Because fallen man left his proper position as God's wife and desired to be the husband (see note Rom. 7:4¹) God gave him the law, which he cannot possibly keep. The law is intended not for the wife but for the husband, and the law was given not that it might be kept but that the old man might be exposed (v. 5; 3:20; 5:20). Accordingly, this verse refers to the law as "the law regarding the husband."

The husband here (the first husband) is not the flesh or the law but the old man mentioned in Rom. 6:6, who has been crucified with Christ. Thus, vv. 1-6 correspond with 6:6.

Referring to the second husband mentioned in these verses, who is Christ.

Since our old man, who was the old husband, has been crucified with Christ (Rom. 6:6), we are freed from his law and are joined to the new Husband, Christ, the ever-living One. As believers, we have two statuses. The first you in this verse refers to us in our old status as the fallen old man, who left the original position of a wife dependent on God and took the self-assuming position of husband and head, independent of God. The second you in this verse refers to us in our new status as the regenerated new man, restored to our original and proper position as the genuine wife to God (Isa. 54:5; 1 Cor. 11:3), dependent on Him and taking Him as our Head. We no longer have the old status of the husband, for we have been crucified. We now have only the new status of the proper wife, in which we take Christ as our Husband, and should no longer live according to the old man, i.e., no longer take the old man as our husband.

Verses Rom. 7:1-6 continue Rom. 6:14 to explain how it is that we are not under the law. On one hand, the law continues to exist, for God has not recalled, annulled, or abolished it. On the other hand, because of the crucifixion of our old man (Rom. 6:6), who is the first husband mentioned in these verses, we are no longer under the law and no longer have anything to do with it. Instead, we have become the wife of Christ; that is, we have become those who depend on Christ.

Lit., houses itself. Sin does not merely abide or remain within us for a time; it makes its home in us.

The flesh here is the fallen and corrupted human body with all its lusts. This flesh was not created by God but is a mixture of God's creature and sin, which is the life of Satan, the evil one. God created man's body a pure vessel, but this vessel was corrupted and transmuted into the flesh by Satan's injecting himself into it at the time of the fall. Now Satan as sin personified is in man's flesh, making his home there and ruling as an illegal master, overruling man and forcing him to do things that he dislikes. It is this indwelling sin, which is the unchangeable evil nature, that constitutes all men sinners (Rom. 5:19).

Here Paul was careful to say that it is in the flesh, not in man's whole being, that nothing good dwells. Good does exist in other parts of man's being. The will desires to please God (vv. 18-21) according to the good law in the mind (vv. 22-23), but it is impossible to perform this good through the body, for the body has become the flesh, where sin dwells.

To will to do good is to turn to the law. The law of good in our mind (vv. 22-23) corresponds with the law of God and responds to its demands by trying to keep it.

According to the fact mentioned in v. 20, Paul discovered that the law of sin was the sin that dwelt in him and the evil that was present with him. In v. 23 he realized that this law was the law of sin in his members.

The Greek word means that which is evil in character. This must be the evil life, nature, and character of Satan himself, who is the indwelling sin in us. When sin is dormant within us, it is merely sin, but when it is aroused in us by our willing to do the good, it becomes "the evil."

Lit., do not know; i.e., do not acknowledge, do not approve of. Paul did not allow, approve of, or acknowledge his wrong action, for it issued from his flesh, which served the law of sin against his mind and against his will.

Paul saw that he was contrary to all that is portrayed by the law. It is spiritual, holy, righteous, and good; he was fleshy, common and defiled, unjust, and evil. See note 1 Cor. 3:1^2b.

I.e., the same in essence, nature, and substance as God, who is Spirit (John 4:24).

The inward, subjective consciousness. See note Rom. 6:6¹.

Lit., appear.

The law is the instrument through which sin deceives and kills men. The power of sin is the law (1 Cor. 15:56). This fact should warn us not to turn to the law to try to keep it, for in so doing we give sin the opportunity to deceive and kill us.

Referring to our being put to death by the curse and condemnation brought to us, both in our conscience and before God, by sin through the law (Rom. 4:15; 5:13, 20).

Lit., serve as a slave.

The law of sin, sin, and the evil are synonymous terms, denoting Satan, who dwells in man's fallen body.

This chapter, especially in this verse and in vv. 11, 17, 20, indicates that sin is a person, the embodiment of Satan, and is living and acting within us.

