Romans 7:7-25

71What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? 23Far from it! On the contrary, 4I would not have come to know sin except 5through the Law; for I would not have known about 6coveting if the Law had not said, “7You shall not 8covet.” 8But sin, 9taking an opportunity 10through the commandment, produced in me 11coveting of every kind; for 12apart 13from the Law sin is dead. 9I was once alive apart 14from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, and I died; 10and this commandment, which was 1516to result in life, proved 17to result in death for me; 11for sin, 18taking an opportunity 19through the commandment, 20deceived me, and through it, killed me. 1221So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

13Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? 2223Far from it! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by bringing about my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.

14For we know that the Law is 24spiritual, but I am 25fleshly, 26sold 2728into bondage to sin. 15For 29I do not understand what I am doing; for I am not practicing 30what I want to do, but I do the very thing I hate. 16However, if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with 31the Law, that the Law is good. 17But now, 32no longer am I the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. 18For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my 33flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19For 34the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20But if I do the very thing I do not want, 35I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me.

21I find then 36the 37principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22For I joyfully agree with the law of God 38in 39the inner person, 23but I see 40a different law in 41the parts of my body waging war against the 42law of my mind, and making me a prisoner 43of 44the law of sin, the law which is in 45my body’s parts. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from 4647the body of this 48death? 2549Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh 50the law of sin.