For I am delighted with the law of God, according to the inward man:

“Even if the heretics who are opposed to the Creator suppose that in the next sentence Paul was speaking against him when he says, "I know that in me, that is in my flesh, there dwells no good thing," yet let them read what precedes and follows this. For before it he says, "But sin which dwells in me," which explains why it was appropriate for him to say, "in my flesh dwells no good thing." In what follows he continues, "But if I do that which I do not wish to do, it is no longer I that do it, but sin which dwells in me," which being at war with the law of God and "of my mind," he says, "makes me captive by the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death." And again (for he does not become in the least weary of being helpful) he does not hesitate to add, "For the law of the Spirit has set me free from the law of sin and death," since by his Son "God condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." In addition to this he makes the point still clearer by saying emphatically, "The body is dead because of sin," indicating that if it is not the temple, it is still the tomb of the soul. For when it is dedicated to God, he adds, "the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, who shall also make alive your mortal bodies through his Spirit dwelling in you."”

“And the same is denoted by the words, "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? "By which he does not mean that the body is death, but the law of sin which is in his members, lying hidden in us through the transgression, and ever deluding the soul to the death of unrighteousness. And he immediately adds, clearly showing from what kind of death he desired to be delivered, and who he was who delivered him, "I thank God, through Jesus Christ."”

“After the Apostle has shown that the law is good from the fact that it agrees with reason, here he draws two conclusions according to the two things he had set down; the second is set down where he says, "But I see another law," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he draws the conclusion from what has been said; second he sets down a sign for the greater manifestation of it, where he says, "I am delighted," etc. Now he had set down two things above. The first indeed, that the law is spiritual; this having now been proved, he concludes thus: "I find then" — that is, by experience — that the law of Moses is in accord with me willing to do good, that is, with my reason, by which I approve the good and detest the evil, since that law itself also commands the good and forbids the evil. Deuteronomy 30:14: "The word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it." And in this way it was necessary that — that is, because evil, that is, sin or the tinder of sin, is present to me — that is, lies alongside my reason, as it were inhabiting my flesh. Micah 8:5: "From her that sleeps in your bosom, guard the closures of your mouth," that is, from the flesh. Then when he says, "For I am delighted," etc., he sets down a sign by which it is shown that the law agrees with reason. For no one is delighted except in that which is fitting to him. But man according to reason is delighted in the law of God; therefore the law of God is fitting to reason. And this is what he says: "I am delighted with the law of God according to the interior man," that is, according to reason and mind, which is called the interior man — not because the soul is figured according to the form of a man, as Tertullian held, or because it alone is the man, as Plato held, that man is a soul using a body; but because that which is more principal in man is called man, as was said above. Now in man that which is more principal according to appearance indeed is that which is exterior, namely the body so figured, which is called the exterior man; but according to truth, that which is intrinsic, namely the mind or reason, is what is here called the interior man. Psalm 118:103: "How sweet are your words to my throat." 1 Maccabees 12:9: "Having for our solace the holy books that are in our hands." Then when he says, "But I see," etc., he sets down another conclusion which corresponds to what he had said above, saying, "But I am carnal," etc. Saying, "I see another law in my members," which is the tinder of sin, which indeed can be called law for a twofold reason. In one way on account of similar effects, because just as the law induces to doing good, so the tinder induces to sinning. In another way by comparison to its cause. Now since the tinder is a certain punishment of sin, it has a twofold cause: one indeed sin itself, which took dominion in the sinner and imposed on him a law, which is the tinder, just as a lord imposes a law on a conquered servant. The other cause of the tinder is God, who placed this punishment on man when he sinned, so that the lower powers should not obey his reason. And according to this, the very disobedience of the lower powers, which is called the tinder, is called law insofar as it is introduced through the law of divine justice, like the sentence of a just judge, which has the force of law, according to that saying, 1 Kings 30:25: "And this was done from that day