I attended a military academy for my college education. As you might suspect, we had a lot of rules. One rule was that we could not go into the tunnels that were under the campus buildings. 

We had heard rumors about these tunnels. There were supposedly rooms in them with all kinds of things. One of our classmates had died in a glider accident, and the wreckage of the glider was said to be in the tunnels. All kinds of secrets were said to be under our feet. 

There were numerous doors leading to these tunnels, and all of them were locked. We were told that if any of us were found in the tunnels, we would be expelled from school. 

I didn’t know if any of the things we heard were true. But I knew one thing. I was going to go down into those tunnels. 

Along with three other cadets, we found a door whose lock looked easy to pick. In the middle of one night, we left our rooms and picked it. We were able to get into the tunnels. There were a lot of rooms to investigate. It took about three nights of losing sleep and walking underneath the campus to satisfy our curiosity. It was quite disappointing. We didn’t find a crashed glider. We just found a bunch of intramural equipment and standard issue military gear. 

If we had been caught, I am positive the leadership of the academy would not have kicked us out. They would have laughed at how stupid we were to go to all that trouble simply because it was forbidden. I’m sure I wouldn’t have ventured underground if they hadn’t told me I couldn’t do it. To keep me out of the tunnels, all they had to do was put a neon sign on the doors that led to them with these words: “Anybody who wants to enter these doors can do it. The doors are unlocked.” 

I’m not alone in this mindset. Paul describes how a commandment can arouse in us all kinds of evil desires (Rom 7:8). Talking about the Law of Moses, Paul says that a commandment such as “you shall not covet,” can stimulate and draw “forth from him the sinful desires inherent in his sinful nature” (Zane Hodges, “Romans,” GNTC, p. 322).  

In many cases, it is because of our pride. I know it was for me. When I was told I couldn’t go through those locked doors, I was going to die trying to go through them. Who did the military brass think they were, telling me I couldn’t see what was twenty feet under my feet? What were they hiding from me? Why could they know what was in those tunnels, and I couldn’t? 

I know I am worse in this area than 99% of other people. Most people have more sense than I do. But Paul says we all have this problem. Our flesh does not respond well to commandments. This is one reason that a list of commandments cannot produce godliness. Call it our fallen nature, or whatever other name you want to give it, but we cannot obey God in our own strength. We rebel against what He has said. 

Instead, we must be transformed in the inner man by the Spirit of God (Rom 7:22; 12:1-2; 2 Cor 4:16). He must live through us. That is the only way we can please the Lord. 

When I was 19 years old, I struggled with following commandments. The authorities at the academy had the right to tell me not to go into those tunnels. I should have obeyed. Hopefully, I am now wiser and more spiritually mature. How would I respond today to the same situation? I hope I would ask the Lord to give me the wisdom and strength to obey. But I am not sure.