Audio commentary on this verse

Note 4 at Rom. 6:12: If this sentence was to be diagrammed the way we were taught in school for the purpose of identifying the subject and verb, then the understood subject of this sentence would be "you." Paul is saying, "You let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body." You have the power to stop the reign of sin in your life or the Lord would not have given you this command.

A mistaken belief that we can't help but sin is one of the biggest reasons that we do sin. The power of sin (see note 9 at Rom. 5:21, p. 775) has been broken in our lives and the only reason a Christian sins is because he hasn't renewed his mind with the reality of his new life with Christ (see notes 7 and 8 at Rom. 6:6, p. 778).

Note 5 at Rom. 6:12: The word "therefore" (see ref. e at Rom. 4:22, p. 767) makes our ability to end sin's reign in our lives that this verse speaks of, dependent on the truth that was just expressed in verse 11 (see note 3 at v. 11, above). We have to know beyond any doubt that our "old man" is dead and gone, then and only then, will we be able to renew our minds and end the dictatorship of sin in our lives.