forward, and it was appointed and determined, and became as it were a law in Israel unto this day." But this law consists originally indeed in the sensitive appetite, but is found diffusively in all the members, which serve concupiscence unto sinning. Above, Romans 6:19: "Just as you presented your members to serve uncleanness," etc. And therefore he says, "in my members." Now this law has two effects in man. For first it resists reason, and as to this he says, "fighting against the law of my mind," that is, against the law of Moses, which is called the law of the mind insofar as it accords with the mind, or against the natural law, which is called the law of the mind because it is naturally implanted in the mind. Above, Romans 2:15: "Who show the work of the law written in their hearts." And concerning this fighting it is said, Galatians 5:17: "The flesh lusts against the spirit." The second effect is that it reduces man into servitude. And as to this he adds, "and captivating me," or according to another reading, "leading me captive," "in the law of sin, which is in my members," that is, in myself, after the manner of Hebrew speech, according to which nouns are put in place of pronouns. But the law of sin takes man captive in two ways: in one way, the sinning man, through consent and operation; in another way, the man established under grace, as to the movement of concupiscence. Concerning this captivity it is said in Psalm 125:1: "When the Lord turned the captivity of Sion." Then when he says, "Unhappy man that I am," etc., he deals with liberation from the law of sin, and does three things concerning this. First indeed he poses the question; second he gives the answer, where he says, "the grace of God," etc.; third he draws the conclusion, where he says, "therefore I myself," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. One thing indeed he confesses, namely his own misery, when he says, "Unhappy man that I am" — which indeed is on account of the sin which dwells in man, whether only as to the flesh, as in the just man, or also as to the mind, as in the sinner. Proverbs 14:34: "Sin makes peoples miserable." Psalm 37:7: "I have been made miserable and bowed down even to the end." The other thing he asks, saying, "Who will deliver me from the body of this death?" This indeed seems to be the question of one desiring, according to that saying, Psalm 141:10: "Bring my soul out of prison." It must be known, however, that in the body of man one can consider both the very nature of the body, which is fitting to the soul, whence the soul does not wish to be separated from it — 2 Corinthians 5:4: "We do not wish to be stripped, but to be clothed over" — and again the corruption of the body, which weighs down the soul, according to that saying, Wisdom 9:15: "The body which is corrupted weighs down the soul," etc. And therefore he says pointedly, "from the body of this death." Then when he says, "The grace of God," etc., he answers the question. For man cannot by his own powers be freed from the corruption of the body, nor even of the soul, although he consents with reason against sin, but only through the grace of Christ, according to that saying, John 8:36: "If the Son shall have made you free, you shall be free indeed." And therefore there follows, "the grace of God" — namely, will free me — "which is given through Jesus Christ." John 1:17: "Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." Now this frees from the body of this death in two ways: in one way, so that the corruption of the body does not dominate the mind, dragging it to sin; in another way, so that the corruption of the body is totally removed. As to the first, therefore, it is fitting for the sinner to say: "grace has freed me from the body of this death," that is, it has freed me from the sin into which the soul is led by the corruption of the body. But from this the just man is already freed, whence it belongs to him to say, as to the second: "the grace of God has freed me from the body of this death," namely, that in my body there be no corruption of sin or of death — which will be in the resurrection. Then when he says, "Therefore I myself," etc., he draws a conclusion which, according to the two aforesaid expositions, is inferred differently from what precedes. For according as the aforesaid words are expounded in the person of the sinner, the conclusion is to be inferred thus: it was said that the grace of God freed me from the body of this death, namely so that I might not be led by it into sin; therefore, when I shall already be freed, with the mind I serve the law of God, but according to the flesh the law of sin, which indeed remains in the flesh as to the tinder, through which the flesh lusts against the spirit. But if the aforesaid words are understood from the person of the just man, it is to be inferred thus: the grace of God through Jesus Christ freed me from the body of this death, namely so that in me there be no corruption of sin and of death. Therefore, I myself, one and the same, before I am freed, with the mind serve the law of God, consenting to it, but with the flesh I serve the law of sin, insofar as my flesh, according to the law of the flesh, is moved to concupiscence.”

