Romans 7:15

Romans 7:15 says, For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.   Paul said that he didn't do the things that he knew he should do and did the things he knew he shouldn't do.  When we try to live by our own strength and power, and not by the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we find ourselves submitting to the power of sin once again.  Through Christ, sin has lost its power over us as long as we are firmly rooted in the will of God for our lives.  Yet, even as followers of Christ, we can allow sin to rule our actions if we are not careful.  Verse sixteen adds, If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. When we do the things that we should not do, we agree to consent to the law of God, which is good but can only condemn us.  This does not mean that we are suddenly not saved, but that we once again place our actions under the law, as we temporarily reject God's will. We may know what we should or should not do as followers of Christ, but too often we give in to our old corrupt nature and lusts.  If Paul had this struggle, then we should not be surprised when we do also.  Verse seventeen continues, Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.   Paul said that the reason he did things that he knew he shouldn't do or failed to do the things he knew he should, was because of submitting to sin. He again was following the will of the world and not the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  We do not surrender our free will even in Christ, and in this world we will never become perfect.  Verse eighteen states, For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. We need to understand the importance of accepting the fact that even as followers of Christ we are still very much capable of sinning against Him. Anytime we fail to follow His will for our lives, no matter how small that failure may seem, we are again living by the flesh and not the spirit. Verse nineteen adds, For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.  Paul said he had intentions to do good, but didn't, and yet the evil that he thought he wouldn't do was what he did.  I don't believe we can say this was a continual state for Paul, but that he recognized that he at times acted in the flesh and not the spirit.  He was not perfect, and neither are we.