罗马书第七章，保罗阐述了一个人若没有圣灵（即不相信福音）的引导，就会出现“立志为善由得我，只是行出来由不得我”的怪现象。这是因为人的肉体之中或者说肢体之中是没有良善的，或者说罪住在人的肢体里，因此，肉体服从的是罪的律。一个没有圣灵的人，也许他心里有为善的志向，但是由于心里没有耶稣的真理，他所行出来的自觉不自觉的就是反真理的，故此所愿意的善反不作，所不愿意的恶倒去作（见腓立比书3：1—7）。

罗7:15 因为我所作的、我自己不明白．我所愿意的、我并不作．我所恨恶的、我倒去作。
For I don't know what I am doing. For I don't practice what I desire to do; but what I hate, that I do.
罗7:16 若我所作的、是我所不愿意的、我就应承律法是善的。
But if what I don't desire, that I do, I consent to the law that it is good.
罗7:17 既是这样、就不是我作的、乃是住在我里头的罪作的。
So now it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
罗7:18 我也知道、在我里头、就是我肉体之中、没有良善．因为立志为善由得我、只是行出来由不得我。
For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don't find it doing that which is good.
罗7:19 故此、我所愿意的善、我反不作．我所不愿意的恶、我倒去作。
For the good which I desire, I don't do; but the evil which I don't desire, that I practice.
罗7:20 若我去作所不愿意作的、就不是我作的、乃是住在我里头的罪作的。
But if what I don't desire, that I do, it is no more I that do it, but sin which dwells in me.
罗7:21 我觉得有个律、就是我愿意为善的时候、便有恶与我同在。
I find then the law, that, to me, while I desire to do good, evil is present.
罗7:22 因为按着我里面的意思。〔原文作人〕我是喜欢 神的律．
For I delight in God's law after the inward man,
罗7:23 但我觉得肢体中另有个律、和我心中的律交战、把我掳去叫我附从那肢体中犯罪的律。
but I see a different law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity under the law of sin which is in my members.
罗7:24 我真是苦阿、谁能救我脱离这取死的身体呢。
What a wretched man I am! Who will deliver me out of the body of this death?
罗7:25 感谢 神、靠着我们的主耶稣基督就能脱离了。这样看来、我以内心顺服 神的律．我肉体却顺服罪的律了。
I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God's law, but with the flesh, the sin's law.