That doesn't seem to be what he says here
Romans 7:20
Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
he says if he is not the one who wants to sin, it's not him who does it, but sin dwelling in his flesh.
Great question! This talks to the topic of
Repentance. It is someone who has changed his mind. We find John the Baptist preparing the way for the ministry of Jesus Christ through the ministry of repentance.
Paul refers to it as follows:
Acts 19
4 Then Paul said, “
John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
There are two potential states in a person.
- Flesh wants and Mind Wants (non repentant)
- Flesh wants but Mind doesn't (repentance)
Under both scenarios Flesh still dominates (see Romans 7v23 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.)
Repentance is not what saves you (Christ does) but repentance is a precursor to Christs forgiveness. It too is a precursor to living life in the Spirit. The corollary - if Paul (his mind) wanted to live according to the flesh, then he CANNOT be in a position to be led by the Spirit.
That's why it says we are to SET OUR MINDS on the Spirit, and not on the Flesh
Romans 8
5 For those who live according to the flesh
set their minds on the things of the
flesh, but those
who live according to the Spirit, the things of the
Spirit.