The tenth commandment, "You shall not covet," is not related to outward conduct, but rather to the sin within man, mainly in his thoughts. This shows that man's problem is with the sin that indwells him, not just with outward sinful acts.

The law portrays God and defines Him (Lev. 19:2). Accordingly, it places many demands and requirements on fallen man, and in so doing it identifies sin as sin and leads man to the knowledge of sin (Rom. 3:20; 4:15; 5:20). In this way man is both exposed and subdued by the law (Rom. 3:19).

In vv. 7-25 Paul used his own experience, which he had before he believed in the Lord, to illustrate the wretchedness of trying to do good under the law in order to please God. Neither the human spirit nor the Spirit of God is mentioned in this section; rather, the will and the mind of the human soul (vv. 19, 23), which attempt to please God with the good of the natural life (vv. 18-19, 21), are referred to. Although this is the situation of an unsaved person, nearly all Christians pass through this kind of experience after they are saved.

Referring to our regenerated human spirit, in which the Lord as the Spirit dwells (2 Tim. 4:22). Everything that is related to our regenerated spirit is new, and everything that comes out of our spirit is new. Our regenerated spirit is a source of newness because the Lord, the life of God, and the Holy Spirit are there (see note Rom. 1:9²).

In Rom. 6:4, newness of life issues from our being identified with Christ's resurrection and is for our walk in our daily life. Here, newness of spirit issues from our being discharged from the law and being joined to the resurrected Christ, and is for our service to God. Thus, both newness of spirit and newness of life are results of the crucifixion of the old man.

Lit., serve as slaves.

Since the old man has been crucified, the regenerated new man is now free from the law of the old man (vv. 2-3; Gal. 2:19). Since the law was given to the old husband, the old man, not to the wife, and since the old husband, the old man, died on the cross, the new man, the wife, has been discharged from his law.

As the regenerated new man and the wife to Christ, everything we are and do is now related to God, and God is brought forth by us as the fruit, the overflow, of our life. This is in contrast to the fruit born to death (v. 5), which was previously brought forth by us as the old man, the old husband.

This joining indicates that in our new status as a wife, we have an organic union in person, name, life, and existence with Christ in His resurrection.

The inward, subjective consciousness. See note Rom. 6:6¹.

Referring to the written law of God.

There are three different laws in the three different parts of the believer's being. As revealed in chs. 7 and 8, these three laws derive from the three parties in the universe. The law of sin and death in the believer's members (v. 23), that is, in his body, derives from Satan, who as sin dwells in the believer's flesh. The law of good in the believer's mind (v. 23), that is, in his soul, derives from the natural human life, that is, from man himself. The law of the Spirit of life in the believer's spirit derives from God, who as the Spirit dwells in his spirit (Rom. 8:2, 16). These three parties with the three laws are now present in the believer in much the same way that they (God, man, and Satan) were present in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3). In addition to the three laws within the believer, there is the law of God outside of him (vv. 22, 25).

The warfare here is between the law of sin in the members of our body and the law of good in the mind of our soul. It is absolutely a matter of sin in our flesh fighting against good in our natural being; it is not at all related to our spirit or the Spirit of God. Hence, it is different from the warfare in Gal. 5:16-25, between our spirit, which is mingled with the Spirit of God, and the flesh.

A person who is independent of God cannot deal with the law of sin in the flesh, for this law is the powerful person of Satan himself.

To attempt to keep the law by the flesh results in death and wretchedness. Man has become fleshy, sold under sin (v. 14). In man's flesh nothing good dwells (v. 18), and man is unable to master sin (vv. 15-20). If man in such a condition tries to fulfill the law of God, he will surely fail.

In 6:6 our fallen body is called "the body of sin." Here it is termed "the body of this death." The body of sin is strong in sinning against God, but the body of this death is weak in acting to please God. Sin energizes the fallen body to sin, whereas death utterly weakens and disables the corrupted body, so that it cannot keep God's commandments.

The death caused by sin through the weapon of the law, the death of being defeated, the death of trying to keep the law to please God but instead being made a captive by the law of sin in our members. This is the death that is working in our flesh this very moment.

The phrase with the mind I myself indicates that the mind, representing the self, is independently attempting to do good. Although the law of good in the mind (v. 23) gives us the inclination to do good, the mind will be defeated because the law of sin in our members is stronger than the independent mind.