That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

ROMANS 8:4KJV
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Romans 8:4 (KJV)

What does Romans 8:4 mean?

Romans 8:4 says that the purpose of Jesus’s work was so that the righteous requirements of God’s law could be truly met in people who live according to the Spirit, not according to their own sinful nature. The verse emphasizes that this new way of living is not about following rules by human effort, but about being guided by God’s Spirit.

Paul is writing to believers in Rome, explaining how Jesus’s death and resurrection change the way people relate to God’s law. He points out that those who “walk…after the Spirit” are able to fulfill what the law was always aiming for—not by their own strength, but because God’s Spirit is at work in them.

The Greek behind Romans 8:4

  • δικαίωμα (dikaiōma; “righteousness”): This word refers to the just requirement or the proper standard set by the law. Paul is saying that what the law truly demanded is now being accomplished in those who live by the Spirit.
  • πληρόω (plēroō; “fulfilled”): This verb means to fill up or complete. The sense is that the law’s goal is fully reached, not left unfinished, in those who live by the Spirit.
  • σάρξ (sarx; “flesh”): Often understood as the human nature apart from God, or the self-centered way of living. Paul contrasts this with living “after the Spirit.”
  • πνεῦμα (pneuma; “Spirit”): Refers to God’s Spirit, who empowers believers to live in a way that matches God’s intentions in the law.

Why Romans 8:4 matters

  • Romans 8:4 clarifies that God’s law is not set aside or ignored, but its true purpose is finally met in people who live by the Spirit, not by their own effort.
  • The verse highlights the difference between trying to obey God through human strength (“the flesh”) and being enabled by God’s Spirit, which is a key theme in Paul’s letter.
  • This verse connects the work of Jesus with the ongoing work of the Spirit, showing how Christian life is meant to be a Spirit-led fulfillment of God’s intentions, not just rule-keeping.

Where else these words appear

“righteousness” Greek G1345 · used in 10 verses

  • Luke 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
  • Romans 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
  • Hebrews 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

“fulfilled” Greek G4137 · used in 90 verses

  • Matthew 1:22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
  • Luke 24:44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
  • Acts 19:21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.

“walk” Greek G4043 · used in 90 verses

  • Matthew 4:18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.
  • John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
  • Ephesians 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

“flesh” Greek G4561 · used in 130 verses

  • Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
  • Romans 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
  • Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.