So many times, you men who deliver
messages, you feel so inadequate so many times as you approach
scripture. And many times, you feel like
that there's just something else there that I can't quite get
my mind wrapped around that I'm missing here. And I was telling
some of the men that that thought came to me this morning. And
I said, well, it's a little too late to go and and do a lot of
changing in my message, but so many times we feel so inadequate
when we approach God's holy word. We want to say those things that
are glorifying to God. We want to say those things that
God has put in his word that are truth as it relates to the
context of the scripture and everything. And so, you'll pray
for me this morning as I approach this subject. The title of my
message is The Believer's Warfare Within. And this is going to
be a two-part message that I'll be delivering here. This morning,
we'll begin in Romans 7, verse 14, and we'll go through verse
18. And then our next Message will
deal with verse 19 through the end of the chapter As we begin our study this morning
There's one thing that we should remember concerning the nature
That each and every son and daughter of Adam are born with There has
been only one man that was born on this earth that had two natures
That someone was Jesus Christ. He alone had two natures. He had a divine nature, being
born of the Holy Ghost, and he had a human nature, being born
of the Virgin Mary, yet without sin, no sin involved. He was not born with a nature
to sin. All other men and women are born with one nature, and
that being a human nature, which is contaminated with the sin
principle due to the fall of Adam. All men born of Adam, believers
and unbelievers, have this sin principle, and will have this
sin principle even in the death. Sin, this tendency, this propensity
to sin will be here until we die. Now believers born of the
Spirit of God, God has graciously given them
a new principle of life. This new principle guides the
believer as he walks this earth. This new principle wars with
the sin principle that remains and that we are never able to
perfectly do those things that we know we should. This is a
warfare that will continue within the believer and the believer
only, not the unbeliever, as long as we live on this earth. And until we die, we always have
that sin. But we have a new principle,
that principle of life that God gives us by his Holy Spirit that
he imparts to us. And this is where this warfare
is. The unbeliever does not have
this new principle of life. He doesn't have this warfare
that we'll be talking about this morning. In the previous part
of this chapter, the apostle had illustrated that believers
are dead to the law by the sacrifice of Christ. Look at Romans chapter
7 and verse 4, and I'll have you turn to some scriptures and
I'll try to give you a little time to get there. Romans 7 verse
4 says, wherefore my brethren, You also are become dead to the
law by the body of Christ, that you should be married to another,
even to him who was raised from the dead, that we should bring
forth fruit unto God. He had next shown the effects
of the law on himself, speaking of Paul, before his conversion,
when he was under it. Look at Romans 7 verse 5. For
when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by
the law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. This is Paul speaking, and every
believer will be in this position prior to the regenerating work
of the Holy Spirit. Anything that we do, these motions
of sins which were by the law, we look at the law and we go
about trying to establish the righteousness of our own. trying
to keep it, thinking that some way that it recommends us to
God. Well, all of those things during
that time is fruit unto death. And then after Paul's conversion,
when he was delivered from it, from the law, look at Romans
7, 6. But now we're delivered from
the law that being dead, wherein we were held, that we should
serve in newness of the spirit. and not in onus of the letter. During the former period, when
he was ignorant, when Paul was ignorant of the law's true nature,
and therefore he did not understand the true nature of sin within
himself, Paul, prior to God the Holy Spirit revealing, revealing
to him the spirituality of the law, thought that he was righteous
before God based on what he did or did not do. He says in Romans
7, 9, I was alive without the law, speaking back before God
converted him. That is, before he understood
what the law really demanded, which is perfection. Nevertheless,
he thought he stood righteous before God by his obedience to
God's law. But when he understood the law's
real character, he discovered the deceitfulness and sinfulness
of sin within himself. He says in Romans 7 and verse
9, when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. Now that's
when God by his Holy Spirit came to him in power and where he
understood what the law really said. When he understood how
God, the Holy God that we worship, and the Christ that we worship.
He said when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. He understood that he was a sinner.
