Rom 7:23 (NIV) but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.

What a confusing situation. The person is feeling a deep desire to forgive while feeling intense resistance against being able to forgive. How can two completely opposite feelings reside in one person? How can we want to forgive and not want to forgive at the same time. We can’t. Actually, we don’t. WE want to forgive. Our body doesn’t. It wants to hold a grudge against all its enemies, perceived or real. Once we can see the difference between us and our body, we can draw the lines for the battle. We can go to God and say that we are desirous to forgive. Then we can explain that it is a very difficult decision for us. We can tell God we want to forgive; but, we can’t (Romans 7:18). He will understand exactly what that means.

Once a new or untrained Christian finds out that it is their “want” that establishes whether or not they are a Christian, Satan will try to use that information against them. There are two “want” that are battling within them.

And, the “want” of their body is the one that wins against the new and untrained Christians. Because of the fact that they haven’t learned how to work with the Holy Spirit yet, they appear to really WANT to refuse to forgive.

You will need to help them see the “want” of their inner being. You will need to teach them how to tell the difference between the “want” of their body and the “want” of their spirit. Here is a VERY important key for you to be able to tell the difference between those who want to live a righteous life and those who don’t. Those who want to live a righteous life, even though they aren’t, will be very confused (Romans 7:15) about their inconsistencies and very upset (Romans 7:24).

The true new and untrained Christians will come to you in fear, worry, confusion, doubt, frustration, and with a lot of questions about their inconsistencies. Those who are not true Christians won’t be concerned about it. You will find yourself trying to convince them that they are doing wrong.

A true new or untrained Christian may stop coming around you because they think they are a failure. But, when you seek them out, you will find them in fear, worry, confusion, doubt, frustration, and with a lot of questions about their inconsistencies. It is their inner being’s “want” that is making them have all these conflicts inside them.