Romans 7

“For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me” (v11).  The Old Testament law was “holy and righteous and good” (v12).  Yet, Paul said, sin twisted this good thing, using it to highlight our moral failures.  “The very commandment that promised life proved to be death for me” (v10).  Faced with God’s commands, alone, we can only fail.  However, through Christ’s death we have died to the law system, and through His resurrection we belong to a different kingdom (v4).

We no longer fight against sin alone.  Christ the Victor has come to live in us, working through us by His own Spirit, “in order that we may bear fruit for God” (v4).