He said in Romans 7 and verse 8, but sin taken occasion by
the commandment wrought in me all manner of concupiscence or
sinful desires. those thoughts and desires that
he realized that he had that was sin. Prior to that, he didn't
think it was sin. He just went by those outward
acts that he was doing. He then made it clear that it
was no fault in God's law because the law of God is holy, is just
and good. And then points out that the
law is spiritual. The law may be said to be spiritual
because it comes from the spirit of God. and it reaches to the
spirit of man. It requires truth in the inward
parts, spiritual service and obedience, a serving of it with
our minds, a worshiping of God in spirit and truth, a loving
of him with all our hearts and soul, as well as a performance
of all the outward acts of religion and duties. The law being spiritual
not only condemns outward conduct, but it also condemns thoughts
and intents of the heart. And because it cannot be perfectly
obeyed and conformed to, the sinner whom God has so graciously
revealed this to also reveals Christ and his righteousness,
which answers every demand of God's holy law. This revelation
causes God to elect the fleet of Christ for righteousness and
eternal life. Salvation in eternal life is
in Christ. It's in his perfect righteousness,
his perfect satisfaction to God's holy law and justice. As we begin
these verses this morning, you must remember that this view,
which the Apostle Paul gives through the remainder of this
chapter, of this working of sin in his members, in no way contradicts
his assertion in the previous chapter that believers are dead
to sin. For back there, he refers exclusively
to sin's guilt. Believers are dead to sin's guilt.
We're not guilty before God, all based on what Christ accomplished
at the cross, all based on Christ taking on that guilt, suffering,
bleeding, and dying in our stead. We're not guilty at all by the
shedding of the blood of Christ on the cross. But in these next
verses that we'll be looking at this morning, Paul refers
to sin's remaining power within the believer. What we'll be talking
about in the next few verses also does not contradict Paul's
affirming that sin should not have dominion over you. And even
though he describes the struggle with sin within himself, as we
will see in the next verses that we'll be looking at, verses which
prove the power of that law of sin, that principle of sin in
his flesh. Paul says that even though I
still have remaining sin within myself to struggle with in this
life, with my mind I serve the law of God. That is, God had
given him the desire to perfectly obey him. But as he says in Romans
7 and verse 18, 7 and verse 18. For the will is present with
me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. So now let's
go ahead and begin as we begin with verse 14 this morning. What
I'm going to do is go ahead and read verses 14 through 18 to
begin with. It says, beginning at verse 14,
for we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, so to understand.
For that which I do, I allow not. For what I would, that do
I not. But what I hate, that I do, that
do I. If then I do that which I would
not, I consent to the law that is good. Now then, it is no more
I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me,
that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For the will is
present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not."
In verse 14, where it says, for we know that the law is spiritual,
but I am carnal, sold unto sin. Up to this point, Paul had used
the past tense to describe the believers, the believers deaf
to sin, deaf to the law, by the obedience of Christ. He says
in Romans 7 in verse 4, Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become
dead to the law by the body of Christ. Now he begins to use
the present tense to describe the believer's present struggle
with the continual and remaining power of indwelling sin that
marched alive of all believers into physical death. Many believe
that these verses describe Paul before he was converted because
they just can't accept the reality of remaining sin within believers.
They want to believe true believers are, or can be, sinlessly perfect
within themselves, or have some form of sinless perfection within
themselves. Such self-righteous notions are
heresy. We must deal with sin in a stark
reality, and the Bible teaches us the following two truths concerning
sin and righteousness. First of all, the only sinless
perfection as we as believers can claim is that which we have
in Christ, based on His righteousness imputed. Romans 5 and verse 18,
back a couple of chapters, 5 and verse 18. Therefore, as by the
offense of one judgment came upon all men the condemnation,
Speaking of Adam, so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon
all men unto justification in life. Speaking of Christ, for
as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by
the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Now you can
take that word made here in verse 19 and try to make it something
other than imputed. But if you do, you'll have a
Christ that became contaminated by our sins. And you will have
a sinner obtaining a perfect righteousness within himself.
All this is error, false doctrine. Also in Romans 8, Romans 8 beginning
at verse 33, Paul says, who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who
is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather,
that is risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us. Salvation has been accomplished,
not by works, but by Christ's work alone, all based on Christ's
righteousness imputed. Only in Christ is there sinless
perfection, and believers have it by imputation. It's been imputed
and charged to our account. The life of Christ, the death
of Christ, all His righteousness, imputed and charged to our account.
