John Calvin Commentary Romans 7:5

"For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were through the law, wrought in our members to bring forth fruit unto death." — Romans 7:5 (ASV)

For when we were, etc. He shows still more clearly by stating the contrary effect how unreasonably the zealots of the law acted, who would still detain the faithful under its dominion. For as long as the literal teaching of the law, unconnected with the Spirit of Christ, rules and holds sway, the wantonness of the flesh is not restrained but, on the contrary, breaks out and prevails. From this, it follows that the kingdom of righteousness is not established, except when Christ emancipates us from the law.

Paul at the same time reminds us of the works which we ought to do when set free from the law. As long, then, as a person is kept under the yoke of the law, they can, as they are sinning continually, obtain nothing for themselves but death. Since bondage to the law produces sin only, then freedom, its opposite, must tend to righteousness; if the former leads to death, then the latter leads to life. But let us consider the very words of Paul.

In describing our condition during the time we were subject to the dominion of the law, he says that we were in the flesh. From this, we understand that all those who are under the law attain nothing else but this—that their ears are struck by its external sound without any fruit or effect, while they are inwardly destitute of the Spirit of God. They must therefore necessarily remain altogether sinful and perverse until a better remedy succeeds to heal their diseases. Observe also this usual phrase of Scripture, to be in the flesh; it means to be endowed only with the gifts of nature, without that peculiar grace with which God favors his chosen people. But if this state of life is altogether sinful, it is evident that no part of our soul is naturally sound, and that the power of free will is no other than the power of casting evil emotions as darts into all the faculties of the soul.

The emotions of sins, which are through the law, etc.: that is, the law excited in us evil emotions, which exerted their influence through all our faculties, for there is no part that is not subject to these depraved passions. What the law does, in the absence of the inward teacher, the Spirit, is increasingly to inflame our hearts so that they boil up with lusts. But observe here that the law is connected with the vicious nature of humankind, whose perversity and lusts break forth with greater fury the more they are checked by the restraints of righteousness. He further adds that as long as the emotions of the flesh were under the dominion of the law, they brought forth fruit to death; and he adds this to show that the law by itself is destructive. Therefore, it follows that they are infatuated who so much desire this bondage, which results in death.