Romans 6: 12-23 Not under Law but under grace

 

The Battle We Fight

If we are following Paul’s writing in Romans, we have just read about the incredible reality of what Jesus has done for us. Earlier in chapter 6 Paul speaks of how we have been buried with Christ in baptism and then raised to walk in newness of life. It’s a glorious, mountain-top truth. We can take certain verses from Romans on a Sunday morning and feel very triumphant.

But then Monday morning comes.

We wake up, and we face the harsh reality of the world we live in. We face the reality of ourselves. Despite being inspired on Sunday by what we read or heard…We struggle with doing, even thinking, the right things the very next day. You’re not alone. It’s a universal human experience, isn't it?

We live in an age of unbelievable advancement. We have the internet—the vast expanse of human knowledge right at our fingertips. We can access the greatest art, the deepest theology, and the answers to almost any question in a fraction of a second. And yet, what does humanity mostly use it for? Searching for cat videos and pornography.

There is a deep, systemic glitch in the human condition. Paul calls it sin.

But what actually is sin? It is far more than just a list of bad things we shouldn't do. Sin is the reality that there are many things that distance humanity from God and from one another. It includes the things we do on purpose—our deliberate choices to compromise. It includes the things we fail to do—our omissions, our silences, our lack of love. And it includes those larger, structural social realities that reveal the deep brokenness of our world.

It leaves us with a profound, aching question. If we have died with Christ, as Paul argued so beautifully at the start of Romans 6, why do we still struggle so much with sin? What difference does "being united to Christ" actually make on a wet Tuesday afternoon? See – see, at least I’m moving you on from the depressing Monday morning.

If we are completely forgiven, if grace covers it all, then why bother? Does it even matter?

At first glance, this passage in Romans looks deeply doctrinal. It feels like a heavy piece of theological architecture. But when you scratch the surface, it is profoundly pastoral. It gets right to the heart of how we live, how we struggle, and who we are.

Living in the In-Between

To understand what Paul is doing here, we have to look at the context of the whole letter. In verse 12, Paul starts with a massive word:

"Therefore..."

Whenever you see a "therefore" in the Bible, you have to ask what it’s there for! Paul is in the middle of a roaring argument. He is building on what he has just said about Christ’s victory over death.

He introduces this language of "reigning." He talks about a new kingdom. But here is the tension we all feel: we have moved kingdoms, yet we still live in the "in-between" time. We live in the tension between Jesus’ definitive victory on the cross and His final return.

The war has been won, but the battles are still raging. The enemy has been defeated, but he hasn't laid down his weapons yet.

Paul writes: "Do not let sin reign in your mortal body."

Notice that phrase: mortal body. This battle isn't just an intellectual game or a spiritual exercise; it is worked out in our physical, everyday existence. We still inhabit these mortal bodies. In some ways, we feel trapped by our old habits, our old physical impulses, our old ways of thinking. We are striving to live spiritually in the new reality of Jesus’ risen grace, but we are still constrained.

When Jesus rose from the dead, He had a new resurrection body. He could walk through locked doors; He was no longer bound by the limitations of the old creation. But you and I? We aren't there yet. We are still waiting for that final redemption. And in the meantime, the pressure is on.

Whose Team Are You On?

Paul shifts his language to the imagery of conflict. In verse 13, he tells us not to present our members as "instruments" of wickedness. Now, the English word "instruments" sounds quite neutral—like a tool, or maybe a musical instrument. But the Greek word Paul uses here is Hopla.

Hopla doesn't mean a tool. It means a weapon. It means armour. It’s the word from which we get Hoplites—the heavily armed ancient Greek soldiers.

Paul uses this word elsewhere in Ephesians and 2 Corinthians, and it’s always translated as weapons of warfare. Paul is telling us that our bodies are a battlefield. Your eyes, your tongue, your hands, your mind, your will—these are not neutral tools. They are weapons. And they are either being deployed for the wrong side, or they are being deployed for God.

Think of it like a footballer who has just been transferred to a new club. Imagine a star striker being bought by Manchester United from Manchester City. The contract is signed, the fee is paid, and he is wearing the new red shirt. When the Manchester derby comes around, he doesn't keep playing for his old team, does he? He doesn't deliberately kick the ball into his own net just because he used to live there. He has a new manager, a new allegiance, and a new goal.

Likewise, those who have been brought from death to life cannot keep playing on death’s team.

Paul writes: "For sin shall no longer be your master, for you are not under law but under grace."

Yes, we still stumble. Yes, we still sometimes find ourselves frustratingly inconsistent. But here is the crucial truth we must hold onto: evil has no legal dominion over us anymore. The old master has been fired. But…the deception will be constantly whispered into our ear that we still belong to the old regime, but it is a lie.

We continue to be threatened by sin, but we do not belong to it. We have been baptized into Christ. It is simply not in the nature of our new identity, or our final destination…eternal life in Christ.

Freedom For, Not Freedom From

This brings us to the great question of freedom. Our modern, post-modern culture has a very specific definition of freedom. To the world around us, freedom means absolute autonomy. It means, "I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, with whoever I want, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone." It’s freedom from restraint.

But biblical freedom is completely different. True freedom in Christ is not the liberty to do what we want; it is the freedom to live a life that pleases God because we are now in a restored relationship with Him. It is freedom for something. Freedom for Christ.

It reminds us of Romans 12, where Paul later writes: "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice."

Paul actually starts to struggle with his own language here. In verse 19, he almost stops to apologize to his readers: "I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations." He’s trying to use the metaphor of slavery and freedom, but he realises it breaks down, because being a "slave to righteousness" isn't actually slavery at all - it’s the only place where human beings find true, life-giving freedom.

Identity is everything here. Once we truly understand who we are in Christ, then we understand our true purpose. Identity always shapes our ethics. It shapes our actions. It shapes our behaviour.

If sin, as Pauls put it, ‘reigns in your life’, you are heading down a track that leads to death. If righteousness reigns, you are heading toward life. As the old Bob Dylan song puts it:

"You're gonna have to serve somebody. It may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody."

The Economics of Grace

Look at how Paul concludes this section in verse 23—one of the most famous verses in the entire New Testament:

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Paul uses military terminology again here. The word for "wages" refers to a soldier's rations or regular pay. It’s what you have earned. It’s what you deserve. If you work for sin, the guaranteed, contractually obligated payout at the end of the day is death. You earn it.

But notice the brilliant twist in Paul's logic. He doesn't say, "The wages of righteousness is eternal life." He changes the word entirely. With God, it is never a wage. It is never something you earn or deserve. It’s a free gift.

There’s no equivalence here, no balanced scale. The radical gift of God entirely outweighs the scales of human effort.

The Challenge for the Week Ahead

So where does that leave us today, here in our church, in our community, reading these wise words of Paul.

The questions hang over us this morning, demanding a response. It is very easy for us to come to church, to sing the songs, to say the creeds, and yet leave our hoopla - our weapons, our bodies, our minds - in the service of the old master the moment we walk out those doors.

Are we living out our true identity?

When we open our laptop this week, when we interact with our family, when we manage our finances, when we speak about our neighbours in the village - who are we playing for?

Are we handing our mind and our tongue over to the old team of bitterness, lust, and self-interest? Or are we presenting them to God as weapons for righteousness?

We need to stop listening to the deception that we are trapped. We have been set free. We have been transferred to a new kingdom.

Let’s stop playing for a defeated team. Let’s stop earning the wages of death, and instead step fully into the radical, life-giving freedom of the gift of God.

Richard S