RULED AND FUELED

Ruled by Jesus. Fueled by the Spirit.

INTRO__

TUG A WAR (pull up 2 people)

Point of Tug or War is to pull the other over to your side.

Or… pull pull pull… You gotta work HARD to get things to go in the direction you want them to.

The harder you pull, the more tension you create.

That’s a picture of what’s going on inside us every day. Paul says there are two forces at work: the flesh and the Spirit. And they’re pulling in opposite directions. There’s a tension that we live in.

The flesh says, “Protect yourself. Get revenge. Do what feels good.” The Spirit says, “Love them. Forgive them. Wait on the Lord. Trust.”

When you find yourself in those situations, who or what would you say is driving your life?

When your home at night doom-strolling on Instagram, playing the comparison game. Or maybe instead of swiping up, up, up, you’re swiping left or right. Or maybe you have a conversation, or get a text, that you’re just ready to go crazy on. Or overthink.

Let me ask you this:: What’s driving your decision? What’s fueling that function? Your PHONE? Or the THRONE?

Tonight’s passage in Galatians 5 is about—being ruled by the Spirit and fueled by His power. Not by our emotions or appetites, but by Jesus Himself.

The Christian life isn’t about trying harder, it’s about walking closer. You can’t live a kingdom life without kingdom power.

—> So the question is: are you ruled by your flesh, or are you ruled and fueled by the Spirit of God?

MAIN TEXT__

Galatians 5:16–25 ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

BIG IDEA__

You can’t live a kingdom life without kingdom power—that means we must live under the LORDSHIP of Jesus and IN STEP with the Spirit every day.

To often we are PULLING our own direction… creating tension… when we need to hold on and follow the direction of the Spirit.

So the big question tonight is this: How do we manage the tension?

TO SET SOME CONTEXT - Paul here in this text is encouraging these Christians that the best antidote against false doctrine is practicing the truth.

The greatest lie the enemy has waging against our generation is the idea that you should “just do you.” Follow your heart. Manifest your reality.

See, the problem with that is that that’s a false vine… There is no kingdom power that comes from following a heart - in fact the BIble says In Jeremiah 17 that “the heart is deceitful above all things! So, in “you doing you” you really are often walking in the opposite direction from the Spirt’s guiding. The rope is getting tighter. You’re building tension.

See, this mindset really implies that you, and only you, have ultimate authority in and over your life.

But to truly be ruled by Jesus and fueled by His spirit - you have to surrender to His authority. You gotta let go.

So then the question is: “What does it look like to be ruled by Jesus and fueled by the Spirit?”

POINTS__ 1. Surrender to His Authority

Galatians 5:16–17 ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

To surrender means “cease resistance and submit to authority..” You can’t be fully surrendered to something, but still be holding onto something else.

The only way to conquer the fresh is to yield - fully - the Spirit.

Matthew 16:24 – “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”

To WALK BY THE SPIRIT is the idea that it’s not only a direction that you’re heading - away from the flesh - but it’s an empowerment. It’s the idea that AS YOU WALK - you better learn to discern the ways of Jesus. It creates a pattern in your life that helps you become more and more familiar.

It’s like the cheat code on the Switch - or your password when you log in at work. At first you had to learn all the credential requirements and had to create some obscure passphrase that was hard to remember - but the more you’ve done it, the more muscle memory comes in play and you don’t even give it a second thought now.

The more you WALK with Jesus - the more you remember the path. The more empowered you are to take on the challenges that you face.

🪧 Application: Kingdom people don’t negotiate with Jesus—they obey Him.

When you feel the pull and tug in life - and that tension builds - you can’t stop to negotiate with God YOUR conditions. To surrender and submit to God means to CEASE the resistance you’re creating.

You have to make Jesus not just Savior but LORD of your life.

• Reevaluate your priorities. Ask: “Is Jesus just a piece of my life—or the centerpiece?”

• Bring your major decisions—school, career, dating—under His leadership. Pray before you plan.

• Stop compartmentalizing your faith. Make Jesus Lord of your social media, weekends, playlists, and relationships.

Here’s the deal. This sounds simple. “Just stop and surrender.” But it’s not always that easy - I get it. So, the question then is: How then? How do we do this? Let’s read on…

2. Stay in Step with the Spirit

Galatians 5:18–21 ESV

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:25 ESV

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

What’s it look like to be LED BY THE SPIRIT?

The verse starts off saying “you are not under the law”. This means that now that you have been justified by FAITH by the saving work of Jesus death on the cross (gospel moment) you now have the Spirit inside of you. You have surrendered to the full authority of Jesus and placed your full FAITH in Him. Now follow him. Step by step.

Begin to JOURNEY WITH JESUS.

Jesus didn’t come to the world, overcome the ways of the world by his death and resurrection on the Cross, just because he’s a cool guy. Jesus spent 33 years on the earth and then died for the sins of the world so that He could show us THE WAY.

