God’s law, the Law (1)

[Romans 7:21-23]

                Look at Romans 7:21-23: “So I find this law at work: When 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 the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”  Here, the conjunction “So” (v. 21) is connected to verse 21b, “… it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”  And here, “sin living in me” (v. 20) refers to the power of sin, that is, the power of Satan.  It is a mistake to think that the power of Satan is within us.  There can be no satanic power within us.  The reason is that there is only one God in us.

                Our God is an omnipresent God.  God's omnipresence means that God is everywhere at once and at the same time.  The omnipresent God means that God is everywhere.  Jesus said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them” (Mt. 18:20).  Because our Lord is an omnipresent God, He can be in numerous places where two or three people gather at the same time.  But Satan can't.  In other words, Satan cannot be everywhere at once and at the same time like the Lord.  Although Satan himself cannot do this, Satan's power is exerting an evil influence on us, the children of God, through his minions.  Therefore, Satan's power is not within us, but his evil power is exerting an evil influence on us.

                The Apostle Paul speaks of “this law” in Romans 7:21.  The word “the law” appears five times in Romans 7:21-23: “this law” (v. 21), “God’s law” (v. 22), “another law” (v. 23), “the law of my mind” (v. 23), “the law of sin” (v. 23).  These five “laws” can be divided into two: the law of God and the law of sin.  Here the law of sin [“this law” (v. 21), “another law” (v. 23), “the law of sin” (v. 23)] refers to the power of Satan.  And the law of God [“the law of God” (v. 22), “the law of my mind” (v.23)] refers to the law God gave to the Israelites who came out from Egypt through Moses on Mount Sinai.  Look at Romans 7:23 – “but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.”  Now, in our members, we are fighting each other against the law of God and the law of sin.  And this battle is a fierce spiritual war.  This fierce spiritual warfare requires us to fight for our lives.

                In Romans 7:21-23, the Apostle Paul seems like a man who did not have victory.  If we rely only on our own strength, we cannot win this spiritual warfare.  We have no choice but to lose.  So where is this fight going now?  I am now in a spiritual warfare within my members (v. 23).  In other words, in our members right now, God's law and the law of sin are fighting a fierce spiritual warfare.  Here, the members refers to externally things such as eyes, ears, arms, and legs, but also refers to psychological parts belonging to the soul (Park).  In other words, we are not only engaged in a fierce spiritual warfare only in places visible with our physical eyes, but we are also engaged in a fierce spiritual warfare now in a spiritual place that is invisible to our physical eyes.  Hear the Apostle Paul's Confession: “…  making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members” (v.23b).  This word means to be taken captive by the law of sin.  So, when we sin, are we held captive to the law of sin?  Again, when we sin, do we become slaves to sin?  Never.  No matter how great a sin we have committed, we can never again become slaves to sin.  The reason is because we are already children of God.  So this word is referring to what Paul, after sinning, appeared to be dragged away as if he were a slave to sin.  That is why Paul said in verse 14b, “…  I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.”

                As people of the Holy Spirit, we must win the fierce spiritual warfare between God's law and the law of sin.  The Reformer Luther wrote a hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” and this is how the verse 2 of the lyrics reads: “Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing; Were not the right Man on our side, The Man of God's own choosing.  Dost ask who that may be?  Christ Jesus, it is He, Lord Sabaoth His Name, From age to age the same, And He must win the battle.”  If we rely only on our own strength, we are bound to lose in this fierce spiritual warfare.  We must rely on the Lord alone.  Only then can we win this fierce spiritual warfare.