The apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:8 “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.” You have probably felt like that when you have been struggling against some sin, almost in despair. In fact, I’m sure you have, if you are really a Christian. All Christians find themselves wanting to do what is right (because of the life of Christ within) but of not being able to do what they would like to do (because of the continuing presence of indwelling sin). In fact it’s worse than that. For, as we mature in the Christian life, growing closer to Jesus Christ and thus wanting to be more like Him and please Him more, the struggle actually grows stronger rather than weaker. Those who struggle most vigorously against sin are not immature Christians but mature ones. The hardest battles are waged by God’s saints. Although the struggle is a real one and difficult, the outcome is not bleak or uncertain but glorious – because of God.

That is what Paul comes to at the very end of Romans 7. After he has reached the absolute low point, asking, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?” he answers with “Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (v. 25). That is, although the apostle was not able to find even the smallest ground for a hope of victory within himself, even at his weakest point the end in not grim because as a Christian he knows that God is for him. God has assured every believer victory through the work of Christ. If you are struggling against sin – as I know you are, if you are a true Christian – that is what I want to leave with you as a result of this final study of Romans 7. The reason for your struggle is to teach you to rely not on yourself but on God, who raises the dead. And what I want you to be assured of is that He has already delivered you from “deadly peril,” and that He will deliver you again.

The deliverance from sin provided for us by God through Jesus Christ is in three stages, and the first is deliverance from sin’s penalty, that is, from the judgment and wrath of God due us as the result of our being sinners. This is not the deliverance spoken of in Romans 7:25, but it is foundational, and Paul discussed it carefully in the opening chapters of the letter. It is this foundation that all further deliverance is built. If you are a Christian, Jesus Christ has delivered you from the penalty of your sin. You are guilty of transgressing the law of God and of trampling God’s honor. You deserve to die. But Jesus has made payment for your transgressions. Jesus died so that you might be delivered from sin’s penalty.

The second deliverance from sin provided for the believer by God through the work of Christ is from sin’s power, that is, from constant defeat by sin in our struggles against it day by day. Neither is this what Romans 7:25 is talking about primarily. The deliverance spoken of in our text is a future deliverance, not a present one. But present deliverance has bearing in this context, since Paul has been speaking of his present struggles against sin in chapter 7 and is going to talk about a present (as well as future) deliverance in chapter 8.

Romans 7:25 is talking about deliverance from sin’s presence, that is, about a future (third) deliverance. The deliverance Paul is looking for here is specifically a final deliverance from the very presence of sin, which has its hold on him now only through “this body of death,” or “this dying body.” Paul’s final deliverance was to be through death and resurrection. What Paul is saying, is that, although he is assured of a final victory over sin, he nevertheless knows that he must continue to fight a vigorous battle against sin daily until he dies. He has been saved from sin. He is being saved from sin. He will yet be saved from sin. But until the day of final deliverance it is his continuing responsibility to fight on.

Victory is ours, “Through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The triumph of grace is assured, regardless of how badly we may think we are doing now and how near despair we may be due to the intensity or duration of the struggle. It is the very knowledge of a final victory that will enable us to fight on. Apart from Jesus, not one of us can prevail for a moment. But united to Him, we not only can prevail, we will. The Bible promises that “He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

There is this, too: Although your struggles may be prolonged and difficult, they are not essentially different from those of the many believers who have preceded you, including Paul and other great personalities of Scripture. They triumphed, and so will you. Remember the text: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Romans 7:25 Reflection Questions:

What do you do in your struggles with sin?

Whom do you rely on in your struggles with sin?