Audio commentary on this verse

Note 1 at Rom. 7:24: Paul was not describing his spiritual condition when he said, "O wretched man that I am!" He was speaking of his flesh (see note 3 at Rom. 7:18, p. 790). He made this distinction clear in verse 18 when he said, "I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing." So, as explained in note 1 at Romans 7:15, page 789, Paul was describing the absolute wretchedness of his flesh.

Note 2 at Rom. 7:24: In context, Paul is summarizing his statements from verses 14 through 23. He didn't say, "who shall deliver me from this death," for the Christian has already been delivered from death that is the wage of sin (see note 3 at Rom. 6:23, p. 784). He made special mention of the body of this death.

The terminology "the body of this death" corresponds to what Paul called "the body of sin" in Romans 6:6. He was not speaking of the sin nature itself, for a Christian no longer has a sin nature (see note 8 at Rom. 6:6, p. 778), but he is rather speaking of the "old man" or the lingering influence of the sin nature that still exerts itself through the unrenewed mind.

So, death, or the old man, is gone but the body that it left behind (i.e. the thoughts, attitudes, and emotions) still poses a problem to the Christian. How do we overcome this flesh (see note 3 at Rom. 7:18, p. 790)? The answer is stated in verse 25 and then explained in Romans 8.