The Believer’s War with Indwelling Sin: Part 1 | Romans 7:14-25

Romans 6 held up the great victory we have over sin through our union with Christ. Because we have been crucified with Christ, we have been set free from sin (6:6-7). Now, Romans 7 deals with the reality of remaining sin. While we are already justified in Christ, we are not yet fully delivered from indwelling sin. Three times in Romans 7, Paul speaks of sin still dwelling in us even after our conversion. In other words, there is still a war in us between the law of God and the law of sin (7:25). The decisive victory has been won, but we are still called to fight! In this message, we will discuss why this passage is about our present Christian experience, and the good that comes from our war with indwelling sin.

Take-Home Message: Sin no longer rules over me, but sin still dwells within me.

Evidence that Paul is speaking of the present Christian experience: 

• Paul uses I, me, and my 39 times, and he speaks in the present tense.
• Paul speaks of the present Christian experience in a similar way elsewhere.
• Paul speaks of his pre-Christian experience in a radically different way elsewhere.
• The sequence of Romans 7:25 points to the present Christian experience.

The Believer’s War with Indwelling Sin:

1. My war with indwelling sin vindicates God’s Law (14, 16).
2. My war with indwelling sin teaches me to hate sin (15).
3. My war with indwelling sin cultivates humility (24).