We can see that there are two set up principles within us. One is the evil principle set up in the members of this fallen body, in our flesh. But the other is a wonderful, a good principle, set up in our spirit. This means that both God and Satan have been installed into us. It is because of these two installments that we always have trouble. Why then, in Romans 7:25, did Paul say, “Thanks be to God”? Firstly, he said, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?” Then he answered, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ.” It is not that Jesus Christ delivers you directly. But something delivers you through Him. What is this something that delivers you through Jesus Christ? This brings us to chapter eight, which tells us that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Why? Because of another law, the law of the Spirit of life. There were three laws mentioned already in chapter seven—the Mosaic law, the law in our members which is the evil law, the law of sin, and the law of good in our mind. But now there is a fourth law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus which can deliver us and free us from the law of sin and of death. The deliverance is through Jesus Christ by the law of the Spirit of life. How could this be? For what is impossible to the law, God did it. He did it by sending His Son in the form of the flesh of sin. This means by becoming a man, by incarnation. He sent His Son concerning sin. Because of the impossibility of the law, God had to become a man. Also, because the trouble was in man, God became a man. He became a man in the form of the flesh of sin. The troubling sin is in the flesh just like a tiger is in a cave. The trouble and the problem is the tiger in the cave. If you are going to deal with the tiger, you have to be in the cave. Our flesh may be likened to the cave and sin may be likened to the tiger. The Lord Jesus was so bold that He came into the cave, into the flesh, where the tiger was. He even came in the form, in the guise, in the mask, in the appearance, of the cave. Where is this troubling sin? It is in the cave, in the flesh. Who is this troubling sin? It is Satan. This means the sin in your flesh is Satan.
Satan thought he was being wise to get into man’s flesh so that he might gain man and possess him. He didn’t know that actually he was foolish, that he was getting himself into a trap. The “tiger” got himself trapped in man. He was trapped in the flesh. Then God incarnated to become the flesh and to bring the flesh to the cross. This means when the flesh was crucified on the cross, Satan and sin were condemned. This word “condemned” implies being subdued, overcome, deprived of power. This corresponds with Hebrews 2:14. He took upon Himself the blood and the flesh so that He might destroy the Devil who has the power of death. Furthermore, Ephesians 2:15 says that He abolished the ordinances in His flesh. This corresponds with Hebrews 10:20 which says that while He was on the cross the veil which was His flesh was rent. Through the cross the flesh and sin and Satan are all finished. This means we could be released from the law of sin and of death.