Romans Week 5 | Life in the Spirit

Jerry and Hope
Nov 9
18 min read

Updated: Nov 16

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever tried so hard to do the right thing, only to fail again? Maybe you made promises to change — promises to be more patient, to stop losing your temper, to finally break that habit — but somehow, you found yourself right back in the same pattern.

You meant well. You wanted to do better. But something inside kept pulling you back.

That’s exactly what Paul describes in Romans 7. He’s not talking about a minor struggle or a moment of weakness — he’s describing the inner war every believer faces. It’s that tension between the flesh that still resists God and the Spirit that longs to obey Him.

It’s the cry we’ve all felt at some point: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

Paul’s honesty gives voice to our frustration — but he doesn’t leave us there. Romans 8 turns the page to hope. Where the law exposes our sin and weakness, the Spirit brings freedom and power.

Romans 7–8 show us the shift from defeat to victory, from striving in our own strength to living by the Spirit’s power. It’s the difference between saying, “I can’t do this,” and hearing God whisper back, “You don’t have to — I can.”

You ever feel like your “try harder” button is worn out? Paul says it’s time to stop pressing that and start plugging into the Spirit’s power instead.

And that’s exactly what he begins to unpack in Romans chapter 7. He starts by showing us what it looks like to move from living under the law to living under grace — from trying harder to trusting deeper. Let’s read together.

The Struggle with Sin Under the Law

Romans 7:1–6 (ESV)

Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? 2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. 3 Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. 5 For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

Explanation

Romans 7 paints a vivid picture of life under the law and the struggle every believer faces between sin and obedience. Paul opens the curtain on the inner conflict of the human heart — that tug-of-war between wanting to do what’s right and feeling the pull of sin.

He begins with an analogy — marriage. Before Christ, we were bound to the law just as a husband and wife are bound by a marriage covenant. The law had full claim over us. Its demands were absolute, and its verdicts were final.

As long as we lived under the law, we were accountable to it. The law could expose sin but never empower us to overcome it. It could reveal what’s wrong but couldn’t make us right.

Then Paul introduces a dramatic turn: death changes everything. Just as death releases a person from marriage, so our death with Christ releases us from the law’s control.

“You also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another — to Him who has been raised from the dead — in order that we may bear fruit for God.” (v.4)

Before Christ, we were living in the flesh. Our sinful passions, stirred up by the law that was meant for good, worked in us to produce death. The more the law said “Don’t do this,” the more sin whispered, “But why not?”

But now, everything changes. The old covenant of condemnation is replaced by the new covenant of grace. We are released — not to live lawlessly, but to live Spirit-led lives that honor God from the inside out.

Death ends the law’s claim. Just as death breaks a marriage bond, death with Christ severs our bondage to the law.
“Belong to another.” This is union language — not legal paperwork but intimate relationship.
Fruit for God. The Spirit replaces obligation with affection; holiness becomes relational, not transactional.
Letter vs. Spirit. The written code commands from the outside; the Spirit transforms from the inside.

Romans 7:7–12 (ESV)

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.

9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Explanation

At this point, Paul anticipates a question: If the law exposes so much sin, is the law itself bad? He answers emphatically — “By no means!”

The problem isn’t with the law; the problem is with us. The law is like a perfect mirror — it reflects reality with precision. The mirror doesn’t create the dirt on your face; it simply reveals what’s already there.

Likewise, God’s law exposes what’s within us, showing the true condition of our hearts.

“If it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’” (v.7)

Before the law, Paul thought he was doing just fine. He kept the outward rules, performed the rituals, and looked righteous by human standards. But when God’s commandment confronted his heart — “You shall not covet” — he suddenly saw the depth of his own sin.

The very thing meant to guide us toward holiness becomes the trigger that exposes rebellion. It’s like the sign that says, “Don’t touch the wet paint” — suddenly, that’s all you want to touch.

Yet Paul closes with clarity: “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” (v.12)

The law reveals God’s character — His holiness, His justice, His goodness. The issue isn’t the law’s imperfection; it’s our inability to keep it.

Law as Diagnostic, not Curative: The law shows sin’s presence but can’t remove it.
Coveting as Internal Sin: Exposes motive and heart orientation — sin begins in the desires, not the deeds.
Greek “aphormē” (v.8): Literally “base of operations” — sin uses even the good law as a launchpad for rebellion.
Spiritual Principle: The closer we get to holiness, the more clearly we see our need for grace.

Romans 7:14–25 (ESV)

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.

24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Explanation

Paul lays bare the reality of human weakness and the inner war between the Spirit and the flesh. This is the most relatable passage in Romans because every believer has felt it — the desire to do right clashing with the pull toward wrong.

“I do not understand my own actions.” (v.15) — Ever been there? You know what’s right, you want what’s right, but somehow you still fail. That’s the tension between who we were and who we are becoming.

Paul describes two competing “laws”:

The law of the mind — the renewed desire to follow God.
The law of sin — the old nature that resists.

