Romans 7:²¹ So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. ²² For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, ²³ but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. ²⁴ Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

Paul continues his discussion of a basic conflict for all Christians. We want to do what’s right, but sin keeps us from doing so consistently. Paul then personifies evil has something apart from humanity that derails our best efforts to please God. As I mentioned yesterday, I can relate. It’s a synopsis of the human condition.

Paul then sets the mind and the body (“my members”) in conflict with one another. There’s an interesting duality to this that I’m not sure I agree with. For the most part the body only does what the mind tells it to do. Rarely does the body go rogue. In v.24 Paul writes,

“Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

He then says in v.25

“…with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.”

I’m pretty sure both mind and body are slaves to the law of sin, despite what Paul writes. Therefore, this morning I’m praying for the Lord to heal my mind, from which the body surely follows. Lord send your Holy Spirit to heal me from the inside out. Amen.