Romans 8:9-11

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.

Paul has talked about what happens when the Spirit is not present. Now he talks about the presence of the Holy Spirit in v9. What makes the difference between a person who is walking after the flesh and walking after the Spirit? The answer is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It’s not that one person is inherently better than another person; it’s not that one person is inherently a more faithful person than another; it is the presence of the Holy Spirit. Why is it that some people walk after the flesh? They are not indwelt by the Spirit. Why is it that some people walk after the Spirit? Because they are indwelt by the Spirit.

V9 reminds us of the inseparableness of Christ and the Holy Spirit. It shows us that a Christian by definition is in Christ. Many people will teach that first you receive Christ, and then at some later time you receive the Holy Spirit. For Paul, to be in Christ is to be in the Spirit, and to be in the Spirit is to be in Christ. And if you are not in Christ, you are not in the Spirit. And if you are not in the Spirit, you are not in Christ.

Paul offers an amazing word of encouragement for the believer in v10. He says this: “The indwelling of the Spirit assures your resurrection.” V10-11 are considered difficult verses, but the thrust is very clear. Paul is basically asking you to ask two questions. First: Who raised Christ from the dead? The answer is: God, the Father, raised Christ from the dead by His Spirit. The second question is this: Who is it that is dwelling in me? The answer is the same. God the Holy Spirit is the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. If God the Father by the power of the Spirit raised Jesus Christ from the dead, who is it that is at work in me? It is the Spirit of the Father who is at work in me. And if He raised Christ Jesus from the dead, then I am assured that I, too, will be raised from the dead. And not only this, but also that He will continue to perfect in me that which God had first begun (Philippians 1:6). And so Paul is pointing again to the fact that the law cannot supply the power to save or sanctify. It continues to be the standard of sanctification; the believer loves the law as he embraces Christ in grace; but it is the Spirit that enables us to live the Christian life.