https://youtu.be/MUUW4mVAD
In our verse by verse study of Romans when we ran out of time last time we were on the last prepositional phrase of Rom 7:20; "en" (in) plus the locative of "ego" (me) "in me." so our Expanded Translation Rom 7:20 "But if what I do not desire this I keep doing, I am no longer the one doing it, but the sin nature residing in me."
We see from that that the old sin nature makes a counter attack against Bible Doctrine in attempt to resist God's purpose and will in the believer.
The old sin nature is the origin of sin, good and evil from physical birth but now that the believer is married to Jesus Christ, the second husband the believer cannot go back to the sin and trends of the sin nature, the ex-husband without the believer wanting to and making that volitional choice.
That means that when a believer sins it is because the believer chooses for the lusts and pleasures of the physical body and against God, Jesus Christ and God's Word of Truth because when a believer commits sins it is because the believer made the volitional choice to sin.
The conflict between the believer's purpose to please Jesus Christ and the desire to fulfill the lusts of the old sin nature while living in this world is a constant source of pressure in which the true purpose and meaning of the Christian life are stopped by the choice to pursue the temptations from the lust patterns of the old sin nature.
The OSN provides both lust and the motivation for the believer's bad decisions from the volitional involvement in the trends of sin, good and evil. The believer is not excused because he makes a free will volitional choice to give in to the pressures from the sin nature.
Remember sin, human good, and evil is the exclusive product of the volitional choices the believer makes.
Therefore the sin nature as first husband is constantly trying to get the believer as the ex-wife back under his control. When he succeeds the believer is described as a carnal reversionist because they are under the influence of evil.
This leads to the concept of the co-existence of both good and evil that is described in the next verse,
Rom 7:21; "I find then the principle." The inferential particle "ara" (then), in the apodosis of a conditional sentence used to express a result so it should be translated as either "consequently" or "as a result."
With it is the present active indicative of the verb "heurisko" (I find). The present tense is a historical present that views a past discovery with the clarity of a present occurrence. The active voice tells us that Paul discovered this phenomenon of good and evil co-existing in conflict within himself.
The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the viewpoint of reality. Plus the accusative singular direct object from "nomos" (law or principle) with the definite article "ho" (the) that is used as a demonstrative pronoun making it monadic so it is refers specifically to a rule, law or principle that governs one's actions.
So far we will translate it as "Consequently I discovered this principle." The principle has to do with the co-existence of God's Word of Truth from Jesus Christ, the new husband and evil desires from the old sin nature the ex-husband.
This means that a conflict arises after Jesus Christ teaches the believer some Bible doctrine because Bible doctrine contradicts and refutes the evil.
In the Greek the next phrase is "that when I want to do the good" The conjunction "hoti" (that) tells us that the content of the ruling principle does not occur until after the dependent clause.
The dependent clause starts with the present active participle from the verb "thelo" (to want, to wish, to desire, to purpose, to will, or to resolve) with the indirect object "ego" (me or I).
The customary present tense describes what is expected from a believer as a member of God's royal family. The active voice: Paul represents himself as a reversionistic believer in order to explain the situation even though he is not reversionistic when writes this because he has to be filled with the Spirit to write it.
So far we have "that when I desire or want." Plus the present active infinitive of the verb "poieo" (to do) that is an iterative present tense that is used to describe something that recurs at successive intervals in time.
The active voice: Paul represents himself as the believer in conflict. Then the direct object from the adjective used as a substantive, "kalos" (good or honorable) with the definite article "ho" (the) making it monadic so it exclusively refers to "the good or honorable."
The honorable includes keeping on being filled with the Spirit through the acknowledgment of any known sin when necessary and the daily function of GASP that builds up epignosis doctrine for the attainment of the objective of experiential adjustment to God's justice in spiritual maturity.
"that in me the evil is present" or "that in me the evil resides." The locative of sphere from the personal pronoun "ego" (me), preceded by "hoti" (that) indicating the content of the principle. Plus the nominative neuter singular from the adjective substantive "kakos" (evil) with the definite article "ho" (the) referring specifically to the sin nature not to personal sins.
Along with the present middle indicative of the verb "parakeimai" (to be present or to reside in) so we have "that the principle of evil resides in me." The present tense is a retroactive progressive present because evil has resided in us from the moment of our physical birth and it will continue to reside in us until our physical death.
In other words, evil came with the imputation of Adam's sin to its genetically formed home, the old sin nature from biological birth. The filling ministry of God the Holy Spirit and Bible doctrine resident and circulating in the soul from spiritual birth counteracts the residence of the evil.
The indirect middle voice tells us that the evil produces the action of the verb when we use our volition to permit it. The indicative mood is declarative for a dogmatic statement of absolute truth.
Expanded Translation Rom 7:21; "Consequently I discovered the principle that when I desire to do the honorable, that the evil resides in me."
Rom 7:22; In the NASB "For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man." The postpositive conjunctive particle "gar" (for) is used to express a basis, reason or cause of something.
