I have done lot's of meditating on Romans 7. I love that chapter. Here is what I came up with.
Here is my take on Romans 7 and the flesh. It's long but there is a lot to it.
The term "flesh" is used 3 different ways in the NT.
1) the carnal ways of thinking and actions left over from the prior manner of living from the old man which is now dead ( but his old habits and ways are still programmed in the flesh and our brains )- this is where renewing our minds comes in.
The mind and the fleshly brain are 2 different things. The mind of Christ that we have in us in our inner man needs to work through this brain which is of this earth.
When we die - the brain will be left in the grave but the real us will be with the Lord.
2) it is used when talking about self-effort as in Paul saying that he had no confidence in his ability.
3) and sometimes it just means the "fleshly-meat - the body" itself
In this "flesh" there is the "law of sin" ( Rom. 7:23) .....these two are in cahoots together.
Flesh and the law/principle of sin in working together know what "works" with you in the past. The law of sin knows your history and what works with you. Whatever areas in the past that you have struggled with is what the "sin in your flesh" will be bringing to you in your mind.
The law of sin says you are guilty and worthless but the Holy Spirit in your new man says you are the righteousness of God in Christ, you are loved..etc. You are in Christ now.
The flesh is ways to think and act that "were" the manner of living we are and were used to left over from the old man which was crucified and died with Christ on the cross. ( Eph 4:22 - in reference to your former manner of living )
We try to get life and purpose and meaning by the deeds of the flesh which is they are the opposite of life in Christ - where we get our life from Him only.
Romans 7:17-18 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] So now, no longer am I ( the new man ) the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me (in my body which has the flesh with the law of sin in it ).
[SUP]18 [/SUP] For I know that nothing good dwells in me (my body which has the flesh in it ), that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me ( in my new man ), but the doing of the good is not.
Romans 7:20-23 (NASB)
[SUP]20 [/SUP] But if I am doing the very thing I ( new man ) do not want, I ( new man ) am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me ( in the flesh).
[SUP]21 [/SUP] I find then the principle that evil is present in me (new man ), the one who wants to do good.
[SUP]22 [/SUP] For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, ( new man),
[SUP]23 [/SUP] but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
italics = my words
Then Romans chapter 8 comes in and shows us how to walk according to the Spirit and not the flesh to put to death the deeds of the body ( flesh in the body ). Rom 8:13
We are not fighting a civil war within ourselves ( the flesh and the law of sin do not belong to our new nature which in Christ. ). Jesus said " A house divided will not stand."
As long as we are on this earth and in this body we will have to contend with the world, the flesh and the devil. The good news is that our Lord Jesus Christ has defeated all 3 of them!
As we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus....we manifest outwardly in our behavior who we already are in our new man in Christ.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
[SUP]18 [/SUP] But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
This word "transformed" is the same word used for when Jesus was on the mount and was "transformed" in front of James, Peter and John.
Jesus was manifesting His true self when speaking to Moses and Elijah. He already had within Him this glory that was revealed on the mount. He is in us now in our inner man created in righteousness and holiness.
Sorry for the long post but as I said - there is a lot to this. I also have a post on how Vines's Expository Dictionary talks about the "law of sin" being an entity.
There is a difference between the noun "sin" and the verb "sinning" which is the action in Romans 6-7. It is used as a noun 48x times but as a verb only 2x times and it is for a specific reason.