Romans 7:14-25
There Is A Black Dog and a White Dog

Introduction
1. Romans 6-8 deal with Sanctification. Chapter 6 Freedom from Sin: Know (my identity in
Christ) …Reckon (I don’t have to yield to sin). Yield (I determine who I yield to…sin or the
Savior). Obey (I do what God wants me to do…I choose). Chapter 7 Freedom from the Law
Law is me doing something for God. Grace is God does it through me. There is nothing wrong
with the Law. There is something wrong with me. The Law to Paul was a Mirror…a
Magistrate…a Measure. The Law was never meant to give life. It was given to expose sin and
show us our need of a Savior.
2. You are right in the middle of your devotions and your mind wanders, you are filled with
unwholesome thoughts, your eyes become heavy…why is that?
3. What I am about to say has nothing to do with race. It has everything to do with who and
what we are. There is a black dog and a white dog on the inside of each believer. The black
dog is the Flesh…the white dog is the Spirit.
4. The Christian life isn’t a piece of cake. It feels as though you are in a constant struggle.
5. Romans 7:14-25 we are reminded of the struggle. Some feel this refers to Paul’s lost state.
Some say it was before a second work of grace or a carnal Christian. Notice Paul continues
with a personal testimony which began in verse 7. He uses the present tense which refers to a
recent experience. Here is a Christian wanting to do God’s will, but in their own strength.

Are you living the Christian life in your own strength? There is a Black dog and a White dog.
I. OUR FRUSTRATION IN OUR OWN STRENGTH 7:14-17
I is a key and is used 26 times in these verses. “Flesh” …Self-life trying to do the will of God.
A. The Principle of “I” 14
1. The Law is spiritual and is the expressed will of God. That which is going to fulfill the expressed will of God is Spirit. This gets right to the heart.
2. I am carnal…fleshly Flesh: a condition in man that causes him to operate out of his own resources; meeting his own needs through his own strength. It is functioning apart for Christ’s control; a behavior and mind set that is directly opposite to who we are in Christ. I am sold under sin. It says in (6:14) sin shall not have dominion (6:17, 18) In Spirit (the Spirit side of us) we are a slave to righteousness. While the Soul (thinker, feeler and chooser which is unredeemed) struggles with sin as an ongoing encounter.
3. There is a struggle between the Soul (which is unredeemed) and Spirit (which is redeemed and desire to do the will of God). When a Christian tries to live by the flesh…sin deceives us.
B. The Power of “I” 15,16
1. How frustrating: I want to do right. These are the things I want to do, BUT I can’t do them. But what I hate there are somethings I don’t want to do…yet I find myself doing those very things.
2. There is nothing wrong with the expressed will of God. There is something wrong with me!
C. The Problem of “I” 17
1. It is no longer I…Paul makes this statement twice in this passage (v. 20).
2. We have a spirit, soul and body. These are distinct one from the other. The redeemed spirit never wants to do what God prohibits. “Sin Principle” is the world, the flesh and the devil. The Flesh can never please God and the old nature is always at work.
3. The Spirit side is the new nature. These are in constant conflict.

Are you living the Christian life in your own strength? There is a Black dog and a White dog.
II. OUR FAILURE IN OUR OWN STRENGTH 7:18-23
There is a division between “I” and “me” v. 20
A. The Principle of the Division 18
1. Flesh is Flesh…look at the definition. There is US Prime: we sing, preach, teach, witness. There is Yucky Flesh: adultery, rape, murder, world’s music, world’s dress and language, etc.
2. Let’s say this pen is Jesus in me. Put your hand around the pen which is Flesh. Flesh hides Jesus Christ.
3. To will is present … this can’t be one that is lost!
B. The Problem of the Division 19
1. But to perform the good I find not. Failure: This one knows what is right, what he should do, but He doesn’t do it. Sound familiar??!
2. I know I should pray, read the Word, witness, be faithful to God’s house. But I don’t! I know I should love my wife as Christ. I know I should spend more time with my family.But I don’t!
C. The Present in the Division 20,21
1. I and Me…There is an I that wants to do what God wants, and there is sin that dwelleth in me…which is different from I.
2. In the Soul lying dormant is sin…a principle of sin. It is a sleeping lion waiting to wake up and pounce! When it does Paul ends up failing.
3. There is a me that runs our members (our Body) which is our hands, feet, eyes, tongue, sex organs. That me gives orders to do something wrong. I doesn’t like it or knows it is wrong and doesn’t want it.
4. Will power is never enough. Sin will win and do what we swore we would never do. Evil is always there (21)
D. The Power in the Division 22,23
There are 4 laws. We will look at two laws:
1. The Law of My Mind It is similar to the inner man who delights in the law of God. This is not someone who is lost. We want to look, talk and act like Jesus.
2. The Law of My Members There is another principle at work. It seems identical to the law (principle) of sin. The principle of sin asserts itself in my members (must be the same as 6:13). I want to do right BUT: ‘eyes’ looks with lust… ‘tongue’ wags with gossip, lies, unkindness… ‘ear’ strains to hear the improper and impure.

Are you living the Christian life in your own strength? There is a Black dog and a White dog.
III. OUR FUTILITY IN OUR OWN STRENGTH 7:24
A. “Brokenness” Wretched man…You can become no weakerBrokenness is an event and
process. It is an event when we realize that the circumstance in which we find ourselves is from God. It becomes a process when we realize that every trying and difficult event is the Lord bringing us to ‘little brokenness’s.’ The event could take the form of trouble, failure, physical illness, disappointment, rejection, betrayal of a loved one or friend, or frustration with a career. The end result of ‘brokenness’ is that it brings us to the end of ourselves.
B. Body of death…reminds us of certain Roman punishment for murder. The murdered victim was tied face to face, hand to hand, foot to foot tossed into the hot sun until the body decayed. He was free to move around but bound to this body.
C. God is endeavoring to bring me to the end or myself.

Are you living the Christian life in your own strength? There is a Black dog and a White dog.
IV. OUR FULFILLMENT OVER OUR OWN STRENGTH 7:25
A. The Power in the Fulfillment 25a
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the answer for the saved and lost!
B. The Principles in the Fulfillment 25b
In ourselves we can do nothing!!
SELFERS’ PRAYER: By faith I yield myself (including my will, my mind, and emotions) to the indwelling Christ. Do with me whatever you choose. Glorify and manifest Your Son in my life.

There is a black dog and a white dog on the inside of each believer.
“Which one wins?” Whichever one you feed.