Romans 7:21 - Evil Lurking Close at Hand

Romans 7:21 - I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.

Message: Evil is present in me, though my desire is not for it.

Time:Another source cites this book as being written around 56-58 BC. Because Paul himself was a Roman citizen, he had a unique passion for those in the assembly of believers in Rome. Since he had not, to this point, visited the church in Rome, this letter also served as his introduction to them.

What the Lord is Saying:

Verse 21 begins with the word “Then” so it seems important to summarize what has come before this verse.       

• Verse 7 – The Law opened by eyes to sins I previously had not named.
• Verse 8 – Once I knew these sins, I pursued them completely.
• Verse 9 – The Law confirmed my death.
• Verse 10 – The Law’s intent though was life not death.
• Verse 11 – Sin corrupted the Law, deceiving me, no longer seeing life.
• Verse 12 – The Law, by itself, is holy.
• Verse 13 – It is important that I see sin for what it is and I see that I am utterly sinful.
• Verse 14 – The Law is spiritual. I am not.
• Verse 15 – But I don’t do what is good, but rather what I hate.
• Verse 16 – My wrong doing then confirms the Law is good.
• Verse 17 – But, my wrong doing is not of me, but of sin.
• Verse 18 – In my flesh, I know, nothing is good.
• Verse 19 – I practice what is evil, not what is good, which is what I want to do.
• Verse 20 – So, remember, I am not doing the sin, but the sin is.

The bottom line in these verses is the Law is good. Before I became a new man in Christ, the Law helped to expose my sin. But, now that I am a new man in Christ, I must remember, that when I sin, it is the sin in me producing the sin. For, now, I am made for good.

Evil is present in me.
I must remember then this principle and not let the sin in me destroy me. I am made for good. I am new in Christ.

Paul uses a phrase, “the principle that is evil.” This is different. This is not the Mosaic Law. This is coming off of verse 15 and beginning to speak of the tennis match that takes place in the believer’s life. Man has every intention to do good, in Christ. It is man’s desire. It is man’s intention. It is what man seeks out to do. But, along the way man can get distracted. Not all the time, but man can be distracted.

Sin takes over, if given the opportunity.
It is something I need to recognize and be aware of. The principle of evil is present in me. Evil does not live in me for Christ lives in me, but the temptation to move towards evil, to sin, is there in me.

CS Lewis, “No one knows how bad he is until he has tried to be good.”  

Promise: I am not evil, nor does evil live in me, but the principle of evil does live in me and I discover this as a try to be good.