Learning To Live (Romans 8:1-11)
For weeks, we’ve been wrestling with the challenge of change. We’ve seen how sin fights to sit on the throne of our hearts, pulling us toward desires that lead us away from God. Our spirits long to do what’s right, but our flesh—those cravings, emotions, and urges—often feels like an anchor dragging us down. Romans 7:21–23 paints this struggle vividly: “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.” Sound familiar? It’s the spiritual battle we all feel. But are we doomed to stay stuck in this battle until we die? Or is real change possible?
Today, we shift to the hope-filled truth of Romans 8. Paul moves from the despair of sin’s grip to the freedom found when we put God on the throne of our hearts. Let’s explore the key to lasting change: the transformative power of the Spirit.
Learning To Trust the Spirit’s Victory
Romans 8:1–4 (ESV) — 1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
This is incredible news! The “law of the Spirit of life” breaks the chains of sin and death. Through Jesus’ sacrifice, God did what we could never do: He defeated sin’s power over us. Colossians 2:13–15 echoes this, saying God “canceled the record of debt that stood against us” by nailing it to the cross, disarming the forces that accuse us. Imagine a courtroom where every charge against you is dropped—not because you’re perfect, but because Jesus paid to set you free. That’s the freedom we have in Christ. Sin no longer has the final word; the Spirit does.
So, what does this mean for us? It means we’re not condemned, even as we battle in our flesh. When you fall short, do you feel saddened and depressed? Your feelings aren’t in touch with reality. In actuality, sin has already been dethroned by the Spirit. Do not be deceived. Trust in the victory we have in Christ. Trust in the fact that you have left the realm of sin and death and entered into the realm of the Spirit of life. Put God back in His rightful place and keep fighting the spiritual battle.
The texts we are looking at today are empowering us to live differently, fulfilling His righteous requirements not by our strength but through the knowledge of what God has done for us. What is the sin that you regret and hate yourself for? Drop it at the cross and move forward to righteousness.
Learning To Choose Your Focus (5-8)
Romans 8:5–8 lays out a clear choice:
Romans 8:5–8 (ESV) — 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Think of life as a fork in the road. One path is the flesh—chasing self-centered desires, like pride, comfort, or instant gratification. This path leads to death, not just physically but spiritually, as it pulls us away from God’s purpose. The other path is the Spirit—aligning our minds with God’s will, submitting to God, and seeking to please Him. This path leads to life and peace.
Choosing between the flesh and the Spirit is like standing in your kitchen after a long day. You’re tired, and that bag of chips or takeout menu looks so easy—scrolling social media or snapping at your family feels the same way. It’s tempting but leaves you empty. Now, picture choosing a fresh, home-cooked meal—maybe it’s reading a Bible verse or taking a moment to pray before reacting. It takes effort, but it fills you with peace and strength. Romans 8:5–8 says setting your mind on the flesh leads to death, but focusing on the Spirit brings life.
So, ask yourself: Where is your mind set? Are you chasing fleeting pleasures or seeking God’s will? I’ve spoken to and been around a lot of people who claim they love God, but they aren’t living for Him. They are living for passions and desires that conflict with God, choosing to focus on what pleases them and makes them feel good. I’ve struggled with those same bad decisions. Those decisions lead us to an unhealthy relationship with God. That’s living by the flesh and rebelling against God.
Instead, we all must choose to focus our minds on God’s will with every decision we make, even the small ones. Living by the Spirit means constantly choosing to live by God’s Word with a heart eager to please Him, letting His truth shape your choices.
Learning To Change From Within (9-11)
The last words we are going to look at are so uplifting for the Romans. In the last section, they might look at themselves and think, “Oh no! I’m in the flesh. I will surely die!” But this text gets them back in touch with reality.
Romans 8:9–11 (ESV) — 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Notice here that Paul doesn’t say you are in the Spirit, if you are making all the right choices and always focusing perfectly on God’s will. But the condition is that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Paul uses the phrase “in the Spirit” like he spoke about being in Christ to show a unity with God. Being in the Spirit and having the Spirit in us reminds me of Jesus’ prayer in John 17 that His followers would be one with Him and the Father. The Spirit dwelling in us aligns our desires with God’s.
A lot of people wonder what it means for the Spirit to be in us, but it means the exact opposite of sin dwelling in us and taking control of us to bring us death. If we choose to set our minds on the Spirit—loving what God loves, hating what He hates—we belong to Him. And here’s the promise: The same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to our mortal bodies. God isn’t just saving our souls for heaven; He’s transforming us now, making us holy, reshaping our desires to reflect His.
This echoes Ezekiel 36:26–27, where God promises, “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you… I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes.” God is at work, sanctifying us, bringing our fleshly desires in line with His will. Change isn’t just possible—it’s God’s promise. Our ability to change goes from dialup to fiber. He has infused us with new life!
Application
So, how do we change?
- Reject the lie of condemnation. When we stumble, Satan’s first tactic is accusation: “See? You’ll never change.” Romans 8:1 is your shield: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” When guilt hits, don’t wallow. Confess, thank God for Christ’s victory, and get back up. Don’t live like you’re on probation — live like you’re adopted because you are!
- Starve the flesh, feed the Spirit. Paul says the “mind set on the flesh” leads to death. That’s what you give attention to. Audit your week. Where do you habitually feed the flesh (scrolling, gossip, self-indulgence)? Where do you feed the Spirit (prayer, Scripture, service)? Make one deliberate shift this week — replace a flesh-feeding habit with a Spirit-feeding one.
- Live in resurrection hope. After we have been accepted into Christ, we have a new life. God wants us to see ourselves as risen from spiritual death to live anew. This new life isn’t supposed to be spent serving sin, but uniting ourselves with our God. This is a relationship that is similar to a marriage. We are learning about ourselves and learning about the one we are in a covenant with. We are constantly changing to please them and become the person we should have been all along.
Conclusion
Change isn’t easy, but it’s not hopeless. The law of the Spirit of life sets us free from sin’s grip. By choosing to walk in the Spirit, we align ourselves with God’s purpose, and His Spirit works in us to make us holy. Let’s leave today asking: What’s one step I can take to set my mind on the Spirit this week? May we trust God’s promise to give life to our mortal bodies and lead us into true, lasting change.