“So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me” (Rom. 7:17, ESV).
Have you ever been mad at your body? Does it sometimes seem to have a mind of its own, which contradicts your noblest aspirations? If so, you are in good company. The Apostle Paul expressed this same dilemma:
Sometimes, there is literally a war happening on the inside of us. We inherited a sinful nature, and it fights hard against our inner being. Paul, with no hyperbole involved, states that this makes for sheer misery (v. 24).
The point of this chapter, however, is not simply so we can all commiserate together about how painful it is to be in these dire straits. Chapter 7 is setting us up for Chapter 8, where Holy Spirit lies out for us the solution. In short, “If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live” (8:13b).
My point is this. Daddy is holding forth to us a supernatural remedy for our misery. He is offering to us His own Spirit. If we invite Him to, Holy Spirit will empower us in our desire to live in victory. He will be the instrument through which the sinful nature progressively dies within us. He will crucify us with Jesus, that more and more life might come forth in and through our inner being.
I see an important distinction needing emphasis as we seek to cooperate with Holy Spirit’s sanctifying process in our lives. It’s this: while we come to hate sin more and more, we need to make sure we are not hating our body. Not despising it. Not resenting it. Not being mentally cruel to it. Not treating it harshly.
Paul also points out the difference. He carefully asserts, “But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me” (7:17). It’s not your body that’s the problem. It’s the sinful nature that is warring against your body. Your body is not the enemy. Sin is.
In fact, your body is one of God’s most precious creations. He likes it so much, He’s planning on keeping it forever. He’s going to resurrect it and charge it with so much power that it becomes incorruptible. He looks at your body, and His whole being smiles at His stunning artistry. He delights to think that He will enjoy this masterpiece He created, for all of eternity!
Yes, He treasures your body. It’s one of the most essential parts of you. He longs for you to partner with Him in treasuring it too. As you draw near to Him and ask, He will pour out His Spirit on you. His Spirit will “also give life to your mortal bodies,” energizing your spirit to triumph over sin (8:11, NIV). The wonderful news is, you win this war, in and through Him.
Daddy loves you. He loves your body. He knit every one of its intricate members together with exquisite love in your mother’s womb. He will generously provide what it needs to live in victory!
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If God says that your body is His temple, His holy habitation, do you think of it as sacred?
Feeding On Jesus 
I try to take care of my body way more now that I am older. It takes courage to get older for sure! Oh how I have to rely on GOD more and more each day. But the biggest battlefield goes on in the mind don’t you think? It is so easy to sin there even with a thought!
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I most definitely agree, Maxine. Right between our ears is where we fight it out. And it starts young… just last week or so I was teaching my eight year old, “Recognize, Reject, Replace,” about incoming thoughts from the enemy!
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Excellent advice. I love it!
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Praise the Lord! 😀
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Of course, “your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit,” and we must respect His view of us, not our own (1 John 3:20).
That said, there are times we wonder, “Why did He make my nose so long, or my legs so short, or my teeth so ugly?” I am reminded again, by your blog, that He made us to love Him.
Some of us (like me 😌) would not be serving Him if He had made us handsome or rich or powerful. He loves us enough to make us wait for Him to make us into His image, which will reveal more beauty than we can yet imagine. Praise His Name! He still makes everything “very good!” 😊
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My heart smiles joyfully reading your words, C.A. He does indeed make all things beautiful in His time. Thank you once again for such a thoughtful comment; I a truly grateful for the value you add here!
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Such a beautiful video! Thank you for sharing it 😊
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You always seem to have just the right words to explain my thoughts & circumstances. God is using you in a mighty way.
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Aw, that blesses me, Barb! Thank you so much for saying so 💖🤗
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Thank you for the way you have expressed this post.
Many Christians struggle with the concept of being ‘Born again’ yet still being in a battle.(with sin) Paul expressed it well with his cry Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death?. Roms 7;24. The Apostle Paul admitted his struggle with the sin nature. He also taught and acknowledged that the coming of God the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ resurrection means NOW for us all we have (If we accept the fullnes of Who He is…. GOD THE spirit living within) Who is DIVINE SANCTIFIER. All the days we are alive His job is to work on us to make us holy. Seems impossible on some ‘grotty days’ but I thank God He is still working on me. Blessings and always thank you for blogging.
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I love hearing your thoughts from your journey, Faye. You have such a special perspective to share. I, too, rejoice with all my heart that He keeps working to make me more like Jesus!
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Great post! ❤️🤍❤️
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Being someone who has played sport to a high level I have come to understand the importance of looking after my body the hard way. Proactive care is important. This extends to much more than the physical care of the body, though this is important, but how we think about ourselves, and how we look after our emotions towards where our body currently is now.
It’s almost a one dimensional view of the chapter and verse, and I feel I’m missing much of the goodness within it, but we must love ourselves – because God loves us for who we are and knows we can too. ❤
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Yes! Loving ourselves as He does is incredibly important! I just finished a whole series about that on my podcast a few weeks ago. I think I recall you seeing some of them as audio devos, if I remember right? But that is such a key insight you bring from your experience as an athlete, thank you, Hamish 🙂
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Indeed, I loved that series of of posts and podcasts. Learning to love myself as I am is something that has taken time, and intentional effort. With God holding me tight it is becoming easier each day. I am thankful for His consistent loving presence. ♥
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I am smiling and my heart is rejoicing to know that He is helping you learn to love yourself as He loves you! “God holding me tight,” I really like how you put that 🙂
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