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Romans 7, Sanctification, and the Christian Life
By Dave JenkinsWhy do Christians still struggle with sin after coming to Christ? Many believers quietly wrestle with this question. They love the Lord, desire holiness, and want to obey God, yet they still battle temptation, discouragement, and remaining weakness.In this episode of Anchored in the Word, Dave Jenkins explains what Romans 7 teaches about the ongoing battle with sin in the Christian life. Christians are no longer slaves to sin, but sanctification is still ongoing. Believers fight sin from a place of grace, not condemnation, because Christ has already secured forgiveness, righteousness, and peace with God for His people.Listen and Watch
Episode Highlights
- Why Christians still battle sin after salvation
- What Romans 7 teaches about remaining sin
- The difference between justification and sanctification
- How Romans 6, 7, and 8 fit together
- Why the struggle with sin is not proof God has abandoned you
- How believers can fight sin through the power of the Holy Spirit
- The hope of Romans 8:1 for discouraged Christians
Key Scriptures
- Romans 7:18–19
- Romans 8:1
- Galatians 5:17
- 1 John 1:8–9
- Philippians 1:6
Episode Summary
Romans 7 gives believers one of the clearest explanations of the ongoing struggle with sin. Paul describes the tension Christians experience between the new desires created by the Spirit and the remaining presence of sin in the flesh.The Christian life involves real spiritual conflict. Believers have been justified completely in Christ, yet sanctification continues until they go to be with the Lord. This means Christians experience both genuine love for God and an ongoing battle against sinful desires.The good news is that the believer’s hope is not found in personal perfection, but in Jesus Christ alone. Romans 8:1 reminds Christians, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Because of Christ, believers fight sin from grace, not condemnation.Subscribe to Anchored in the Word
Anchored in the Word is a weekly segment of the Servants of Grace podcast designed to help Christians stay rooted in Scripture, grow in sound doctrine, and apply God’s Word to everyday life.Visit the Anchored in the Word page to find more episodes, or watch the full playlist on the Servants of Grace YouTube channel.
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah, and lives in beautiful Southern Oregon. He is a writer, editor, and speaker who loves Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology.
Dave serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries and the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine. He is the Host and Producer of the Equipping You in Grace Podcast and a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word.
He is the author of The War of Worldviews: Truth, Lies, and the Battle for the Christian Mind (Theology for Life, 2026), Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021).
You can connect with Dave on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, or subscribe to his newsletter.
When he is not engaged in ministry work, Dave enjoys spending time with his wife, going to movies, sharing a meal at a favorite restaurant, or playing a round of golf with friends. He is also a voracious reader, particularly of Reformed theology and the Puritans, and is often found working through a stack of new books from a wide range of Christian publishers.
Dave earned his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