“But I see another law in my members,.... That is, he saw, he perceived it by experience; he felt the force and power of inbred corruption working in him, and as a law demanding obedience to it; and which he might well call "another law", it being not only distinct from, but opposite to the law of God he delighted in; the one is good, the other evil; this other law is a transgression of the law of God, and which he observed to be "in his members", i.e. in the members of his body; not that it had its seat only, or chiefly in his body, and the parts of it, but because it exerted itself by them, it made use of them to fulfil its lusts: the same phrase is used in the Targum on Psa 38:3; which renders the words there thus, there is no peace, "in my members" because of my sin: now this law was, says he, warring against the law of my mind; by the "law of his mind" is meant, either the law of God written on his mind in conversion, and which he delighted in, and served with his mind, as renewed by the Spirit of God; or the new nature in him, the principle of grace wrought in his mind, called "the law" of it, because it was the governing principle there; which reigns, and will reign in every regenerate person through righteousness, unto eternal life, though the law of sin opposes all its force and power against it; that is not only contrary to it, lusts against it, but wars, and commits acts of hostility against it: the state of regenerate persons is a warfare, they have many enemies to combat with, as Satan and the world; but those of their own household, within themselves, in their own hearts, are the worst of all; there is a civil war in them, as it were a company of two armies, flesh and spirit, sin and grace, combating together; and so it will be as long as this life lasts; so true is that saying of the Jews (m), in which they agree with the apostle, "as long as the righteous live, , "they are at war with the corruption of their nature"; when they die they are at rest:'' hence we read of , "the war of the evil imagination" (n): but what is worst of all, this is sometimes bringing them into captivity to the law of sin, which is in their members; that is, to itself; for the law in the members, and the law of sin in the members, must be the same: and it may be said to bring into captivity to itself, when it only endeavours to do it, though it does not effect it; for sometimes words which express an effect only design the endeavour to effect, but not that itself; see Eze 24:13. But admitting that this phrase intends the real and actual effecting of it, it is to be understood of a captivity to sin, different from that an unregenerate man is in; who is a voluntary captive to sin and Satan, gives up himself to such slavery and bondage, and rather goes, than is brought or carried into it; whereas a regenerate man is, through the force of sin, and power of temptation, violently drawn and carried into captivity; in which he is held against his will, and to his great uneasiness: besides, this expression does not denote absolute dominion, which sin has not over a regenerate man; nor is it utterly inconsistent with his character as such; for as a subject of one nation may be taken a prisoner, and be carried captive into another nation, and yet remain a subject where he was, and does not become one of that country of which he is carried captive; so a regenerate man, being carried captive by sin, does not come under the absolute dominion of sin, or cease to be a subject of the kingdom of grace, or in other words, a regenerate person: moreover, the very phrase of "bringing into captivity" supposes that the person before was not a captive; whereas every unregenerate man one, was always so, and never otherwise: add to all this, that this captivity was very distressing and uneasy to the person, and makes him cry out, "O wretched man", &c. whereas the captivity of an unregenerate person is very agreeable to him; he likes his prison, he loves his chains, and do not choose to be in any other state and condition; though, as the Jews (o) say, there is no captivity , "like the captivity of the soul"; and nothing so grieving and afflictive to a good man as that is. The apostle uses much such language as his countrymen do, who frequently represent man as having two principles in him, the one good, the other bad; the one they call , "the evil imagination", or corruption of nature; the other they call , "the good imagination", or principle of grace and goodness; which they say (p), are at continual war with each other, and the one is sometimes "carried captive" by the other. The good imagination, they say (q), is like to one that , "is bound in a prison"; as it is said, "out of prison he cometh to reign"; to which agrees what they say (r), "how shall I serve my Creator whilst I am , "a captive to my corruption", and a servant to my lust?'' (m) Bereshit Rabba, Parash. 9. fol. 7. 4. (n) Tzeror Hammer, fol. 93. 3. & 113. 3. & 115. 2. & 144. 4. & 145. 1, 2. (o) Caphtor, fol. 14. 2. (p) Zohar in Gen. fol. 56. 3. (q) Pirke Abot R. Nathan, c. 16. fol. 5. 2. (r) Machzor Jud. Hispan. apud L. Capell. in Rom. vi. 16.”

“I delight in the law of God after the inward man - Every Jew, and every unregenerate man, who receives the Old Testament as a revelation from God, must acknowledge the great purity, excellence and utility of its maxims, etc., though he will ever find that without the grace of our Lord Jesus he can never act according to those heavenly maxims; and without the mercy of God, can never be redeemed from the curse entailed upon him for his past transgressions. To say that the inward man means the regenerate part of the soul, is supportable by no argument. Ὁ εσω ανθρωπος, and ὁ εντος ανθρωπος, especially the latter, are expressions frequently in use among the purest Greek ethic writers, to signify the soul or rational part of man, in opposition to the body of flesh. See the quotations in Wetstein from Plato and Plotinus. The Jews have the same form of expression; so in Yalcut Rubeni, fol. 10, 3, it is said: The flesh is the inward garment of the man; but the Spirit is the Inward man, the garment of which is the body; and St. Paul uses the phrase in precisely the same sense in Co2 4:16, and Eph 3:16. If it be said that it is impossible for an unregenerate man to delight in the law of God, the experience of millions contradicts the assertion. Every true penitent admires the moral law, longs most earnestly for a conformity to it, and feels that he can never be satisfied till he awakes up after this Divine likeness; and he hates himself, because he feels that he has broken it, and that his evil passions are still in a state of hostility to it. The following observations of a pious and sensible writer on this subject cannot be unacceptable: "The inward man always signifies the mind; which either may, or may not, be the subject of grace. That which is asserted of either the inward or outward man is often performed by one member or power, and not with the whole. If any member of the body perform an action, we are said to do it with the body, although the other members be not employed. In like manner, if any power or faculty of the mind be employed about any action, the soul is said to act. This expression, therefore, I delight in the law of God after the inward man, can mean no more than this, that there are some inward faculties in the soul which delight in the law of God. This expression is particularly adapted to the principles of the Pharisees, of whom St. Paul was one before his conversion. They received the law as the oracles of God, and confessed that it deserved the most serious regard. Their veneration was inspired by a sense of its original, and a full conviction that it was true. To some parts of it they paid the most superstitious regard. They had it written upon their phylacteries, which they carried about with them at all times. It was often read and expounded in their synagogues: and they took delight in studying its precepts. On that account, both the prophets and our Lord agree in saying that they delighted in the law of God, though they regarded not its chief and most essential precepts." See farther observations on this point at the end of the chapter, (Rom 7:22-25 (note)). So far, then, is it from being true that none but a Regenerate man can delight in the law of God, we find that even a proud, unhumbled Pharisee can do it; and much more a poor sinner, who is humbled under a sense of his sin, and sees, in the light of God, not only the spirituality, but the excellence of the Divine law.”

