Romans: The Struggle Is Real

Starting this week, I have added seven discussion questions at the end of the study titled, Responding to the Word: Romans In Real Life, that are designed for personal reflection or small group discussion. They are intended to be thoughtful questions to help you process what you’ve read and to spark meaningful conversations.

Introduction
From the beginning of human history, temptation and sin have been part of our story. Not long after God created humanity, they were confronted with temptation, and unfortunately, they gave in. From that moment forward, the battle against temptation has been constant. Even our Lord Jesus was tempted, yet He remained without sin, standing victorious where we so often fall.

Every one of us faces temptation, and for many, it’s a daily struggle. Sometimes we are victorious; other times, we give in and feel the sting of failure. Temptation carries a powerful and enticing pull, and one of the most important things we can learn is how to meet it head-on, resist it, and walk away victoriously. Yet many view temptation as an unbeatable foe, assuming resistance is futile. For some, its grip feels so strong that the very idea of overcoming it seems impossible.

It’s into this struggle that Paul speaks in the seventh chapter of his letter to the Romans, one of the most challenging and discussed sections of the entire book. Here, he explores the relationship between the Law and sin, weaving together theological insight and personal testimony. His purpose is clear: to show both Jewish and Gentile believers the transformation that takes place when a person moves from life under the Law to life in Christ. To illustrate this truth, Paul begins with a relatable picture: marriage.

Released from the Law (Romans 7:1–6)

Paul begins by addressing “Now, dear brothers and sisters - You who are familiar with the law”, and this would likely include all Jewish Christians and/or Gentile converts who were familiar with the Mosaic Law. He reminds them of a simple but important legal principle, and that is the law only has authority over a person if they are alive. This principle sets the stage for a bigger argument regarding one’s release from the Law through Jesus Christ.

To explain further, Paul uses the example of a husband and wife. According to the Law, in this specific case, he cites that a woman is bound to her husband while he is alive. However, if she marries another while he is alive, this is the act of adultery. But if the husband dies, the woman is released from the legal bond and is free to marry another. Paul uses this example to highlight how death changes one’s legal standing.

There are two ways to interpret this illustration. One approach sees the woman as representing the follower of Christ, the first husband represents the Law, and the second husband represents Jesus Christ. Thus, the picture Paul is painting is that death to the Law sets us free to be joined to Christ. A second view sees the wife as the natural self, the first husband as the old sinful nature, and the second as Christ. Either way, the point seems clear that death severs the bond, and Paul builds his argument upon that truth.

In verse 4, Paul says, “So, my dear brothers and sisters, this is the point: You died to the power of the law when you died with Christ…” Through union with Christ in His death, believers have died to the Law’s demands. John Stott explains, “As death dissolves the marriage contract, so our identification with Christ in his death has dissolved our obligation to the law. Our old life of bondage to the law is over; our new life of freedom in the Spirit has begun.”[1]

The goal of this freedom is not lawlessness but fruitfulness. Paul says, “And now you are united with the one who was raised from the dead. As a result, we can produce a harvest of good deeds for God”. Our union with Christ should produce visible evidence, character, behavior, and attitudes that bring glory to God.

In verse 5, Paul reflects on the past life, “the old nature,” where sinful passions were at work within us. Remarkably, he says these passions were “the law aroused these evil desires.” This is an incredible statement. How can the Law, which, according to Paul, is good, arouse sin?
The point Paul is making is that the Law is not sinful, nor does it create evil desires, but that sin rouses desires that would not be present otherwise.

Now we’re stepping a little deeper into theological territory with big words, but straightforward ideas, as we consider two ways scholars explain how the Law stirs up sinful desires.

The first is the nomistic view. This perspective ties God’s favor or salvation to strict obedience to the Law. In this mindset, the Law becomes a system to master through personal effort, which often leads to pride and self-righteousness.

The second is the psychological or existential view. This approach focuses on the universal human struggle: the desire to do what is right, but the inability to follow through. It emphasizes the frustration of that inner conflict and ultimately drives the reader to seek grace.

Whichever view one takes, Paul’s central point remains the same: the Law reveals and exposes sin, but it has no power to remove it.

In verse 6, Paul brings the argument full circle: “But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.” Life in Christ is not a modified version of Law-keeping; it is an entirely new life. The Spirit enables a kind of obedience that flows from the Spirit and transformation, not fear and compulsion.

The Law Reveals Sin (Romans 7:7–25)

Paul anticipates an objection. If the Law leads to sin, is the Law itself sinful? “Certainly not!” he says. The problem is not with the Law, but with sin. The Law is like a spotlight; it doesn’t create the flaws; it reveals them. Paul says that he wouldn’t have understood coveting unless the Law said, “Do not covet.” The command brings awareness.

John Stott puts it plainly: “What the law does is to reveal sin, define it, and provoke it. But it is not itself sinful. On the contrary, the law is holy, righteous, and good.”

Paul goes on to describe an intense inner conflict. In Romans 7:8–25, he gives a raw, personal account of the struggle between the desire to do what is right and the inability to carry it out. He confesses, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate” (v.15). Many believers can relate to this experience—it reflects the ongoing tension between the Spirit and the flesh that we often feel deep within.

