In Romans 7 Paul does a wonderful job of describing the struggle of trying to please God and live right in our own strength. He makes it abundantly clear that this is impossible to do. The law of Moses highlighted the truth that to live according to God’s perfect standards, in our own human capacity, is an unattainable goal. Since the fall of man, he chose a new master over his destiny. He would be ruled by sin – subconsciously and consciously – and it would lead to death, being eternal separation from God. Which is why we NEEDED a Saviour! When Jesus died for our sins, He broke us free from the power of the law of sin and death, and its bondage over our lives. When we accepted what Jesus did for us in His death, burial, and resurrection – not only were we set free from a doomed eternity, we were set free to live a daily life of victory over sin in Christ Jesus! Our spirit-man was completely recreated by God’s Own Spirit to live in His perfect ways! (Ephesians 2:10). This means that while our minds and bodies were not redeemed – our spirit-man was. This is the part of man that is connected to God. The part of us that communes with Him. When we learn how to switch from living from our flesh nature, which is our un-redeemed mind; and begin living from our spirits, empowered by the Spirit of God – we are well able to live each day pleasing Him! I’m so glad Paul didn’t stop writing after Romans 7. While Romans 7 describes the disappointing struggle of living from our flesh, Romans 8 describes what it is to live by our spirit-man! Meditating on God’s Word cultivates the image of who we are in Christ. When we keep that image alive inside us, we are able to reject the dictates of the flesh. We begin living from the reality of who we are in Christ, and pleasing God becomes an easy flow from our spirits and not our flesh.