“I am delighted with the law of God according to the inward man. As long as the inward man, or man’s interior, is right, all is right. — (I perceive another law in my members, fighting, and different from the law of my mind: this is true in any man just striving against and resisting temptations, but not of the sinner, whose mind also and will consent to them. A man can never lose God’s favour and grace, unless his mind and interior consent. — These hold me as it were captive in the law of sin, or sinful inclinations, but which are in the members only. I cry out, who shall deliver me from the body of this death, from this mortal body with its sinful lusts, which if consented to would bring death to the soul? Nothing but the grace of Jesus Christ can secure me from such temptations, and by freeing me from this body, can make me perfectly happy; which cannot be hoped for in this life. But I have still this greatest of consolations, that I myself, with my mind and will, still serve God, and remain firm in obedience to his laws; but with the flesh, or in the flesh, I am subject to the law of sin, i.e. of sinful inclinations. — We must avoid here two heretical errors; that of those late pretended reformers, who denying man’s free will, hold the commandments of God impossible, even to a just man. See also the first heretical proposition of Jansenius. Next we must detest the late abominable error of those called Quietists, who blushed not to say that a man might yield and abandon himself to the most shameful disorders of the flesh, pretending that it was not they themselves, but sin and the devil that caused these abominations in their flesh. St. Augustine foresaw this frivolous excuse: (lib. i. de. nup. and Concup. chap. xxviii.) “That man (saith he) is in a grievous mistake, who, consenting to the concupiscence of the flesh, and to do what the flesh prompts him to, thinks he can still say: It is not I that do that,” &c. (Witham) Bible Text & Cross-references: We are released by Christ from the law, and from the guilt of sin: though the inclination to it still tempt us. 1 Know you not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law) that the law hath dominion over a man as long as it liveth? 2 *For the woman that hath a husband, whilst her husband liveth, is bound to the law: but if her husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. 3 Wherefore, whilst her husband liveth, she shall be called an adulteress, if she be with another man: but if her husband be dead, she is free from the law of her husband: so that she is not an adulteress, if she be with another man. 4 Therefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law, by the body of Christ: that you may belong to another, who is risen again from the dead, that we may bring forth fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members, to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we are loosed from the law of death, wherein we were detained, so that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. 7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. But I did not know sin, but by the law: for I had not known concupiscence, if the law had not said: *Thou shalt not covet. 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law, sin was dead. 9 And I lived some time without the law. But when the commandment came, sin revived, 10 And I died: and the commandment, that was ordained to life, the same was found to be unto death to me. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, seduced me, and by it killed me . 12 *Wherefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was that then which is good, made death to me? God forbid. But sin, that it may appear sin, by that which is good, wrought death in me: that sin, by the commandment, might become sinful above measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I work, I understand not. For I do not that good which I will, but the evil which I hate, that I do. 16 If, then, I do that which I will not, I consent to the law, that it is good. 17 Now, then, it is no more I that do it; but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is to say, in my flesh, that which is good. For to will, is present with me; but to accomplish that which is good, I find not. 19 For the good which I will, I do not: but the evil which I will not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that which I will not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that when I have a will to do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I am delighted with the law of God, *according to the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, fighting against the law of my mind, and captivating me in the law of sin, that is in my members. 24 Unhappy man that I am: who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 The grace of God, by Jesus Christ our Lord. Therefore, I myself, with the mind, serve the law of God: but, with the flesh, the law of sin.”