Autobiography of the Man under Law. What it means to be in bondage to the old letter (6), the apostle will show from his own experience. That the following description belongs to Paul's legal past appears from ch. 6, and from the contrastive now of Romans 8:1. Failing to reckon himself dead unto sin, the believer may, doubtless, relapse into the misery of Romans 7:24.
Romans 7:7 f. The legalist interjects: What shall We say then? is the law sin? Paul has, indeed, in a sense, identified it with sin (Romans 5:20; Romans 6:14; cf. 1 Corinthians 15:56); he explains by expounding Romans 3:20, Through law comes the knowledge of sin. Take, for instance, the command, Thou shalt not covet, the hearing of which awakened slumbering desire.
Romans 7:9-11. At that moment sin came to life, and the innocent child I was died, slain by the very law which pointed the way to life a result due to the deceit of sin, which got through the command a fatal leverage upon me.
Romans 7:12 f. In making this deadly use of a thing so holy and good, sin unmasked itself.
Romans 7:14. The abuse was possible through the fault of my nature: The law is spiritual; I am a creature of flesh (cf. Romans 8:7 f.). In adding sold under sin the apostle recalls Romans 5:12-14: the child of Adam is compromised by his heredity. Sold, he needs redemption (Romans 3:24).
Romans 7:15-20. A struggle ensues between duty and desire: young Saul finds himself doing what he would not, what he loathes. In conviction he agrees with the law, delights in it. The will to obey is there, the operative power is wanting; a hostile force lodged in his flesh determines his action.
Romans 7:21-23. Another (the de facto) law rules in my members, which dictates evil for good; from this fortress the law of sin wages war against the law of God, the law of my reason, making me its captive.
Romans 7:24-25 a. As the prisoner cries for deliverance, Jesus Christ comes to his rescue!
Romans 7:25 b. The conclusion of the whole matter: I by myself (without Christ; contrast Galatians 2:20) with my reason serve God's law, but with my flesh sin's law; in theory the former is sovereign, in practice the latter.The body of this death (Romans 7:24) is the actual body (cf. Romans 7:18; Romans 7:23; also Romans 6:6; Romans 6:12), whose mortality (cf. Romans 5:21) betokens the death of the whole man (cf. Ephesians 2:1-5); when sin came to life (Romans 7:9), this (conscious) death began. Cf. Romans 5:12 *.