Romans 7:15-20 New International Version (NIV)
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
The evil that this is referring to in my opinion is sin. Anything that goes against God is sin and is therefore evil.
I believe that when we become reborn, we want to please God and do what is right in His eyes through Jesus, but somehow our flesh keeps screwing up. This is I what I think Paul was writing about. However, I think Paul is also saying that we may not be able to do it on our own.
Think about it, if it were so easy to change wouldn’t we all do it? I would venture to say the answer would be yes. The reality is there is a strong pull from Satan and our flesh to go against God’s will.
This is why Jesus made this comment:
Matthew 7:13-14 New International Version (NIV)
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
We need to look to God for help. That is not to say we should not do what we need to do, but when we have tried to do what is right in God’s eyes and continue to fail, then we need to sit down and admit our shortcomings, admit our failures, and confess our sins. Then we need to capture our thoughts.
2 Corinthians 10:5 New International Version (NIV)
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
It is when our thoughts get out of control that we will typically sin. I know that I am a prime example of that. I let my thoughts get the better of me most of the time.