The Bitter Fruit: The Conflict Between the Flesh and the Spirit

 

The Bitter Fruit: The Conflict Between the Flesh and the Spirit

Understanding Romans 7:14–25 and Romans 8:1–9

The Apostle Paul writes:

“For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I do the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin that dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.”

— Romans 7:18–21

Let me ask you. How often have you found yourself struggling with wanting to do good or to do the right thing, only to find yourself doing the opposite thing? Struggling with the guilt, shame and regret that follows? I have. And let me tell you, it is no way to live. The Apostle Paul struggled with this dilemma. Listen to what he discovered. It can help all of us who struggle with choices an behaviors.

An Unusual Illustration

Persimmons are pretty, glossy, orange fruits that slightly resemble tomatoes. They arrive each year with the cooler weather, marking the transition into fall and winter cooking. When ripe, persimmons have a softly floral, honey-like sweetness, with gentle notes of apricot and warm spice. They are also rich in fiber, vitamins A and C, and antioxidants.

Yet persimmons remain strangely misunderstood. They sit patiently in grocery store displays, beautiful and unfamiliar, waiting for someone to take the leap. But, as with many things, the only real barrier is uncertainty.

Despite their attractive outer appearance, beware! Timing can be everything.

After biting into an unripe persimmon, most people experience a reaction commonly called “pucker mouth.” Some describe it as having their tongue covered with fur. The offending substances responsible for this sensation are tannins, naturally occurring compounds so astringent that they can turn an unsuspecting bite into a moment of instant regret!

What Do Persimmons Have to Do with the Bible?

Honestly, nothing! But I am borrowing the persimmon as a metaphor to help illustrate something the Apostle Paul communicates in Romans 7, particularly verse 21:

“I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.”

Think about what happens when you bite into an unripe persimmon. Its bitterness produces an almost involuntary physical reaction. Your mouth puckers, your lips twist, and your facial muscles contort. It is almost as though some unseen force has taken control of your face and is creating havoc. It takes several seconds, sometimes minutes, before you regain your composure and control of your facial expressions.

You didn’t intend for that to happen. You wanted to enjoy the fruit, but something within it produced an entirely different result.

I use this illustration to help explain the conflict Paul describes: the difference between what we desire to do and what we sometimes actually do.

Of course, human beings are not persimmons, and sin is not an involuntary physical reaction that removes our responsibility for our behavior. The illustration simply helps us understand the presence of something within us that can produce an outcome contrary to what we genuinely desire.

Understanding Paul’s Dilemma

I have to admit that it took me quite a while to understand what Paul was communicating in Romans 7:14–25.

Initially, I thought he was saying that he didn’t want to do bad things, that he didn’t mean to sin, but that he simply couldn’t help himself. It almost sounded as though he was attempting to justify his behavior or place the blame elsewhere, as if to say, “It’s not my fault! The devil made me do it!”

But then the lights came on for me.

I began to see that Paul was describing something much deeper than an inability to control one’s behavior. He was describing the conflict between the sinful disposition of the flesh and the inward desire to know, love, and obey God.

Paul acknowledges that he recognizes the goodness of God’s law. He delights in it in his inner person. He wants to do what is right. Yet he also recognizes that sin continues to dwell within him, influencing his desires, thoughts, and behavior.

He is describing the struggle between what he knows to be right and the persistent influence of sin that works against that desire.

This is not a matter of multiple personalities or a divided identity. It is the spiritual and moral conflict within the human person.

The Two Competing Principles: The Flesh and the Spirit

Paul repeatedly uses the Greek word “nomos” (νόμος), ordinarily translated as “law.” referring to a governing law, rule, or principle.

In Romans 7, Paul uses this language to describe the competing influences at work within him:

The law of God: The divine standard of righteousness that Paul recognizes, loves, and desires to obey.

The law of sin: The persistent power and influence of indwelling sin that works against his desire to obey God.

Paul describes this conflict in Romans 7:22–23: “For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person, but I see a different law in the parts of my body waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin, the law which is in my body’s parts.”

Notice the distinction Paul makes.

There is an inward recognition and appreciation of God’s righteousness, yet there is also the continuing presence of sin, which wages war against that desire.

