The Civil War Within

The Civil War Within
Text focus: Romans 7:14–15
"For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate."

The Puritans, like John Owen, argued that this passage describes the "indwelling sin" of a regenerate believer. Owen, in his classic work, "Indwelling Sin in Believers", argues that this passage describes the "remainders" of sin in a regenerate soul.

A legalist is at peace with his sin, but a Christian is at war with it. Owen notes that sin is not merely an external action but an "inward principle" that moves and inclines the heart toward evil.

If you feel a painful tension between your desire for holiness and your actual performance, it isn’t a sign that you aren't a Christian—it’s a sign that you are alive. Only a believer in Jesus Christ can have the inner conflict that Paul describes in Romans 7.

Practical Application:
Don't be surprised by the "spiritual friction" you feel this week. Use that frustration to fuel your prayer life.

* Identify the Conflict: Don't be surprised by the internal battle; it is the "most difficult" one you will face.
* Starve the Foe: Since sin is a parasite that "eats what you do," Owen suggests "starving" it by feeding deeply on God's Word, which is poison to indwelling sin.
* Avoid Despair: When you do "the very thing you hate," let it drive you back to the throne of grace rather than into a hole of despair.

Remember: There is a huge difference between sin REIGNING and sin REMAINING.