“…with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

Wrong Interpretation:

This segment of an oratory from Paul is often used by certain Christians to justify that our flesh serves sin and we cannot help it.

“[24] O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? [25] I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” ~Romans 7:24-25 KJV

Right Interpretation:

True, Paul began saying that Jesus helps us to serve God with our minds, but our flesh still wars with sin. However, this was not the end of his speech.

Jesus ascended after His resurrection so that we might receive His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit saves us from our flesh because, as Paul continues, if we walk after the Spirit, we will not complete the lusts of the flesh.

People miss this part of Paul’s speech because it begins in the next chapter. “Chapters” in the Bible do not necessarily mean “a new subject.”

[1] There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. ~Romans 8:1-2 KJV

Those who walk after the flesh are condemned already.