He says, “Nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.” (v.18) — not because believers have no goodness at all, but because in our own strength, we’re powerless to live the life God requires.

Sin doesn’t leave quietly — it wars against us. But this battle is actually evidence of life. Dead hearts don’t struggle; only living ones do.

When Paul cries, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (v.24), it’s not hopelessness — it’s honesty. It’s the cry of a man who’s done with self-reliance. And then comes the answer: “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (v.25)

Spiritual Conflict: The presence of struggle confirms regeneration — the Spirit and flesh oppose one another (Galatians 5:17).
The “I” Tension: Paul’s use of first-person shows personal vulnerability — he’s describing real inner conflict, not abstract theory.
“Body of Death” (v.24): A Roman image — a corpse chained to a living person. The believer’s cry for deliverance shows the misery of living with indwelling sin until final glorification.
Christ’s Deliverance: Justification is instant; sanctification is lifelong — but the victory is already secured in Christ.

Application

Your struggle with sin isn’t proof of failure; it’s proof of life.
When frustration rises, let it drive you to dependence, not despair.
Quit trying to fix yourself — cry out for the Deliverer who already won.

The struggle is real — but so is the Savior.

No Condemnation in Christ

After all that wrestling in Romans 7 — that cry of frustration, that longing for freedom — Paul bursts into chapter 8 with one of the greatest declarations in all of Scripture.

Let’s read together.

Romans 8:1–11 (ESV)

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Explanation

Paul opens this section with a thunderclap of grace: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

The “therefore” connects everything he’s said up to this point — all the guilt, all the failure, all the struggle of Romans 7 — and declares that for those in Christ, the verdict has already been rendered.

There’s no probation, no half-pardon, no “try harder next time.” The gavel has fallen. The case is closed. You are not condemned.

Why? Because, Paul says, “The law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (v.2)

The “law” here means operating principle. The old law of sin and death kept humanity bound — sin leads to death, every time. But now a new law governs believers: the Spirit of life. The Holy Spirit liberates us from the old cycle of guilt and failure.

Paul contrasts two systems:

The law of sin and death: powered by flesh, leading to bondage.
The law of the Spirit of life: powered by grace, leading to freedom.

Then Paul explains how this happened: “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.” (v.3)

The law could diagnose sin, but it couldn’t destroy it. So God sent His Son — in human flesh — to condemn sin once and for all at the cross. Jesus didn’t just die for sin; He executed judgment on sin.

And now, Paul says, “The righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (v.4)

We couldn’t fulfill the law, but Christ did. And by the Spirit, His righteousness is now lived out through us.

Then Paul gives us a mind check in verses 5–8 — a contrast between flesh and Spirit.

The mind set on the flesh is self-centered, anxious, and lifeless.
The mind set on the Spirit is God-centered, peaceful, and alive.

He’s not describing two kinds of Christians — he’s describing two completely different ways of living.

Finally, Paul reminds us that this isn’t theoretical: the very same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead now lives in us. (v.11)

That means resurrection power isn’t just for the grave — it’s for today. The Spirit doesn’t just change where you’ll spend eternity; He changes how you live today.

“No condemnation” — This is legal language. The verdict is final. God doesn’t hand down double jeopardy; once forgiven, always forgiven.
The Spirit’s “law of life” — Not a written code, but a divine power. What the law demanded, the Spirit delivers.
“Condemned sin in the flesh” (v.3) — Sin was judged in Christ’s humanity, so righteousness could be imparted to us.
Mind set on the Spirit (v.5–6) — “Mind” (phroneō) refers to mindset or focus. Spiritual life begins with where we fix our thoughts.
Verse 11 resurrection promise — The same Spirit who raised Jesus guarantees both our physical resurrection and our daily renewal now.

Application

Rest in your verdict. Stop trying to earn what Jesus already secured. When the enemy tries to remind you of your past, you can just say, “Sorry — case dismissed!”
Recalibrate your mind. What you dwell on determines your direction.
Rely on the Spirit. Freedom is not behavior management — it’s divine empowerment.
Remember your power source. The same Spirit that raised Jesus lives in you; you’re not fighting alone.

If you’re in Christ, your case is closed, your chains are broken, and your Spirit-filled life has just begun.

Children of God Secure in His Love

Paul has shown us freedom from condemnation — but now he takes it further. He reminds us that life in the Spirit isn’t just about being free from something; it’s about being adopted into something. You’re not just forgiven — you’re family.

Let’s read what that looks like in Romans 8:12–17.

Romans 8:12–17 (ESV)

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Explanation

Paul opens with a calling: “We are debtors.” (v.12)But this isn’t debt like guilt — it’s gratitude. We owe nothing to the flesh. Sin has no claim on us anymore. Instead, we live by the Spirit, who empowers us to “put to death the deeds of the body.”

Then Paul moves to one of the most breathtaking truths in all Scripture: “All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (v.14)

Through the Spirit, we have a new status — adopted as God’s children. We didn’t earn this position; it was granted by grace. The Spirit Himself places the word “Abba” on our lips — the same intimate word Jesus used for the Father.

