July 06, 2025

ROMANS 7: THE STRUGGLE IS REAL

July 06, 2025

 Pastor Jonathan Falwell

Have you ever wondered why others do not seem to have the problems you do? You don’t hear them speaking of issues often, so you assume they have few. Perhaps it’s because many people are not vocal about their struggles, because they are thinking the same thing. God is always giving us nuggets of gold by way of Paul. As in Phil. 3:13, “Forgetting those things which are behind,” because they cause us shame, or bring pain, yet he says ‘forget them.’ Paul knows if they’re under the blood, God has wiped them out and we don’t need to suffer for the past. Today we hear Paul say, “Those things I want to do, I don’t, and those things I don’t want to do, I find myself doing…” We take comfort that Paul has given us a weapon to use when we think something we don’t want to, and we immediately carry it to God with “I’m so sorry, I don’t know where the thought came from!” It came from our flesh—which we’ll always struggle against. The struggle is real—but so is the solution. Look to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith. He is our lifeline.

Focal Passages: Romans 7.

The power of the law:

  • Read Romans 7:4-6. Why did God give the Jews the law? What did some of the rituals entail? What did the law show the people? Why is it necessary to learn our works won’t save us?
  • Why did God use the illustration of a marriage to explain the law and Christ? What was meant that the law is dead when a person becomes a believer in Jesus Christ?
  • What fruit did we bear while unsaved? Why do we wish to break a law telling us what we must do? What is the only way we can be free from the spirit of the law?
  • Once we are freed from the bondage of the law, how do we serve Jesus?

The weakness of the law:

  • Read Rom. 7:7-8a. Except in restricted areas, can you get a speeding ticket on the German Autobahn? Why not? If there is no law regarding a certain subject, is it illegal? How would you explain it? Why does making something off-limits or illegal produce evil desires within us?
  • Read vv. 8b-11. When there were no laws, why was life ‘happy’? What happened when God gave the Ten Commandments? What did Paul mean, ‘when the commandment came, sin revived and I died’? What ‘killed’ him?
  • Read vv. 12-13. How was the law holy, just, and good? Who was using the law to create sin, and a desire to sin? Why is this no longer the case for believers?

The struggle within:

  • Read Rom. 7: 14. So—if the law is holy and good, why do we have this constant struggle? What did Paul mean, ‘I am carnal, sold under sin’?
  • Read vv. 15-17. What conundrum does Paul find himself in? How is that different than what you go through daily?
  • Read vv. 19-20. Could you write this same thing? What is his final phrase in verse 20? If sin dwells in us, will we be able to overcome it? Does it help to be intentional about not sinning?
  • Read the following verses, or better yet—write them on a 3×5 card and switch to a new one each day until you have them memorized. Explain what Paul and John the Apostle meant in 1 Cor. 15:34; Eph. 4:26; Ex. 20:20; Eccl. 5:6a; Rom. 6:12; Rom. 6:13a; 1 John 1:9, 2:1a, 2:5, 2:6, 3:4, 3:6, 3:8, and 3:9.
  • Read vs. 21. Do you truly desire to stay away from sin? What are three keys to keeping your heart right with God? (1. Know the Word of God. 2. Focus on the Word until you know it so well it goes from being informational to being instructional. 3. Live by the Word of God until you always make a deliberate decision to let it direct your steps and change your actions.)

Victory in the struggle:

  • Read verses 22-23. As always, after Paul gives the bad news, he gives the good news so we can live victorious lives. In verse 22, how does your life compare to Paul’s description of himself? Do you delight in God in your innermost being? What can you do to cultivate that attitude?
  • Can you understand Paul’s wretchedness? Is this you? He then gets excited with a joyful thanks to God in vs. 25. Why? Can we understand exactly how he feels?

Close:

Today’s text, Romans 7, is a great example of the old saying, ‘misery loves company.’ Even though we can get depressed at the number of times a thought comes into our minds that borders on sin—even though we immediately call on God, confess and refocus—the feeling of a continual struggle is a great burden and often overwhelming. However, we pick ourselves up, dust off, and keep going forward ‘toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.’ That is the only way to win. It is discouraging to think we will battle the flesh all the time we are on earth, but the truth is, we should keep giving the Holy Spirit more and more permission to direct our paths, point out situations that will make us angry or try our patience (or cause us to sin with our tongue), until we are less likely to choose to sin when our flesh is ruffled. It is hard to learn this lesson, but sinning, confessing, being repentant, can feel like a hamster on a wheel—and is hard also. Both are hard—so choose the one that gives life! It is more satisfying to bring glory to Jesus Christ by loving Him so much you have no wish to disappoint Him than fulfill your own desires—at least those of the flesh. Jesus told us to take up our cross and follow Him. Let’s do it.

By Sandy Day                                                                                                                                                                               

July 06, 2025                                                                                                                     

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