There is debate among scholars about whether Paul is speaking here as someone before his conversion or as a mature believer reflecting on the ongoing battle with sin. New Testament scholar Douglas Moo offers helpful insight: “The autobiographical language is best understood as Paul’s description of the struggle of the believer who is no longer under the Law but not yet fully free from the influence of sin.” I think there is evidence that points to the inner struggle Paul is describing in his life as a believer. It is a view that captures the tension many Christians struggle with today: though redeemed and made new, we are not immune to the pull of temptation, sin, and the old nature.

This passage encourages us that temptation and conflict with sin, and in many cases, relapses into sin, are consistent and regular in a growing Christian’s life. All of us, at some level, and at some point in life, understand this battle. We experience the frustration and discouragement as we face our failures and efforts. Because, as followers of Jesus, we genuinely want to live righteously. We strive to deny the flesh, to walk in obedience, and to live out the new life in Christ that we’ve been given. Yet so often, we find ourselves falling short, giving in to temptation, saying or doing what we hate, and feeling discouraged in our weakness and failure. Paul doesn’t talk about this struggle to justify sin or to normalize defeat; rather, he shares it to offer hope. He knew firsthand the war between sinful desires and the new life in Christ, and he knew it wasn’t a losing battle.

Still, Paul makes it clear that we cannot win this fight on our own. Moral effort and human discipline are not enough. Without Christ and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the struggle feels endless and unwinnable. That’s why Paul’s desperate cry in verse 24 resonates so deeply: “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?” This self-recognition can lead to despair. It’s a cry we’ve all echoed at some point. But thankfully, Paul doesn’t stop there. The very next words are filled with hope: “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” The point is that when we acknowledge and realize our wretchedness, we can know and experience the hope and deliverance of looking away from ourselves and our wretchedness to what God has done at Calvary. Who can and who will rescue us?

We now come to the heart of the gospel. We are not left to wrestle with sin in our own strength. Jesus is not only the one who saves us from the penalty of sin, but He also delivers us from its power. Too often, people stop reading at Paul’s lament in the first part of verse 24 and conclude that they are doomed by their sinful nature. That they are nothing but wretched sinners. But the passage doesn’t end with despair; it ends with deliverance. The solution is clear and powerful: “Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” This is grace.  This is freedom.

Paul closes the chapter with a summary of the ongoing tension: “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.” This honest acknowledgment sets the stage for the triumphant hope of Romans 8, where we find that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and that the Spirit empowers us to live in freedom.

Conclusion: A New Way to Live
Romans 7 is not anti-Law. It is an explanation of what the Law can and cannot do. The Law reveals sin, provokes it, and condemns it. But it cannot save, and it cannot sanctify. Its purpose is to diagnose, not to redeem.

Through Jesus Christ, we are no longer bound to the Law’s demands. We have died to the Law and been raised to new life. The Spirit now indwells us, enabling us to walk in freedom and fruitfulness. Again, John Stott writes, “The Christian life is essentially life in the Spirit, a life of freedom from the law and of fruitfulness for God.”

So, we do not live under fear of judgment, but in the joy of a relationship with Jesus Christ, not under the burden of performance, but by the power of the Spirit. The Law has done its work by pointing us to Christ. Now, as transformed followers of Jesus, let us walk in the new way, alive, free, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 
Responding to the Word: Romans in Real Life

1.   What “old ways” or habits have you needed to leave behind so you can live in the freedom Christ gives?
Life in Christ frees us from the old life that once defined us.

• What are some practical steps you’ve taken to walk away from those old patterns?
• How have you seen God replace them with something better?

2.     How does being “dead to the power of the Law” change the way you approach daily decisions and relationships?
Dying to the Law means living each day in union with Christ.

• How does this truth free you from a performance-based view of God’s approval?·     
  
• What difference does it make in the way you treat others?

3.     If the Law can reveal sin but cannot remove it, what helps you live in obedience and freedom?
The Law diagnoses our sin but cannot cure it.

• What spiritual habits help you move beyond just “knowing” God’s commands to actually living them out?
  
• How have you experienced the Holy Spirit’s role in that process?
  
  

4.     When have you experienced Paul’s frustration of doing what you don’t want to do?
The struggle with sin is real, even for committed believers.

• What did God teach you in that season?
  
• How can your story encourage someone else in their own struggle?
  
  

5.     What practical steps help you fight temptation with God’s strength instead of just your own willpower?
Victory over temptation comes from God’s power, not our willpower.

• How do you remind yourself to rely on Him in moments of weakness?
  
• What role do prayer, Scripture, and accountability play in your victories?
  
  

6.     How can you remind yourself in moments of failure that your hope is in Jesus, not in your own performance?
Our hope in failure is found in Christ, not in our performance.

• What truths about God’s grace help you recover from failure?
  
• How does this perspective free you from shame?
  
  

7.     What is one area in your life right now where you want to invite the Holy Spirit to produce new growth?
The Holy Spirit produces lasting change and spiritual fruit.

• What steps can you take to open yourself more fully to His work?
  
• How will you know when you’ve grown in this area?

[1] John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 194.

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