Before, fear ruled us. Now, family defines us. The Spirit not only brings freedom but also assurance — confirming deep in our hearts that we truly belong to God.

“Put to death the deeds of the body” (v.13) — The verb is continuous; it means “keep on putting to death.” Spiritual growth is daily dependence on the Spirit’s power.
“Led by the Spirit” (v.14) — This leading isn’t mystical guesswork; it’s moral direction — following God’s truth instead of fleshly impulses.
“Spirit of adoption” (v.15) — In Roman law, adoption meant full inheritance rights — the old identity was legally erased.
“Abba! Father!” — A term of affection meaning “Dad” or “Papa.” It speaks to intimacy, not distance.
“Heirs with Christ” (v.17) — Sharing both His sufferings and His glory confirms our union with Him.

Now Paul lifts our eyes even higher. He reminds us that as God’s children, we not only have His Spirit now — we have His promise forever. Let’s look at Romans 8:18–30.

Romans 8:18–30 (ESV)

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Explanation

Paul zooms out from personal struggle to eternal perspective. He reminds us that even the sufferings of life — the pain, the loss, the waiting — can’t compare to the glory that’s coming.

Creation itself is groaning, longing for redemption. It’s as if the whole world is holding its breath for the day Christ makes everything new.

And we groan too. We feel the tension between what is and what will be — between weakness and hope. But we don’t groan alone. “The Spirit helps us in our weakness.” (v.26)

When words fail, the Spirit prays for us. When we don’t know what to ask, the Spirit intercedes according to God’s will. You are never unheard. You are never alone.

Then Paul gives us one of the greatest promises in all Scripture: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” (v.28)

“All things” means exactly that — the good, the hard, the confusing, the seasons that make no sense at all. God weaves every thread into His redemptive design.

Finally, Paul traces God’s eternal plan from foreknowledge to glorification — a golden chain that cannot be broken. From beginning to end, salvation is God’s work, not ours.

“Sufferings vs. Glory” (v.18): Paul’s perspective on suffering isn’t denial — it’s proportion. Future glory outweighs present pain.
Creation’s “groaning” (v.22): Cosmic language — all of creation waits for restoration.
Spirit’s Intercession (vv.26–27): God’s Spirit speaks the prayers we can’t articulate — divine empathy.
God’s Sovereignty (v.28–30): Foreknew → Predestined → Called → Justified → Glorified — an unbreakable chain of assurance.

And then, as if he can’t hold it in any longer, Paul ends this chapter with a crescendo of confidence. Listen to these final verses — it’s the victory shout of every believer.

Romans 8:31–39 (ESV)

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Explanation

Paul’s words here are not theory — they’re testimony. Every phrase builds toward one unshakable truth: nothing can separate us from God’s love.

He starts with a bold question: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (v.31)The cross is the proof. If God already gave His Son, how could He ever stop short of giving us everything we need?

Then Paul asks: “Who will bring any charge against God’s elect?” (v.33) In other words, who’s going to stand in the courtroom of heaven and accuse you when the Judge Himself has declared you righteous?

And “Who is to condemn?” (v.34) — No one. Christ Jesus, who died, rose, and now intercedes for you, ensures that no accusation sticks.

Then comes the climax: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”

He lists every imaginable threat — suffering, persecution, danger, even death — and dismantles them one by one.Then he says: “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (v.37)

“More than conquerors” literally means super-conquerors. We don’t just survive — we overcome. And Paul ends by declaring that absolutely nothing — not death, not demons, not distance, not even our own failures — can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus.

“If God is for us” (v.31): Conditional in grammar, absolute in meaning — since He is for us, opposition is powerless.
“Who is to condemn?” (v.34): Christ’s intercession is continual; the verdict remains unchangeable.
“More than conquerors” (v.37): Hupernikaō — victory beyond measure, not just endurance.
Unbreakable love (vv.38–39): The most comprehensive list in the New Testament — no force in creation outruns divine love.

Application

When fear whispers that you’re alone, answer with faith: “If God is for me, who can be against me?”
Let this truth silence every insecurity — you are fully known and fully loved.
Love and encourage others with the same relentless love that refuses to let go of you.

God’s love doesn’t flinch, fade, or fail. You can rest your whole life on that.

GOSPEL CONNECTION and CONCLUSION

Romans 7 shows us the depth of our need — the law reveals our sin, our weakness, and our inability to save ourselves.

Romans 8 shows us the height of God’s grace — where the Spirit sets us free, adopts us as sons and daughters, and fills us with unshakeable assurance.

The gospel bridges those two chapters: Jesus took our condemnation so we could receive His righteousness. He faced the law’s full penalty so we could live under grace’s full power. The cross silenced every accusation, and the resurrection secured every promise.

Through Christ, we’re not only forgiven — we’re freed, adopted, and loved forever.

So walk in that freedom — not in fear, not in guilt, but in the power of the risen Christ who lives in you.