Romans 7:24–25 (CSB)
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am serving the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin.
The Hidden Shackles of Sin
Have you ever felt like there was an invisible battle going on inside you? Like there was some shadowy enemy constantly pulling you back from the very things you hold dear—your longing to serve God, your love for your family, and your faithfulness in godly living? Welcome to the battlefield of Kingdom living. Though we have tasted the freedom that comes from being positioned in Christ, we are still at war with our own sin nature. You're not alone in this battle. Even the apostle Paul—arguably one of the greatest Christians who ever lived—wrote about this in Romans chapter 7.
Romans 7:15
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.
Two Symptoms of Spiritual Agitation
1. Sin’s prison bars are invisible to the one caught in its bondage.
Our flesh cleverly hides our sins from us (Jeremiah 17:9). Our pride, selfishness, and self-centeredness are invisible in the mirror (Psalm 19:12). Other people can see these sins in our lives, but our flesh has the innate ability to cause us to be blind to some of the most dangerous and lethal sins in our lives.
2. Sin’s prison bars trigger irrational agitation.
When we experience irrational agitation towards the good things of God this is a sign that something is seriously wrong with us spiritually (Galatians 5:17). Do you find yourself in serious agitation towards the people you love the most? If so, you should do some serious praying and soul searching (James 4:1-2). Whenever you experience irrational agitation towards church and church members, this is a sign that you may have some unconfessed, unrepentant sins in your life. If, when you try to engage in Bible study and prayer, everything seems to go wrong and you become agitated, be aware that you might be caught in sin’s prison bars (Ephesians 4:26-27).
Victory and Freedom in Christ
This can seem like a never-ending roller coaster when you are struggling with your sin nature after regeneration. But take courage, dear reader; even the apostle Paul in Romans chapter seven articulated the fact that he was struggling with sin. And it is also encouraging to see that we are not left to fight this battle in our own strength. Because one of the points that Paul makes in Romans chapter 7 is that we do not have the ability in and of ourselves to win this battle against our sin nature. Victory over our flesh requires the supernatural power of being positioned in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Romans 7:24–25 (CSB)
What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am serving the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin.
In Christ Jesus, we no longer live under sin’s authority rule. Through His victory over sin on the cross, He has destroyed the authority rule of the flesh and the devil (Colossians 2:14–15). Now, in Christ we are free as we live under His Kingdom authority rule.
Through our habits of devotion, we can be brought into a deep, intimate relationship with Jesus. When we experience the grace and love of Jesus, the power of sin’s invisible struggle will be broken. As we walk in the freedom of Kingdom living, we will realize the blessings of our position in Christ Jesus.
John 8:34–36 (ESV)
Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.