This is important to understanding the human condition.

The flesh, as Paul uses the term in this context, is not simply our physical bodies, nor is it merely our minds, wills, and emotions. It describes our fallen human nature and our orientation toward life apart from God’s governing influence.

Likewise, the inner person is not necessarily a reference to the human spirit alone. It describes the inward self in which our moral and spiritual awareness, desires, and convictions are expressed.

Here we can recognize an important distinction in understanding the human essence: the soul (our mind, will, and emotions) and the human spirit (our inward spiritual dimension) are distinguishable aspects of our being, although Scripture does not always separate or define them in precisely the same way.

or the believer, the Holy Spirit indwells the human person, bringing spiritual life and transforming the believer from within.

Thus, we should distinguish between the human spirit and the Holy Spirit. They are not the same. The Holy Spirit is God Himself, dwelling within the believer.

The Persimmon and the Human Condition – Consider again our persimmon.

It is one fruit, with an attractive exterior, yet its interior can produce an unpleasant experience when it is not ripe.

Likewise, human beings are not simply good or bad in the sense that Paul is describing. We are created by God, but we are also fallen creatures whose nature has been corrupted by sin.

For those who have come to faith in Christ, the desire to please God is accompanied by an ongoing struggle against the influence of sin.

There are competing principles at work: the righteousness of God, which we desire to follow, and the persistent influence of sin, which seeks to pull us in the opposite direction.

These are not two equal forces, nor are they two independent personalities within us. Sin is not God’s equal or opposite. God is sovereign, and sin is a corruption of His good creation.

Paul’s frustration reaches its climax in Romans 7:24: “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

And then comes his answer:

“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25).

Paul recognizes that the answer is not simply greater determination, stronger willpower, or a more disciplined effort to obey God’s law.

The answer is Jesus Christ – Freedom Through the Holy Spirit

This brings us directly into Romans 8, where Paul moves from the frustration of the struggle to the freedom and hope found in Jesus Christ.

He begins: “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” — Romans 8:1.

What a remarkable declaration! The struggle with sin does not mean that the believer remains condemned. Through faith in Jesus Christ, the believer has been delivered from the condemnation of sin and death.

Paul explains that what God’s law could not accomplish because of the weakness of our flesh, God accomplished by sending His own Son.

Jesus Christ took upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh and condemned sin in the flesh. Through His death and resurrection, He accomplished what humanity could never accomplish through its own efforts.

But Paul goes further. He explains that the believer is no longer to live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Consider the progression in Romans 8:5–9: “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh. Those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. The mind set on the flesh is death. The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. 

Those who belong to Christ are indwelt by the Spirit of God.

This is the difference between the old life under the dominion of sin and the new life made possible through Jesus Christ.

The believer still experiences the struggle Paul describes in Romans 7, but the believer is no longer without the power and presence of God. The indwelling Holy Spirit enables a new way of thinking, living, and responding to the desires of the flesh.The struggle is real, but so is the provision of God.

Conclusion: From the Bitter Fruit to the Fruit of the Spirit

The persimmon is a simple illustration, but it helps me appreciate the complexity of the human condition.

We may sincerely desire to do what is good, right, and pleasing to God, yet find ourselves struggling against the very things we know to be wrong. Paul gives us an honest description of that struggle. He neither excuses sin nor suggests that human determination is sufficient to overcome it.

Instead, he directs us to the only lasting answer: Jesus Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Romans 7 describes the conflict. Romans 8 declares the freedom.

Through faith in Jesus Christ, those who are united with Him are no longer under condemnation because the power of sin and death has been overcome through the indwelling Holy Spirit. Whereas the fleshly mind is hostile toward God and incapable of submitting to His law, the Spirit transforms the believer’s mindset, desires, and conduct, enabling a new life characterized by righteousness, obedience, and fellowship with God.

The believer’s identity is no longer defined by the flesh and its sinful nature, but by the Spirit of God who dwells within.

The central message is this: We cannot overcome the power of sin through human determination alone. What the flesh cannot accomplish, God has accomplished through Jesus Christ, and what we cannot sustain through our own strength, the Holy Spirit enables us to pursue through a new life in Christ. And that is a far sweeter fruit than any persimmon!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young