I don't know how else to understand Apostle Paul when he is speaking of a LITERAL dead flesh body...
Rom 6:6-7
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
KJV
Paul indeed is using the idea of a 'literal' dead body for an analogy there.
In an analogy, the thing one is comparing to has to actually exist, and in this case by Paul, it is a literal dead flesh body.
But Paul is using that dead flesh body to represent "the body of sin", and HOW are we to understand that, spiritually only, or literally like flesh causes sin? It is literal according to Paul that our flesh body causes most of our sins. How can we know that is what Paul understood? Because that is what Paul SHOWED about the flesh in the next Romans 7 Chapter, those Scriptures I also... quoted you, but you said nothing about.
So is there OTHER BIBLE SCRIPTURE by Apostle Paul that further confirms that he understood that our flesh body of sin is to be destroyed? YES! That is especially the idea Paul was teaching in 1 Corinthians 15 about the body of 'incorruption' NOT being able to inherit the Kingdom of God! (1 Corinthians 15:49-50).
Therefore, when we study God's Word, we aren't supposed to just forget what is written in the rest of God's Word. We aren't to ISOLATE a Scripture by itself and think that's how to get at the real meaning of Scripture.
Are you saying then that we will not have the power to not sin until we've physically died?
In fact, there are quite a number of passages which agree that even while in this flesh body, which still
lives (such as it is), we have the power to not sin. There seems to be a certain expectation throughout New Testament that in Christ we have power to live righteous lives.
There are many Scriptures we can look at with this, I like to focus on ones we see differently to discover why the difference. And that's why I appreciate this dialog.
That word, destroyed,
(KJV) Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
(LITV) knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be nullified, so that we no longer serve sin.
(YLT) this knowing, that our old man was crucified with him , that the body of the sin may be made useless, for our no longer serving the sin;
This is translated from katargeo, which speaks of "casting down working", or as translated in these others, "nullified", "made useless", another translation has "made of no effect. The word commonly translated "destory" is appolumi, and speaks of destruction more the way we think of it, ruin, fully destroy, abolish, obliterate, like that.
But in being crucified with Christ, we've died,
Colossians 3:1-3 KJV
1) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
Galatians 5:24 KJV
24) And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
And having died,
Romans 6:7 KJV
7) For he that is dead is freed from sin.
. . . we've been freed from sin,
Romans 6:11 KJV
11) Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
And now are to understand that this is in fact true,
Romans 6:12-14 KJV
12) Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13) Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
. . . and to live in that freedom from sin.
Much love!