What does Paul mean by saying "the sinful passions which were through the law?"

What does it mean that these sinful passions were 'through the law' and  worked in our members to bring out fruit to death?

Were those passions sanctioned by the law, an aberration of the existing law, exposed by the law, only brought out because of the law, or something else? 

Romans 7:5

NLT - ⁵ When we were controlled by our old nature, sinful desires were at work within us, and the law aroused these evil desires that produced a harvest of sinful deeds, resulting in death.

Clarify • Share • Report • Asked October 06 2016 • John Matthews