We have it where we stand without blame before God, all based on
Christ's righteousness alone. The second truth that the Bible
teaches is this. In this life, we will never be
sinless, sinlessly perfect, or have any form of sinless perfection
within ourself. Our life here on earth, even
as believers, will be marked by continual warfare with that
remaining sin. This is what Paul now describes
in Romans, beginning of Romans 7, verse 14, going all the way
through the end of this chapter. He says here in Romans 7, 14,
14a, for we know that the law is spiritual. God's law is divine, a reflection
of his nature. It reaches the hearts and forbids
not only sinful acts, but also sinful thoughts, motives, and
desires, and attitudes. Paul is showing that even as
believers, we cannot deny the deep spiritual requirements of
God's law. The holy requirement of God's
law is higher and deeper than any sinner lost or saved can
attain in this life. This is how the law by the Holy
Spirit continually, continually drives us to Christ for righteousness
and eternal life. Now getting back to the second
part of verse 14, Paul says, but I am carnal soul under sin. This speaks of what the apostle
was in himself. It does not imply that he was
not regenerated, but shows that he was even in his renewed and
regenerated state. It shows what he was. He says,
but I'm carnal, so done a sin. Every Christian in this sense
is carnal and still has a sin nature in himself. And ourselves,
we're still corrupted by sin. You may remember back where Paul
applied the word carnal and fleshly to the Corinthians. And we know
that they were sanctified by Christ Jesus, in Christ Jesus,
and because even in the same sentence in which he calls him
carnal, he also calls them babes in Christ. The use of the word
carnal here just simply seems to imply that Paul is speaking
of himself as a son of Adam, who still has a sin nature to
struggle with as he walks this life. Paul uses the word carnal. Using the word carnal may also
seem to be a contradiction to Romans 6, 14, back a chapter. Romans 6, 14, where he says,
for sin shall not have dominion over you, for you're not under
law, but under grace. It is not a contradiction because
in Romans 6, 14, Paul speaks of our perfect standing in Christ. by the grace of God. Here he
describes the day-to-day walk and experience of all believers
who, when we honestly evaluate ourselves by God's law, realize
how far short we fall in this area of perfect obedience. Even though Paul, as well as
every believer, has a perfect standing before God and are justified
and redeemed by Christ, and are born again by the Holy Spirit
of God. Our physical body is still incarcerated and imprisoned
by the flesh that's within us. When we are born again by the
Spirit of God, we're no longer in the flesh, totally consumed
by the flesh, as in Romans 7, 5, where it says, for when we
were in the flesh, the motions of sins which were by the law
where we went about to establish the righteousness of our own
thinking that some way that would recommend us unto God. It said
it did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
All those things that we thought recommended us to God was fruit
unto death. Even though as believers we're
not in the flesh and totally dominated by our sin nature,
the flesh is still in us. we still have a sin nature to
deal with. And because of this, we cannot
rise above it and go on in a walk of sinless perfection. We're
sold unto sin and that we cannot get away from it. It holds captive
our members, our fleshly bodies, and contaminates and frustrates
our inner desire to obey perfectly the revealed will of God. And
this is not only talking about outward moral acts, but even
those things where we doubt God concerning his salvation in Christ
alone, based on his righteousness alone, as we walk this earth.
That's because of sin. Still there. Brings about doubts
like that. Now after stating in verse 14
that he was carnal and sold unto sin, he now begins to show us
the results of remaining sin in the believer. Romans 7 and
verse 15. Paul says, for that which I do,
I allow not. For what I would, that do I not,
but what I hate, that do I. When Paul says, for that which
I do, I allow not, for what I would, that do I not, he's referring
to his present life as a believer, evidenced by his desire to be
perfectly like Christ in every way. That's his desire. When
he falls short of his goal and desire of sinless perfection,
he does not approve of the sinfulness that contaminates his deeds,
his words, his thoughts, and his motives. King David expressed
this same attitude in Psalm 17, 15. You don't have to turn there,
but where David says this, y'all remember this, after his great
sin with Bathsheba and him having her husband killed and everything,
David says, as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I wake
with thy likeness. And then David's desire was to
be like Christ. In the phrase in Romans 7.15
says, but what I hate that I do. Paul expresses his hatred for
sin within himself that defiles him. He admits that he cannot
escape the doing of what he hates. With his mind, he hates it. Paul is not saying that we're
unable to make moral, responsible choices and live a moral life.
But he is saying we cannot do anything that measures up to
the standard of righteousness revealed in the law of God and
fulfilled only by the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at Romans 10 in
verse 4. Romans 10 in verse 4, Paul says,
for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone
that believeth. This is God's perfect standard
of righteousness. Christ is the end of the law
for righteousness. Romans 7 and verse 16, as we
look at here, says, if then I do that which I would not, I consent
unto the law that it is good. Realizing and confessing that
sin still contaminates and defiles everything he does, even as a
justified sinner, he is in full agreement with the law concerning
himself. He does not try to justify himself
in his sin, and he does not try to fool himself by imagining
that there is some kind of righteousness within himself. He does not blame
the law as if to say the law is too strict or unfair. The
law is good, fair, and just. Paul's admission shows his continual
need of God's mercy and grace in Christ Jesus. This is also
the continual need of all of God's elect, sinners saved and
justified by Christ's blood and righteousness alone. Sinners
who have fled to Christ for mercy and for grace because they see
there is no hope within themselves, no hope of anything that they
can do or being able to do to save them or keep themselves
saved in any way. They flee to Christ as their
only hope. In verse 17, it says, now then,
it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. When
Paul said, it is no more I that do it, he is not shifting the
blame away from himself and refusing to take responsibility for it.
