Paul speaks in Romans 7 about a law he finds at work within him. Though he delights in God’s law in his inner being, he sees another power waging war inside him, dragging him into captivity. He calls this the law of sin. It is not a written commandment but a principle that has gripped human nature since the fall. It bends us toward disobedience even when we know what is right. That is why Paul cries, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24).
This law of sin can be seen in everyday life. Think of someone who sincerely wants to be patient with their children. They read the Bible, they pray, they resolve to remain calm, yet when pressure comes, anger bursts out. Later they regret it and wonder why they keep repeating the same mistake. That struggle reflects the law of sin, the power of rebellion working against the desire to do good. David recognised this when he said, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). Paul also reminds us in Ephesians 2 that before Christ we were dead in trespasses and sins, following the ways of the world, and by nature children of wrath.
But Romans 8 opens with hope. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1–2). Here we meet a new principle, what can be called the law of righteousness. Where sin enslaves, the Spirit frees. Where sin condemns, the Spirit justifies. What the written code could not achieve, God has done by sending His Son and placing His Spirit within us.
This is not about trying harder to establish our own righteousness. Paul explains in Romans 9 that Israel, seeking to establish righteousness by the law, stumbled, but the Gentiles attained righteousness because they pursued it by faith. It is righteousness that comes from God, not from self-effort. Philippians 3 makes it even clearer when Paul says he no longer seeks a righteousness of his own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ.
Think again of the parent struggling with anger. The law of sin pulls them toward failure, but when they learn to pause in the moment and pray, “Lord, help me,” something shifts. The Spirit brings peace, and instead of harsh words comes a gentle response. Over time they notice their reactions changing. What once felt impossible becomes possible. This is the law of righteousness at work, the Spirit shaping them into the likeness of Christ.
The prophets spoke of this new reality long before it came. Jeremiah declared that God would write His law on the hearts of His people, and Ezekiel said that God would put His Spirit within us to move us to follow His ways. This promise is fulfilled in Christ, who by the Spirit enables us to bear fruit like love, joy and peace, as Paul describes in Galatians 5.
It is helpful to see the contrast side by side. The law of sin is like gravity, always pulling us down no matter how much we try to jump higher. The law of righteousness is like the lift of a plane’s wings, a new power that enables us to soar where we could never reach on our own. Jesus Himself put it simply: “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin, but if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34–36).
The lesson is not to pretend the law of sin does not exist. We must be honest about its pull and confess our weakness before God. Yet we do not remain there, for the law of righteousness has been given through Christ. The Spirit frees us from condemnation and enables us to live in newness of life. This means when temptation rises, our response is not to grit our teeth and depend on willpower, but to call on Christ and walk in the Spirit. Over time this dependence reshapes habits and desires until love and holiness begin to flow naturally.
The law of sin shows us how lost we are, but the law of righteousness shows us how loved we are. One brings guilt and death, the other brings mercy and life. Knowing this keeps us from despair on one side and self-righteousness on the other. It leads us into gratitude, freedom, and steady trust in God’s Spirit to do in us what we could never do alone.
Author
kay.alli@legalview.co.uk