Romans 7:12

So that the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good. [In the days of his youth (and perhaps also even in his young manhood-- Philippians 3:6), Paul had that free, untroubled conscience which is enjoyed by the innocent, and felt that he lived, and was entitled to live, before God; but later, as to its fullest extent he grasped the meaning of the law, he found how vain was his confidence; and that he was really a condemned man in the sight of God, having no true life in him (Romans 6:21-23), being dead in trespasses and sin. Thus the law which was ordained to give life, and had the promise of life attached to it (Romans 10:5; Leviticus 18:5), he found, to his amazed surprise, to be to him, because of his sinfulness, only a means of death: for sin, finding in the law a golden opportunity to accomplish his ruin, deceived him into breaking the law, and, by thus drawing down upon him the curse of the violated law, slew him. It has been observed that sin, as here personified, occupies the place filled by Satan in literal life (Genesis 3:14; 2 Corinthians 11:3). Again we should note how Satan, operating on the sinful nature of Paul, beguiled and deceived him into supposing that he could obtain righteousness and life by keeping the Mosaic law (Philippians 3:4-7), and also into thinking that in persecuting Christians he was doing God service (Acts 26:9), while in reality he was making himself the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). So, clearing the law of this doubt which his own argument had raised, the apostle declares in conclusion that it is worthy of all the unquestioned respect and confidence which it had so long enjoyed as a holy, righteous and good institution of God.]