Romans 6 12

Romans 6:12 kjv

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Romans 6:12 nkjv

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Romans 6:12 niv

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

Romans 6:12 esv

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.

Romans 6:12 nlt

Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.

Romans 6 verses

Romans 6 12 Meaning

Romans 6:12 commands believers not to allow sin to rule over their physical bodies, which are still susceptible to death and temptation. This prohibition means actively resisting sin's influence and not submitting to its demands, particularly as expressed through the body's desires and cravings. The verse serves as a direct ethical imperative stemming from the theological truth that believers are dead to sin and alive to God through Christ.

Romans 6 12 Context

Romans chapter 6 forms a crucial part of Paul's larger argument about justification by faith, grace, and sanctification. The chapter opens by addressing a potential misconception arising from chapter 5 – if grace abounds where sin increases (Rom 5:20), should believers continue in sin so that grace may abound further (Rom 6:1)? Paul emphatically rejects this idea. He explains that through baptism, believers have been united with Christ in His death and resurrection (Rom 6:3-5). This union signifies a death to sin and a resurrection to a new life in Christ (Rom 6:6-7). The theological reality established in Rom 6:1-11 – that believers are dead to sin's power and alive to God – lays the foundation for the ethical imperative found in Rom 6:12. Having been freed from sin's mastery, believers are now responsible for actively living out this new identity. Verse 12 serves as the first command based on the preceding declarative statements of their new spiritual status, urging them not to nullify this truth by allowing sin to reign.

Romans 6 12 Word analysis

• "Let not sin therefore reign":

  • "Let not" (μὴ οὖν – mē oun): Mē is a negative particle used with the present imperative to forbid a continuing action or a state. Oun (therefore) serves as a logical connector, grounding this command in the preceding theological explanation (Rom 6:1-11). It emphasizes that this instruction is a direct consequence of believers' identification with Christ's death and resurrection.
  • "sin" (ἡ ἁμαρτία – hē hamartia): "The sin" is personified here, depicted as an oppressive ruler or tyrant. This is not merely an individual act but a powerful, enslaving force or principle. Its power aims to control.
  • "reign" (βασιλευέτω – basileuetō): This is a present imperative verb from basileuō (to reign, to be king). The imperative form indicates a direct command. The present tense suggests prohibiting a continuous or ongoing state. It implies actively giving permission or yielding control. Sin, here, is viewed as a kingdom or a ruling power vying for sovereignty over the believer. The command is not merely about avoiding specific sinful acts but refusing to allow sin to be the guiding principle or dominant force in one's life.

• "in your mortal body" (ἐν τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν σώματι – en tō thnētō hymōn sōmati):

  • "in" (ἐν – en): Denotes the sphere or location of sin's attempted dominion.
  • "your mortal body" (τῷ θνητῷ ὑμῶν σώματι – tō thnētō hymōn sōmati): Thnētos means subject to death, perishable. It refers to the physical body, which, though redeemed in spirit, still retains its fallen aspects and is vulnerable to temptation, sickness, and eventually, death. The battleground for sin's reign is precisely this mortal, fleshly body, as distinct from the spiritual, inner person that has been made new in Christ. The struggle occurs here until Christ's return brings a resurrected, glorified body.

• "that ye should obey it" (εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν αὐτῇ – eis to hypakouein autē):

  • "that ye should obey it" (εἰς τὸ ὑπακούειν αὐτῇ – eis to hypakouein autē): Eis to followed by an infinitive indicates purpose or result, "in order to," or "with the result that." Hypakouein (to obey, to listen, to give heed) signifies active submission and compliance. The "it" (autē) refers back to "sin" (feminine), emphasizing that allowing sin to reign leads to direct obedience to its commands and dictates. It describes the practical outworking of sin's reign: the believer yields their will to its promptings.

• "in the lusts thereof" (ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις αὐτοῦ – en tais epithymiais autou):

  • "in" (ἐν – en): Again, denotes the sphere or means through which obedience to sin takes place.
  • "the lusts" (ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις – tais epithymiais): Epithymia can mean strong desire or craving, either good or bad. In this context, connected with sin and the mortal body, it refers to illicit, disordered, and sinful desires – the unholy passions or cravings of the flesh that are contrary to God's will.
  • "thereof" (αὐτοῦ – autou): This refers to "body" (masculine, sōmati). So, "lusts of the body" are the impulses originating from the unredeemed aspects of the physical nature. These lusts are the specific channels or mechanisms through which sin attempts to assert its kingship over the individual, tempting them to act on these cravings rather than the will of God.

Romans 6 12 Bonus section

The active "let not reign" implies that while believers are no longer slaves to sin, sin has not been utterly annihilated in their experience. It is still an external (and sometimes internal) force attempting to assert itself. This distinguishes Christian sanctification from an instantaneous perfection. It is a progressive process requiring constant vigilance and a continuous "reckoning" of one's identity in Christ (Rom 6:11). The very need for the command signifies that the potential for sin to reign exists, but the believer has the spiritual resources, through Christ and the Holy Spirit, to prevent it from happening. This verse powerfully underscores the concept of Christian responsibility in collaboration with divine grace – God provides the freedom from sin's mastery, but we are commanded to exercise that freedom by actively refusing to yield.

Romans 6 12 Commentary

Romans 6:12 serves as a foundational ethical exhortation flowing directly from the glorious spiritual reality articulated in Rom 6:1-11: believers are no longer slaves to sin but are now dead to its dominion and alive to God in Christ. This verse transforms theological truth into practical, daily living. Paul does not say that sin will not be present, nor that it cannot tempt. Rather, the imperative "Let not sin therefore reign" commands believers to make a conscious and determined choice not to allow sin to govern their lives or determine their actions.

The "mortal body" is identified as the arena where this battle for dominion takes place. While our spirit is renewed and made alive to God, our physical bodies and their inclinations remain subject to the effects of the Fall until glorification. It is through the body's "lusts" – its natural, though often corrupted, desires – that sin seeks to assert its power and persuade us to yield. The call is for a deliberate, ongoing refusal to submit to these impulses when they arise from sinful desires. This active resistance is empowered by the indwelling Spirit and sustained by understanding one's new identity in Christ. It means treating sin not as an indifferent entity but as a usurping monarch demanding fealty, which we are now freed and obligated to refuse. Believers, having been freed from slavery to sin (Rom 6:18), now possess the moral agency to deny its reign and to live in accordance with their new life in Christ. This daily struggle involves discerning and rejecting the voice of sin that uses bodily desires to prompt disobedience, and instead, presenting oneself to God as an instrument of righteousness.