to follow God's law. He is speaking from personal experience and theological insight.
2.The Roman Church The recipients of the letter, the early Christian community in Rome, who were dealing with issues of law, grace, and the struggle with sin.
3.The Struggle with Sin This is the internal conflict that Paul describes, which every believer faces—the tension between the desire to do good and the reality of sin.
Teaching Points
The Reality of Human Sinfulness Paul’s cry of despair highlights the universal human condition of sinfulness. Recognizing our own wretchedness is the first step toward seeking God’s grace.
The Need for a Savior The rhetorical question, "Who will rescue me?" points directly to the need for Jesus Christ as our Savior. It is a reminder that self-effort is insufficient for salvation.
The Hope of Deliverance While the verse expresses despair, it also sets the stage for the hope found in Christ. Believers can find comfort in knowing that deliverance is available through Jesus.
The Ongoing Battle with Sin Even as believers, we continue to struggle with sin. This passage encourages us to rely on the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance in overcoming our sinful nature.
Living in the Tension Understanding that the Christian life involves living in the tension between the "already" of salvation and the "not yet" of complete sanctification can help us navigate our spiritual journey with patience and perseverance.
(24) So this intestine struggle goes on unceasingly and reaches no decision, till at last the unhappy man cries out, almost in despair, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Who, that is, will help me to overcome these fleshly desires, gendered by a corrupt human nature, which are dragging me down to imminent destruction? The body is the cause of sin, and therefore of death. If only it could be released from that, the distracted soul would be at rest and free.
The body of this death.--Thu body (the slave of sin and therefore the abode)of death. The words are a cry for deliverance from the whole of this mortal nature, in which carnal appetite and sin and death are inextricably mingled. To complete this deliverance the triple resurrection--ethical, spiritual, and physical--is needed.
[What a] wretched Ταλαίπωρος(Talaipōros) Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 5005:Wretched, afflicted, miserable. From the base of talanton and a derivative of the base of peira; enduring trial, i.e. Miserable.
man ἄνθρωπος(anthrōpos) Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 444:A man, one of the human race. From aner and ops; man-faced, i.e. A human being.
I am! ἐγὼ(egō) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Singular Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.
Who τίς(tis) Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 5101:Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.
will rescue ῥύσεται(rhysetai) Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 4506:To rescue, deliver (from danger or destruction).
me με(me) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Singular Strong's 1473:I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.
from ἐκ(ek) Preposition Strong's 1537:From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.
this τούτου(toutou) Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Masculine Singular Strong's 3778:This; he, she, it.
body σώματος(sōmatos) Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular Strong's 4983:Body, flesh; the body of the Church. From sozo; the body, used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively.
of death? θανάτου(thanatou) Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular Strong's 2288:Death, physical or spiritual. From thnesko; death.
