The Struggle Is Real

Passage: Romans 7:1-25

Key Verse: Romans 7:24–25 NKJV

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Good morning, friends.

Romans 7 feels like Paul is opening his heart and letting us read a page from his personal journal. This isn’t a polished theological argument; it’s a deeply human moment, full of tension we all recognize. We want to do what’s right, but we keep stumbling. This isn’t abstract doctrine. It’s the real and raw confession of someone who genuinely loves God and still wrestles with weakness.

Paul opens with a powerful illustration: just as the death of a spouse releases someone from the legal bond of marriage, so our old selves, when united with Christ’s death, are released from the law’s demands. But that doesn’t mean we’ve been set free to do as we please. We’ve been freed for a purpose: to now belong to Christ and to live for Him in a new way. The law still had value. It exposed the grip sin had on us and helped us see just how deeply it affected every part of our lives. But it couldn’t heal us. It pointed out the problem, not the cure, and that’s where grace steps in.

Then Paul moves from explaining the law to sharing his personal experience with it. He describes a constant internal struggle: the desire to do what is right, but the inability to follow through. He says, “What I want to do, I don’t do. And what I hate doing, I end up doing.” This isn’t a man making excuses; it’s someone being honest about the deep conflict between the new heart God has given him and the old habits that still cling. It’s a daily tension that many of us know well: trying hard, falling short, and wondering if change is ever really possible.

That desperation hits its peak in his cry: “O wretched man that I am!” But this is not where the story ends. The very next breath points to hope, “I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” The struggle is real, but so is the Savior. And He doesn’t leave us in the middle of our mess. He leads us forward in grace.

The law can show us what’s wrong, but only Jesus can make us right.

Today’s Reflection:

Can you relate to Paul’s inner conflict—the desire to do what’s right but the struggle to actually live it out? Instead of hiding the struggle, what if today you brought it honestly to Jesus and asked for His help to walk through it with you?

Closing Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You know the battle that rages in my heart. Thank You for not turning away from the mess, but stepping right into it with mercy. Help me stop striving in my own strength and start leaning into Your grace. Teach me to walk in the newness of life You’ve given. Amen.