Message Minute (Your Heart vs. Your Flesh)

"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out." — Romans 7:18

Here's one of the most important distinctions in the entire New Testament, and it changes everything about how to understand the ongoing struggle with sin.

Paul doesn't say, "Nothing good dwells in me." He says, "Nothing good dwells in me — that is, in my flesh." He separates himself from his flesh. The flesh is a real problem. But the flesh is not who you are.

Think of it this way: imagine moving into a brand-new house, only to find the construction crew left a mess behind. The house is genuinely new. But there's junk to clean out. That's sanctification — not making a wicked heart slightly less wicked, but cleaning out the debris from a heart that's already been made new.

When sin happens, it's not the heart revealing its true nature. It's the flesh attacking a heart that actually wants something better. That frustration you feel when you mess up? That's your new heart. That's a good sign, not a sign of hopelessness.

Reflection: How does distinguishing between your heart and your flesh change the way you think about your sin struggles?

Prayer: Father, thank You for the distinction between who I am and the flesh I'm still fighting. Help me stop treating myself as the enemy. Teach me to fight from the truth of who You've made me to be. Amen.