Then the present passive indicative of the verb "suneidomai" ([sun = with; eidomai = enjoy) (joyfully or to be delighted with something, along with those in the periphery). "For along with other believers I am joyful."
This is the customary present tense that is used to describe something that may reasonably be expected to happen. This is a deponent verb so it is a passive verb that functions as an active verb.
Paul represents himself as a believer who is positive toward doctrine so he produces the action. The indicative mood is the potential indicative of obligation. It is our obligation to put something into our soul to counter the residence of the evil of the OSN.
The only thing that can do that is God's Word of Truth that is described with the singular noun "nomos" (law). This is the third use of the word in this passage in this case it is used for doctrine in a general sense.
Law from God exclusively refers to Bible doctrine. Plus the ablative of source "Theos" (God). God is the source of the information in the soul that offsets the evil of the OSN. The ablative of source emphasizes that the source and the origin of the doctrine is God.
The phrase "in the inner man" "kata" (in, along, over, or through) here it means "in." The accusative singular of the generic use of the definite article "ho" (the) makes it monadic so it represents a class that is set apart from all other category or class of information,
Plus the adverb "eso" (inner or inside)" with the generic use of " anthropon" (man) "in the inner man." The inner man refers to the soul that is the battleground for the conflict because that is where every choice is made. The volition of the soul determines everything that we do.
Expanded Translation Rom 7:22; "For along with other believers I delight in the law from God in the inner man."
We see from this that without Bible doctrine resident in the soul there is no inner conflict because there is no divine good viewpoint to challenge the evil propaganda of the old sin nature.
Bible doctrine resident in the soul is not only the means of attaining the status of spiritual maturity that glorifies Jesus Christ, but it is also the means for combating the attacks from the old sin nature in the inner battle in the soul.
The filling of God the Holy Spirit enables the perception, the understanding and the application of doctrine and the innovation that is required to combat and defeat the propaganda of the OSN with the application of God's Word of Truth.
Bible doctrine not only defines sin but it also reveals the true nature of good and evil. Many believers are ambushed by good and evil because they don't understand it.
In this battle you not only have to know the terrain (soul) but you have to know the objectives within that terrain. You also have to understand the old sin nature that is the opposition. The opposition also seeks to distract from the inculcation of God's Word of Truth.
Rom 7:23; describes the opposition. "But I see a different law in the members of my body." The postpositive conjunctive particle "de" (but) is used to connect one clause with another with a contrast.
In this case the contrast comes from the opposition to Bible doctrine. Then we have the present active indicative of the verb "blepo" (see). "Blepo "is used when you have some doctrine that you have learned and finally have a chance to use it. The present tense is the aoristic present for momentary action in present time.
In an instant of time all of these doctrines that have been collected in the stream of consciousness of the soul are suddenly concentrated on a particular problem and launched.
The active voice explains that Paul the human writer uses himself as the illustration for the discovery of the inner conflict. The indicative mood is declarative representing the verbal action from the viewpoint of reality.
With it is the accusative singular adjective "heteros" (a different or another kind). This is a reference to the evil, the enemy, the OSN. Plus the accusative singular direct object from "nomos" (principle)." "But I see a different or another kind of principle."
Located in the battlefield area, "en" (in) "melos" (members of the body), " ego" (my or I) in the possessive genitive-"in my members." "Melos" always refers to the body where the OSN resides. The different principle is the principle of opposition that comes from the trends of the old sin nature.
"waging war against the law of my mind" - the present middle participle from the compound verb "antistrateuomai" (making war against). It means to campaign against as a part of a war.
Paul is describing a specific time when the attack from the old sin nature occurs. The war goes on until we exit this planet by the termination of our biological body at physical death so while we are still on the earth in this biological body we will engage in many campaigns in the spiritual war.
The opposing principle is campaigning against Bible doctrine. Bible doctrine in this particular verse is fighting a defensive action to wear out the enemy and then to counterattack. The present tense is a progressive present for a state of persistence so it describes continuous linear action in present time.
The circumstantial participle is for the fact that as long as we have this biological body there is a conflict. The antagonistic principle is the operation of the old sin nature constantly attacking and campaigning against the principle of Bible doctrine that is resident in the believer's soul.
The phrase "of my mind" is the descriptive genitive singular from "nous" (mind). "Nous" is used because it refers to the left lobe of the soul. In the Greek the right lobe of the soul where decisions are made is called the " kardia" (heart).
The left lobe is where information is waiting, either to be processed over to the right lobe where it is usable, or to stay there so it can be hooked up with arrogance and pride and to be misused, distorted and abused. The attack is always on the left lobe because doctrine in the left lobe is not strong enough to resist and reject the attacks of the OSN.
Only doctrine in the" kardia" (the right lobe) causes spiritual growth. Only doctrine in the right lobe can actually advance the believer, and only doctrine in the right lobe is usable. Doctrine only fights in the right lobe it does not fight in the left lobe.
Another principle that comes from this is that if you have enough momentum from doctrinal truth the attacks won't be effective.