He is tracing his inability to keep God's law perfectly to its
source. He says, sin that dwelleth in
me. which is that remaining corruption of fallen humanity that still
remain within Paul and each one of God's elect. Sin does not
flow out of his new regenerated spirit. Paul in Christ is a new
man or the new I or that regenerate or born again man. This is figuratively
A figurative language used to show the conflict of thoughts,
desires, and motives within. For it is really the man himself
that sins when evil is committed. Look at Job 7.20. Job 7.20 says this, I have sinned. What shall I do unto thee? O
thou preserver of men. Why hast thou set me as a mark
against thee, so that I am a burden to myself? Now also in 2 Samuel
12 and verse 13. And David said to Nathan, and
this of course is like I said previously after David committed
his sin with Bathsheba, and Nathan the prophet that came to him.
David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And
Nathan said unto the David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin,
thou shalt not die. And in Psalm 51, beginning at
verse one, it says, David says, have mercy upon me, O God, according
to thy loving kindness. According to the multitude of
thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly
from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge
my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against thee,
thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight,
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear
when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me." Also, in 1 Corinthians chapter
3, beginning at verse one, the Apostle Paul writing to the church
there at Corinth. Paul says, and I, brethren, speaking
to the church, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but
as unto Carmel, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you
with milk and with meat and not with meat, for hitherto you were
not able to bear it, neither yet now are you able. for you
are yet calm. For whereas there is among you
envy and strife and divisions, are you not calm and walk as
men? And in 1 John 1 verse 10, it says, if we say that we have
not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. Whenever
a believer sins, it is attributed to the believer himself. and
not to some part of the believer within himself. It's a tribute
to his whole person. Paul, as a believer with the
Spirit of Christ dwelling in him, wills and desires to do
that which is pleasing to God. He says this in Galatians 2,
verse 20, where he says, I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless
I live. Yet not I, but Christ liveth
in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."
Paul says that the life that he now lives in the flesh, he
lives by the faith of the Son of God who loved him and gave
himself. By faith, Paul looked to Christ
for all of salvation, not to his self, not to his work. He
knew he still had a sin nature within, a remaining sin. Now,
the last verse that we'll look at this morning, verse 18, Paul says, for I know that in
me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. For the will is
present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. Paul shows here that the I, of
which he wrote back in chapter 7 and verse 17, is himself. He says, in me. But he also describes
it as my flesh. This is flesh opposed to the
spirit of Christ that dwelt within Paul. As we look at Galatians chapter
five, beginning at verse 13, Paul says, for brethren, you
have been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion
to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law
is fulfilled in one word, even in this. Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one
another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
This I say then, walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill
the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the
spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. There's that warfare.
And these are contrary one to another, so that you cannot do
the things that you would. But if you be led by the Spirit,
you are not under the law. Because Paul had been made alive
by the Spirit of God and had been given knowledge, faith,
and love for Christ and his word. He had the will and he had the
desire to be perfect, to perfectly obey God, but he does not have
the ability to do this. This proves that Paul is not
describing what some believe to be a perfect, sinless nature
within that cannot sin and that cannot be contaminated. If this
were the case, he would know how to perform that which is
good. Within himself, he would know this, but he doesn't. Paul
is one man, not two different persons. Like I said before,
when we think about nature, We only have one nature, that's
a human nature. Christ is the only one that had
two nature, divine and humanity. We have two principles within
us, a believer does. We have that principle of life
given by the Holy Spirit that leads us to truth, all truth,
leads us to Christ and his righteousness alone. But we also have a sin
nature. and those war against each other. It says he has both spiritual,
which we talked about, godly desires, and he has a sinful,
sinful desire. He is at war with himself. His
only hope to win this war is the sovereign, powerful grace
of God in and by the Lord Jesus Christ. God willing, we'll continue
in our study the next time concerning the believers' warfare within. Amen.