I'm not the one ignoring the facts am I?
Yes, you are.
The person in Romans 7 is a slave to sin and your interpretation flies in the face of Paul's words in Romans 6.
You might give consideration to using a formal translation instead of a dynamic one. I recommend the NAS. The Greek simply states, "
having been sold under sin." So, once again, the evidence proves your views wrong, and indisputably, irrefutably so. Stop reading the text doctrinally and read it exactly as written.
Then form doctrine.
Paul had been sold under sin. As a consequence, he was "
unspiritual." The problem of not understanding his own behavior persisted even after conversion (as is the case here in this thread with you). He did things he didn't want to do and he didn't do things he wanted to do. He desired to do good (not something an unregenerate desires). The epistolary is filled with examples of
Christians sinning. One man is having sex with his father's mother and
the entire congregation tolerates it! (1 Cor. 5:1). Paul called these people, "
the church of God," "
those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy," and "
saints by calling." In other words, saints who had been called out by God (ekklesia) that Paul labeled "
sanctified by Christ," "
called to be holy," AND "
saints" tolerated a violation of Lev. 20:11 within their ranks. This is evident in nearly every single one of the epistles.
Which means your rendering of Romans 7 (and 6) contradicts the precedents set in almost every other epistle.
So you can post ad nauseam protests all you like but my reply will be the same: look at the text as written and read it that way. Paul used the first person singular and wrote in the present tense through most of chapter 7. He was writing about himself as a Convert of more than 20 years. Blessedly, the problems he described in Romans 7 are addressed in the very next chapter where we learn despite those problems there is now no condemnation for those in Christ. The problems of the mind of flesh verses the mind of the Spirit persist but that is a vast improvement over the prior state when all a non-convert had was his flesh, his sinfully sinful dead and enslaved unregenerate flesh. After conversion, not only can a convert have a mind of the Spirit, but he can also have confidence there is now no condemnation, God works all things for good according to His purpose, and nothing can separate him from the love of God found in Christ Jesus. If this were not the case, then verse 33 would be meaningless; there'd be no charges to bring. Paul brings Romans 5:9 forward to conclude the five-chapter narrative with "
It is God who justifies," and all the wonderful things Jesus does on our behalf (like intercession). If this were not the case the James 2:24
ff is meaningless and there is no need for further confession, repentance, mercy, grace, forgiveness, or reconciliation after conversion.
Just read the text as written.