The Fall: Identifying the Body of Sin

The key to understanding the redemption of man must begin with the fall itself. Let us take a closer look at the deceivableness of sin.

Romans 7:20-21

20. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

Paul describes the state of a man (himself) that is not born again. This can be seen in Romans 7:14 ; For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. There are no saints who are sold under sin. The blood of Jesus redeemed us from sin. Therefore, the apostle is referring to the sin that dwells in the unsaved. It is the evil that is always present with the unbelievers. This sin is the spirit of the prince of the power of the air, according to Ephesians 2:2.

The Lord also made mention of this indwelling as he speaks to Cain. Cain and Abel brought an offering to the Lord, but their offerings were quite different. It is safe to say that Adam taught his sons how to offer sacrifices before the Lord. We must realize also that these sacrifices were not without purpose. But the Lord had prophesied to their mother the coming of a righteous seed. Therefore, the sacrifices being offered were being offered in hope of obtaining mercy. Nevertheless, Cain exhibited hard-heartedness. He was proud and unbelieving. Thus, God rejected his offering. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him (Genesis 4:7).

Let us not be confused here. In the first part of the verse, God is speaking directly to Cain. “You would be accepted too, if you had done well. If not, it is because sin is lying at the door.” However, in the latter part of the verse, he is speaking to the sin that dwells in Cain. “And unto you (sin) shall be his desire, and you (sin) shall rule (reign) over him.”

Abel on the other hand, was seeking to benefit from the promise of a righteous seed. He came to God as a sinner, in humility and faith. In my observation of the church, there are two distinct types of people in the household of faith. Cain and Abel are examples of both.

The Abelites: Those who are taught the way of godliness and refuse to deviate from it. They respect the word of truth and cleave to it. When Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life”, they receive him as the only way to God. The things Jesus taught become a way of life for them. They look for no other method.

The Cainites: Those who are proud and hard-hearted. They despise the method of salvation God has revealed. They abhor the strictness of the way of holiness and arrogantly devise their own ways to please God. The sad reality here is that they think the Father will receive their way, even though their way to God does not include either the infilling of the Holy Ghost or the walk in the Spirit. They pervert the scriptures to make them say things that they don’t. They vehemently despise those who are contenders for the faith and the right way. They murder them with their tongues and their evil sayings. And then they do as Cain did …who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous (1 John 3:12). When they hear the truth, they call it a lie. But more than that, they lie to themselves in order to protect the way they have ordained for themselves.

I have never quite understood this behavior. I could never understand why men and women, who hear the truth, that they know to be the truth, would stand in the presence of God and call it a lie. They do this as if God also is blind and does not know that they know they have heard the truth. But then I had to come to the conclusion, when such is the case, it is because such a person is simply not ready to submit to the righteousness God and truth require. My heart grieves for these because surely one day they will die and must give an account for the truth they so adamantly rejected. Surely hell will open her mouth to receive them.

Romans 7:22-23

22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Here we see the affect of the fall. We can clearly see that the spirit of sin dwelling in the unsaved has a direct affect on the body. It began a law in the members (body). This is called the law of sin which also worketh death. Let us not forget that there was another tree in the Garden, called the Tree of Life. The Lord blocked the way to that tree because if Adam and Eve had eaten of it, they would live forever even though sin was dwelling in them.

Therefore, the body continues to die because of sin and mankind is separated from God. The man is trapped in a body of sin and death.

Romans 7:24-25

24. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord…

Thank God for Jesus. At this point terminology is very important. Follow me here as we discover the affect of the fall and identify the body of sin.

1.Satan used the woman to get to the man. He wanted to possess the human race. Therefore, he needed to get to Adam. Eve was his weapon. Once the man sinned, the spirit of the prince of the power of the air (satan) began to work in the man and all his subsequent children (Ephesians 2:2). Thus by one man sin came into the world and passed onto all men, even those who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam (Romans 5:12-14).

2.The spirit of sin (iniquity) is also called the spirit of bondage, and the spirit of the world.

Romans 8:15

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father

1 Corinthians 2:12

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

3.This spirit of sin lived in man.

Romans 7:19-23

19. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

23. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

4.The spirit of sin initiated a law in the flesh (body, the members).

This is the law of sin and death. A law is a rule. For example, the law of gravity basically says, “what goes up, must come down.” This means that as long as there is gravity surrounding the earth, whatever is thrown into the air must come down. The same thing is true with the law of sin and death. As long as the spirit of sin (iniquity) lives in man, it will produce sin in the flesh (body). Jesus said, “you are of your father, the devil and his lusts you will do.” The spirit of sin is the spirit of satan and will always produce lust in the flesh. Though one might desire to do good, evil concupiscence (lust; a craving for that which is forbidden by God) is always at work in the flesh.

5.This law of sin and death working in the members (body), caused the writer to say, “In me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing.” Now it is important to remember this is a saying relative to one who knows not God. It is not the testimony of a born again believer.

6.The spirit of sin dwelling in the flesh has brought the soul and spirit into captivity. The conscience, which was given to judge the deeds of the flesh, has become full of sin and darkness.

Hebrews 9:14

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebrews 10:1-2

1. For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

2. For then would they not have ceased to be offered?because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

7.The captivity of the body, soul and spirit by the spirit of sin, also known as the strong man, made it impossible to live holy. No matter how much one attends church, or does charitable deeds, the spirit of sin remains within and you will sin against God. Even so, to have this spirit within is to belong to the devil and be controlled by the flesh.

8.The sins produced by the law of sin and death working in the members has caused the human body to become the body of sin. This body of sin is a death trap for the soul.

9.In order for man to live holy, a life pleasing to God, the spirit of sin must be taken out of the flesh.

10.Who shall deliver one from this body of death? Thank God for Jesus Christ.