The Bible talks about 'the mystery of lawlessness' which is at work among us (2Th.2:7). To be lawless is, of course, to be without any law. But laws are what tell us what to avoid and also what to do. To be without any law to guide us is, in effect, to throw away our protection and guidelines at the same time. We just need to look around, and perhaps in our own life, to see how neglecting some law has landed people (or us) in a mess!
When children are born into this world the only law that is working in them is the law of sin which we all have inherited from Adam (Ro.7:23). This is why parents need to train them to walk in the ways of the Lord (Pr.22:6). Parents are to teach children to obey, speak the truth, consider the others, work hard, keep their word, apologise when they go wrong, forgive others, develop the habit of praying and reading the Bible, etc., and when the right time comes lead them into a personal relationship with Jesus.
But many times, parents focus more on providing the children with good food, clothes, toys, education, etc., and driving them towards high achievements in life, than on training for a godly life (1Ti.4:8). On the other hand, they give training to the children to be lawless by modelling a lawless life by speaking lies themselves, not keeping their word, doing the very things they tell the children not to do, etc.
As an example, let us look at traffic rules which are meant for everyone's protection. But when parents violate traffic rules with the children watching them, allow the children against the rules to drive motor vehicles even before they are old and mature enough to handle the responsibility, they are passing on to the children an attitude of lawlessness.
It may be said that for all practical purposes, the only law that many people seem to have is, "Don't get caught." They think that as long as nobody catches them, whatever they do is OK. Some people add another part to this law saying that as long as we don't hurt anyone else whatever we do is fine.
God told Abraham to walk before Him and to be perfect (Ge.17:1). When we recognise that it is with God that we have to do, and start living before Him, we will discover that the law of God goes deeper than the Law of Moses. The Ten Commandments were just the preliminary level of the laws of God. Jesus clarified this by pointing out that it was not enough to avoid killing someone or committing adultery physically but that it was all about our heart. "Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life" (Pr.4:23). If we want to be faithful to God (and experience more of His closeness in our life) we ought to pay attention to the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Ro.8:2) who works in us to convict us, correct us and show us the way forward (Jn.16:13).
If we don't deliberately swim against the current in this world, which is the spirit of lawlessness, we will be pulled along with it.