Romans 7:14-20

Romans 7:14-20 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.  I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

In Romans 6 Paul makes a distinction between being a slave to sin and being set free from sin.  The distinction is between a believer and a non-believer.  Being a slave to sin is the condition of a non-believer and being set free from sin is the condition of a believer.

Therefore, in Romans 7:14 when Paul says that he is unspiritual and sold as a slave to sin, he is referring to his condition before he was a believer.  Before believing in Christ, he attempted to keep the Law of Moses and now in retrospect he realized that his sinful nature prevented him from doing it.  He had the desire to keep the law, but he could not carry it out.  The sin living in him prevented him from doing what he wanted to do.  His sinful nature was in control of his actions and his fleshly efforts could not overcome this bondage.  This is in stark contrast to the condition of a believer being set free from sin that he spoke of in Romans 6 or goes on to describe in chapter 8. 

The very fact that he speaks of keeping the law confirms that he is speaking of himself before his Christian conversion because he had just stated in Rom. 7:6 that believers have been released from the law to serve in the new way of the Spirit.  Why would he say believers had been released from the law and then immediately speak of trying to keep the Law of Moses?