Paul had just written in Romans 6: “But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18). And now, he describes himself as “sold as a slave to sin.” How do we harmonize these two truths?
This seeming discrepancy is actually simple to understand. When a person becomes a believer in Jesus, his “old man,” “old nature,” or “former self” has now died, and the believer now has a new nature, God’s nature (2 Peter 1:3-4). This “new self” or the “new man” loves holiness, and, as Paul described above, “wants to do good.”
But this new self with God’s nature has mighty enemies with which he must contend daily. The new self lives in an unredeemed body (Romans 8:23), has flesh that is stubborn and demanding, with desires that are wrong and evil (see 1 Peter 2:11).
Another enemy we face is Satan, who is very skillful and cunning with centuries of practice at deceiving believers and getting us to embrace half-truths, which lead to bondage. Accepting his lies after a fall to sin can cause us to be overwhelmed with guilt and condemnation. (See Addendum C for more help on Overcoming Condemnation.) Finally, we live in a fallen world that allures and tempts us with its shiny trinkets and false promises. All of this can stir up within the heart of a believer: lust of the flesh, craving for what we see, hear, taste and smell, and pride in our hearts.
“For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:16 (NIV)
But if we keep reading in Romans 7, we find a shocking truth: the Apostle Paul, you, and I never actually sin. What? How can that be? Notice this next statement:
“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.” Romans 7:18-20 (NIV)
Question 4. Who was doing the “evil” in Romans 7:18-20?