So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? (Romans 7:21-24 NIV)
Can you relate to the struggle that the Apostle Paul talks about? You desire to do the things that God desires of you, but you are influenced by your sinful human nature to do the wrong things. Have you ever been enticed by your desire for something that you knew in your heart was wrong, but you wanted it all the same and suffered guilt and torment because of your desire? This is the scenario that Paul is describing here.
The battle between spirit and flesh is not a new one. All we have to do is look back to the account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. God had told them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but the serpent persuaded them to be disobedient to God’s command, and as a result, the entire course of humankind was altered.
When we are tempted in any way, we don’t always stop and think about the consequences of our actions. Our ability to rationalize becomes compromised because of the temptation. Certainly not all of our actions cause serious consequences as Adam and Eve’s did, but there are consequences nonetheless. Any time that we stray away from God’s perfect plan for us in any way, we are at risk of not living in God’s presence, His favor and His blessings as He intends for us. Sometimes other people are affected by our actions, but not always.
As I ponder all of this, I am reminded of James 1:13-15 (NKJV), which says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
Each of us can be tempted by any number of things. I struggle with things at times. There was a time in my life when I knew the truth of the Gospel. I knew that my eternal Salvation was made possible solely through Jesus Christ’s His death and resurrection. Once I confessed my sins and repented, I knew that He would forgive me and I would have eternal life. But, I wanted to be accepted by my peers, and I was afraid that if I accepted Christ, it would cause them to reject me. For several years, I chose to reject Christ, so that I would be accepted by others.
Thankfully, there came the time when I truly gave my heart to Him and was willing to surrender my own will and live according to His. That was a long time ago now, but I have never regretted making that choice. My life is different now than it was those years ago, but I didn’t actually lose anything important. In fact, I have gained everything I need. In my opinion, that includes the answer to the Apostle Paul’s question, “Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” Regardless of what we are tempted by or struggle with, the One and only One who can rescue us for all of eternity is the Lord Jesus Christ. I encourage you to ask Him to rescue you today.
My prayer is, “Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for making it possible for us to be set free from anything that is separating us from you, your favor and your blessings. Please help each of us to find freedom through You, from the things that torment us and hold us captive like prisoners. AMEN.”
