The key statement in Romans 8:31-39 is "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31b, KJV). Deffinbaugh points out that "The 'if' here is not 'iffy.' It could just as well be translated 'since.'" The "if" here is not "iffy." It could just as well be translated "since." The New Jerusalem Bible renders Paul's question this way, "With God on our side, who can be against us?" The rest of the passage elucidates and expands upon this primary concept, that with God on our side, no one can be against us. Verse 32 points out that if God delivered up His own Son for our sakes, then He will obviously "freely give us all things," as this is only logical (KJV). Verses 33 and 34 contend that no one can charge God's elect with anything either, because if Christ is the one making intercession for us, our accusers are overpowered by the One who died and rose again and sits at the right hand of the Father. Verse 35 explains that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, including "tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword" (KJV). Tribulation, distress, and persecution are attacks against the mind, will, and emotions-the soul-while famine, nakedness, peril, and the sword are attacks against the physical body; both kinds of attacks are covered in this passage, as nothing soulish or physical can prevail against the love of Christ, which overcomes them all. Verse 37 states that "we are more than conquerors through him that loved us," suggesting that we will not only survive all of the attacks mentioned in the previous verse but also conquer those that bring those attacks against us. Verses 38 and 39 assert that nothing can separate us from the love of God, citing even life and death, as well as angels, principalities, and powers-not even "things to come" (KJV). Neychev points out that this love is "the crucial personal connection between humanity and God," and "stresses the stre...