THE FAITH MINDSET – PART 4

Romans 7:22–23

SERMON BIG IDEA

There is a real war within the believer, but victory is possible through Christ, a renewed mind, and a life yielded to the Spirit.

KEY TEXT

“For I delight in the law of God according to 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.”

Romans 7:22–23

INTRODUCTION

Faith is not just what we say on Sunday.

Faith is a way of thinking.

Faith is a way of seeing.

Faith is a way of processing life through the truth of God’s Word instead of fear, flesh, feeling, or past experience.

Romans 7 shows us that even when a believer truly desires God, there is still a struggle.

There is still a war.

There is still a pull in the wrong direction.

But the struggle does not mean defeat has to win.

I. THE DELIGHT WE ALL HAVE

Romans 7:22

Paul says, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.”

What this means:

- The believer really can love what God loves.

- The inward man is the renewed self awakened by the Spirit of God.

- Delight means more than agreement. It means inward affection for the will of God.

- One sign of spiritual life is that you now care about what God says.

Key truth:

A faith mindset begins with a heart that delights in God.

II. THE STRUGGLE WE ALL FACE

Romans 7:23

Paul says, “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind.”

What this means:

- “Another law” refers to another principle or power at work.

- “Members” refers to the faculties of our embodied life through which sin tries to operate.

- The law of the mind is the renewed inclination toward God.

- The law in the members is the pull of the flesh.

- There is real warfare between inward desire for holiness and the pull of sin.

Key truth:

The presence of struggle does not mean the absence of salvation.

The struggle itself shows that something in you has been made alive to God.

III. THE REALITY OF INDWELLING SIN

Paul says this other law is “bringing me into captivity to the law of sin.”

What this means:

- Sin is not just an outside temptation.

- Sin still seeks to operate as an indwelling enemy.

- Romans 6 makes clear that sin is no longer our master.

- But Romans 7 reminds us that sin still fights.

Key truth:

Although sin has been dethroned, it has not gone silent.

IV. THE BATTLE IS ALSO IN THE MIND

The enemy fights hard for your mind because:

- If he can influence your thinking, he can weaken your believing.

- If he can weaken your believing, he can affect your living.

The faith mindset recognizes that the battle is not only in behavior.

The battle is also in thought patterns, influences, appetites, and what we continually yield to.

V. THE SOLUTION FOR MAINTAINING VICTORY

Victory is not found in pretending the struggle is not there.

Victory is not found in shame.

Victory is not found in self-reliance.

Victory is found in Christ, in renewing the mind, and in yielding to God.

Practical ways victory is maintained:

- Refuse to feed the flesh.

- Fill the heart with the Word of God.

- Present yourself to God.

- Walk in the Spirit.

- Keep your mind under the authority of Scripture.

Key truth:

The law can reveal the battle, but only Christ gives the victory.

Romans 7 shows the struggle.

Romans 8 shows the answer.

VI. FOUR THINGS THAT SHAPE OUR THINKING

1. Environment

What surrounds you affects what settles in you.

2. Repetitious information

Whatever is repeated gets rooted.

3. Credible others

The voices you trust shape the beliefs you form.

4. Experiences

If you are not careful, your experiences will start talking louder than your Bible.

Key truth:

The faith mindset says, “What happened to me does not get the final word. God’s Word gets the final word.”

VII. HOW TO GET THE WORD IN YOUR HEART

- Hear the Word.

 Romans 10:17

- Read and study the Word.

 2 Timothy 2:15

- Hide the Word in your heart.

 Psalm 119:11

- Speak the Word.

 Proverbs 18:21

- Meditate on the Word.

Key truth:

When the Word gets in your heart, it reshapes your thinking.

When it reshapes your thinking, it strengthens your believing.

When it strengthens your believing, it changes your living.

VIII. THE CLOSING PICTURE

A city may have walls, watchmen, and gates, but if the gate is left open to the enemy, the danger comes because somebody let in what should have been kept out.

Many believers truly love God, but keep leaving the gate open.

They let bitterness in.

They let fear in.

They let lust in.

They let offense in.

They let wrong voices in.

Call to action:

Close the gate.

Close the gate on every influence that feeds your flesh.

Open wide the gate to the Word of God, the presence of God, the Spirit of God, and the will of God.

MAIN TAKEAWAYS

- You can delight in God and still feel a war within.

- The struggle is real, but defeat is not inevitable.

- The flesh does not have to rule you.

- Your mind must be renewed by the Word of God.

- Victory belongs to the believer who yields fully to Christ.

SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES

- Romans 7:22–23

- Romans 6:6

- Romans 6:12–13

- Galatians 5:17

- Psalm 119:11

- Romans 10:17

- 2 Timothy 2:15

- Proverbs 18:21

- Romans 8:2

CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE

Ask yourself:

- What gate have I left open?

- What has been discipling my mind more than Scripture?

- What have I been feeding that is strengthening the flesh?

- Where do I need to yield again to the Holy Spirit?

FINAL DECLARATION

I delight in the law of God after the inward man.

I will not let sin reign.

I will not feed my flesh.

I will renew my mind.

I will hide the Word in my heart.

And by the grace of God, I will walk in victory.

That is the faith mindset.