Paul’s situation in Romans 7 was very differ
Paul's situation in Romans 7 was very differ ent from David's in Psalm 51. Psalm 51 is a psalm of repentance that followed a particular act of sinning. In Romans 7, however, Paul was not re penting because he had sinned. Romans 7 is con cerned not with repentance, but with death, with the continual working of death within him. Re pentance was of great help to David in Psalm 51, but it would have been no help to Paul in Ro mans 7. It could not have delivered him from the death in his mortal body.
THE STING OF DEATH
In 1 Corinthians 15:55 and 56 Paul says, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? Now the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law." Death is lik ened to a scorpion, and sin is likened to the scor pion's sting. According to Hebrews 2:14, the one who has the power of death is the Devil. Once we are stung by the "scorpion" of death, the Devil exercises his power to kill us. Thus, Satan has the power of death, and sin is the sting of death. Whenever we are stung by sin, the poison of death gets into us. The result is spiritual killing, spiritual death.