For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What Paul highlights is the profound disconnect between his desire to do good and his ability to actually do it. He has the intention, the willing, but the power to carry it out is missing, revealing a deep internal conflict where good intentions are thwarted by an inability to execute them.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul is describing the internal conflict he experiences, even as a believer. He's just stated that sin, not himself, is what's truly dwelling within him, and now he elaborates on this struggle. This verse explains that while he wants to do right, his fleshly nature, the unrenewed part of him, prevents him from actually carrying out that good intention.
Paul drops a bombshell: 'nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.' What does he mean by 'flesh,' and how can a follower of Jesus say this?
The Flesh: More Than Just Physical Desires
When Paul talks about 'the flesh' (Greek: sarx), he's not just referring to physical appetites or our bodies. It represents our entire human nature, deeply affected and corrupted by sin since the Fall. It's our fallen self, with all its desires, inclinations, and ways of thinking that are opposed to God.
Acknowledging the Inner Conflict
Paul isn't saying that believers have no good in them at all. He's specifically pinpointing 'the flesh' as the source of inherent sinfulness. Even after we become Christians, the 'flesh'—our old, sin-tainted nature—still remains, even if its power is broken. It constantly wars against the new, Spirit-filled nature God gives us.
This verse highlights that innate tendency towards self-centeredness, rebellion, and disobedience that is part of our fleshly being. It's the part of us that, left to itself, would always fall short of God's perfect standard.
Paul admits he has the desire to do right, but lacks the ability. How can this be? Where does the desire come from, and why is the action missing?
The Spark of God's Spirit
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The 'desire to do what is right' that Paul mentions is a crucial clue. It's not the pull of the sinful flesh; rather, it's the stirring of God's Spirit within him, guiding his conscience and inspiring a longing for righteousness.
This 'willing' comes from the new nature God creates in us when we believe in Jesus. It’s evidence that God is at work, renewing our minds and aligning our hearts with His will. It’s a beautiful, God-given impulse towards holiness.
The Grip of the Flesh
However, Paul starkly contrasts this willing with the inability to carry it out. The persistent power of sin in his 'flesh' acts as a roadblock. The corrupt nature, though not in ultimate control, still hinders and sabotages his best intentions.
This is the essence of the struggle: the Spirit-inspired desire is present, but the flesh's ingrained opposition prevents the perfect execution of that desire. It’s a constant tension between what we want to do for God and what we find ourselves actually doing because of sin's lingering influence.
Understand the original words
sarx · Greek Noun
Refers to the fallen, sinful human nature characterized by rebellion against God, worldly appetites, and susceptibility to temptation. It denotes the sphere of life apart from the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, inherently opposed to God's will.
thelēma · Greek Noun
An active, willful movement of the heart toward an objective. In a spiritual sense, it represents the intention or longing of the human will, which may be directed toward righteousness but is often hindered by the corruption of sin.
kalos · Greek Adjective
A moral and ethical quality that aligns with God’s standard of justice, truth, and uprightness. It describes actions and attitudes that are inherently correct according to divine revelation.
This first promise of a Redeemer hints at the ongoing struggle between humanity's corrupted nature and God's redemptive plan, a theme Paul explores in Romans 7.
Psalm 51:5David's confession of inherited sin ('I was brought forth in iniquity') echoes Paul's understanding of the deep-seated corruption ('in my flesh') that hinders good.
Galatians 5:17This passage directly parallels the conflict Paul describes, stating that 'the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things that you want to do.'
Philippians 2:13While Romans 7 laments the *inability* to perform good, Philippians 2:13 points to God's active work *within* believers ('for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure'), showing the divine provision absent in Paul's description of his inner struggle.
1 John 1:8John's warning that 'If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves' reinforces Paul's honest self-assessment in Romans 7:18, highlighting the reality of sin's presence even for believers.
meyerRomans 7:18: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."
Romans 7:18 . Basing of the ἀλλʼ ἡ οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἁμαρτία in Romans 7:17 on the human (not: Christian) experimental consciousness of the ἔμφυτον κακόν ( Wis 12:10 ). τοῦτʼ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου ] More precise definition to ἐν ἐμοί , by which it is designated, in order to make the meaning clear beyond all doubt, according to its a…
bensonRomans 7:18: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not."
Romans 7:18-20 . For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh — The corrupt and degenerate self, my animal appetites and passions, debased and enslaved as they are by sin through the fall; or in me, while I was in the flesh, chap. Romans 8:8 , and not in the spirit, Romans 7:9 ; dwelleth no good thing — Ουκ οικει αγαθον , good dwel…
What Paul highlights is the profound disconnect between his desire to do good and his ability to actually do it. He has the intention, the willing, but the power to carry it out is missing, revealing a deep internal conflict where good intentions are thwarted by an inability to execute them.
Paul is describing the internal conflict he experiences, even as a believer. He's just stated that sin, not himself, is what's truly dwelling within him, and now he elaborates on this struggle. This verse explains that while he wants to do right, his fleshly nature, the unrenewed part of him, prevents him from actually carrying out that good intention.
Paul is describing the internal conflict he experiences, even as a believer. He's just stated that sin, not himself, is what's truly dwelling within him, and now he elaborates on this struggle. This verse explains that while he wants to do right, his fleshly nature, the unrenewed part of him, prevents him from actually carrying out that good intention.
"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out." — What Paul highlights is the profound disconnect between his desire to do good and his ability to actually do it. He has the intention, the willing, but the power to carry it out is missing, revea…
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Last reviewed October 2026