Jungle in Ecuador _ walked thru the jungle with a rope so didn’t slip or get lost.

But imagine - you’re walking on a trail in the woods and instead of following or listening to the guide - you challenge their instruction and choose to divert from the path and take what you think is a shortcut. You haven’t “surrendered” yourself to the authority of the guide - you’re holding back to what you think YOU know or what YOU think is better.

To walk in STEP WITH THE SPIRIT means to follow the Spirit’s lead in your decisions, desires, and direction.

• John 14:26 – “The Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.”

• Isaiah 30:21 – “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”

When Jesus ascended back to Heaven after His resurrection, you can imagine the confusion and dismay of the disciples. The man they have been looking to, learning from, walking with was going away…but what did Jesus say?

The Holy Spirit is coming… John 14:16–17 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

The Spirit of God is WITH YOU believer. As you wake, walk, sleep, the SPIRIT IS WITH YOU. He goes before you.

QUESTION: When’s the last time you stopped to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit?

And I’m not talking about “doing” the Christian things. I’m talking about slowing down and stopping to be sensitive what what the SPIRIT is speaking. Actually considering Him in your daily life.

Some of us have surrendered to the authority of God but are trying to rush the result. We’re not IN STEP with the Spirit. We’re trying to 2-step around Him. Or run ahead.

🪧 Application: Sensitivity to the Spirit requires slowing down, listening up, and stepping out in faith.

It’s not just “going with the flow”—it’s staying in step with the Spirit.

• Start each day asking, “Holy Spirit, lead me today.” Make this a morning habit.

• When you feel convicted—actually respond. Whether it’s apologizing, deleting an app, or reaching out to someone, obedience keeps you in step.

• Practice “pause and pray.” Before making decisions (texting back, posting, spending), pause and ask the Spirit for wisdom.

After we have surrendered to the authority of Jesus and when we begin to walk in step with the Spirit, it’s then that we see the evidence.

3. Show the Fruit of Transformation

Your character and conduct will begin to visibly reflect kingdom values.

Galatians 5:22–24 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

• Matthew 7:16 – “By their fruit you will recognize them.”

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…”

Paul here isn’t saying that these things make or break your relationship with God, but they are the evidence. These things are evidence of transformation in your life.

The fruit of the Spirit is more than a list of character qualities to hope for, it’s a list of Christ’s character to hope in: ESV Study Bible breaks it down like this and I love it:

Love - the first in the list because it’s the most clearly reflects the character of God Joy - in second because it reflects our dependence of God’s plan for our lives Peace - represents the bond that was remade between God and his children because of Christ Patience - shows our reliance on God but also our acceptance of his time-table in our lives Kindness - shows goodness and generosity to others, as Christ showed to us Goodness - shows a work to benefit others, not only ourselves Gentleness - the ability for others to find rest and encouragement, a safe place Self-Control - the ability to resist the desires of the flesh

Again, these aren’t just adjectives that we should strive for out of duty in the Christian walk, these are attributes that should begin the transform in our daily lives are we continue to seek after Jesus and allow for the Spirit to work in our lives.

🪧 Application: A kingdom life isn’t proven by performance, but by Spirit-produced fruit.

Some of you are feeling the tension in your relationship with God because you have a mindset that the more you “DO” will in same way grant you favor with God. But nothing about the Gospel requires us to “do more, try harder…”

Listen - Christ has DONE everything for YOU on the Cross. The WORK of reconciliation to God the Father is complete. So now… WORK to DIE TO YOURSELF.

We need to understand that the only WORK we need to do is WORK to die to ourselves and surrender to God, walk in His spirit, and watch how he continues to provide for and perfect you into His image for YOUR GOOD.

Your life should make people curious about Jesus.

• Ask a friend you trust: “What fruit do you see in my life?” (Galatians 5:22–23 can be a guide.)

• Let your character outpace your charisma. Integrity speaks louder than your opinions.

• Pursue consistency over hype. Show up, serve, and grow in Godliness.

OUTRO__

You weren’t made to live this life on your own strength. The battle between flesh and Spirit is real - it can feel like a tug of war. But honestly, it is WAR.

There is a WAR being waged for your attention and affections… But you’re not left to fight it alone. Jesus rules your life with grace and truth. The Holy Spirit fuels your steps with wisdom and power.

So tomorrow morning—and every morning after that—wake up and choose to walk. Walk away from the flesh. Walk under the authority of King Jesus. Walk in step with the Spirit who lives in you.

Because you can’t live a kingdom life without kingdom power.

See, the closer you walk in step with our savior, the less wiplash from the world you endure.

🎯 Challenge:

This week, my challenge to you Christian is to identify one area of your life where Jesus needs to rule, and one area where you need to listen to the Spirit’s leading. Write them down. Pray over them. Act on them.

And if you’re hear tonight, and you haven’t fully surrendered to the LORDSHIP of Jesus - tonights the night! Make Him King.