Walk in the Spirit

Introduction

Tree across from our house. Dead. But tree next to it was alive. Leaves, full. it was a strong contrast

Galatians 5 closes with a similar contrast. Verses 19 to 21 describe the fruitless existence of the flesh, or the sinful nature. The verses that follow describe the fruitful and productive work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian.

The contrast is as absolute as the difference between life and death. The apostle Paul has already explained that the flesh and the Spirit are mortal enemies, locked in deadly combat. The passions of the sinful nature are at war with the desires of the regenerate nature (Gal. 5:17). This warfare takes place within the heart, mind, soul, and body of the believer. In this conflict the Christian is ordered to live by the Spirit rather than to indulge the flesh.

Transition: This passage is very important in light of a Christian’s desire to spiritual grow. How do we bear the fruit of the Spiritual that is talked about here? How can we grow as God’s adopted children? We need to walk by the Spirit, observe the obvious, and remember the good news.

Introduction

Walk by the Spirit vs. 16-18

Galatians

Galatians 5:16–18 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.

Clearly the focus of this passage is on the need to live constantly by the power of the Spirit. Paul isn’t talking to “super Christians” in this passage. He doesn’t tell only the leaders or the “charismatic types” to live by the Spirit. Are you a parent? Then you need this passage! Are you single? Then you need this passage! Are you a teenager? Then you need this passage. Every Christian need to learn how to walk by the Spirit, so Paul tells all believers to do so. God does have an opinion on how you are to live and by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Christian will conquer the desires of the flesh.

at it means to be “Lead by the Spirit.”

The only way to be free from the desires of the flesh is to be sanctified by God’s Spirit. He’s influence alone can prevent falling into our old life.

The way to learn the Christian life is to walk with the Holy SPirit every day, “to order our lives according to the direction, and motion of the Spirit.”

This is what it means to be “Lead by the Spirit.”

Last week we talked about the freedom we have in Christ. Christ has liberated us from sin, guilt, death, and eternal judgement. Now we need the inward work of the HOly Spirit to teach us how to handle our newfound freedom. He becomes our guide, leading us to live free in Christ.

Vs. 16 The Holy Spirt brings freedom from sin: Notice the command and the promise.

This really explains that big word called “Sanctification”. Sanctification has to do with holiness. It’s the process of how a Christian becomes like Christ: holy in thought, word, and deed. When people want to become more holy, what is it that they usually try to do? They try to do it themselves. They become legalistic. BUT, did you notice what’s happening here: God is the one who is sanctifying. Did you also notices how he does it: not by the law, but by his Spirit. This is why God is able to guarantee our sanctification when verse 16 says, “You will not gratify the desires of the flesh...”

We must walk; by the Spirit to conquer the flesh. As we live under the control of God’s Spirit, he gradually frees us from our bondage to sin. This isn’t an over the night thing. There maybe one things you get right away, but for those deep seeded habits that are sins, it may take years as the Holy SPirit works within you. But it’s the HOly Spirit that is working in you as you walk with him.

don’t know about you, but I’m still left with this weight on me. I still sin. So do you. With all this freedom talk, it is easy to look at our own lives and look at this text and ask: What in the world is wrong with me? Why isn’t my Christian life full of spiritual victories? Aren’t I free from sin. The text does say “you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” But I still sin. Explain that one to me pastor, there’s a contradiction between my freedom and my failing.

Illustration: There was a man named Martin Luther who had these same questions. He tried to live a godly life, but there were times when he was tempted to sin. And sometimes not just tempted. THere were times when he committed the sins he was tempted to do. This made him worry that he was not really a Christian. Perhaps you have the same doubts of your own. Do your sins ever cause you to question your salvation?

Verse 17 We must walk by the Spirit because the battle is intense: There’s still a war. That brings us to verse 17. “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 form doing the things you want to do.”

Illustration: Friend once described become a Christian like being a baby dropped into the middle of a war zone.

Luther used this verse to preach to himself, “Martin, you will never be completely without sin, because you still have the flesh. Therefore you will always be aware of its conflict, according to the statement of Paul: ‘The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit.’ Do not despair, therefore, but fight back, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.”

Do you recognize what kind of war you are in?

Why is this battle so intense?

This verse describes the war within, the constant conflict raging inside the human heart. One desire grapples with the other, like two giant sumo wrestlers trying to push each other out of the ring—flesh against spirit, sinful nature against regenerate nature. The result of this conflict is that we do not always do what we want to do. Often, we do exactly the opposite, for the flesh wars against the Spirit. Paul expanded on this idea in his letter to the Romans: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.… I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (, ).

A commentator said it this way: THe flesh opposes the SPirit that men may not do what they will in accordance with he mind of the Spirit, and the Spiritual opposes the flesh that they may not do what they will after the flesh. Does the man choose evil, the Spirit opposes him; does he choose good, the flesh hinders him.”

Verse 17 “to keep you from doing the thing you want to do” This is the spiritual condition of the Christian. There’s a battle that is still raging within the Christian. If you’re a Christian, you’re a walking self-contradiction. You’re being pulled by the flesh and the SPirit in two different direction at once. It’s a full on civil war within you. The Christian life will always be a struggle, but thank God you’re struggling. It’s a sign of the Spirit within you. You shouldn’t doubt your salvation. You are more aware of your sin when the Holy Spirt is active in fighting against our sinful desires.

Verse 18 “But if you are lead by the Spirit, you are not under the law” When you walk by the Spirit you are resting in his ongoing work in you, not trying to accomplish godliness in your own strength. You are not under the law. Not freedom to sin, but freedom from sin. DOn’t live under the crushing weight of the law.

This fight isn’t forever: We are not fighting a losing battle. The struggle between the flesh and the Spirit doesn’t end in a stalemate. One day the Sprit will gain total victory and the flesh will torment us no longer. Then we will be free in al the ways that the Spirit wants to make us free: from from sin, free to serve, free to fulfill God’s law. We will be free to do what we most want to do, which is what God wants us to do.

So in this world: How am I lead by the Spirit? It’s not some abstract concept. You’re not waiting to hear some voice, God has specifically already told us, In his Word, what it looks like to be lead by the Spirit.

Piper: Satan devotes 168 hours a week trying to deceive you. Do you think you can maintain a renewed mind with a ten-minute glance at God’s book once a day? This is a battle. It’s a war. Fight it with the truth of God’s Word. Sometimes I wonder if we have a warrior mentality to the Christian life. We spend so much time fighting with each other and forgetting that the battle is with our flesh.

Are you fighting the good fight? What are you fighting with. If you’re a Christian, God has equipped you with himself to fight.

BI: By the power of the Holy Spirit, believers will conquer the desires of the flesh, which constantly threaten us.

Transition: He calls us us to walk in the spirit, but gives a promise that if we do this, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. As we walk by the Spirit, we are called to observe the obvious.

Observe the Obvious vs. 19-23

Galatians 19-23

Galatians 5:19–23 ESV

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.

verse 19-20: The works of the flesh. Four areas he talks about: sex, religion, relationships, and indulgences. This isn’t an exhaustive list. Walk with me through them before you start asking why these things are important to God: Think of these four categories:

Sex: Paul starts with this, so does Jesus in Mark . Sexual sin is a major problem. Sexual sin with another person either physically or any other form, grieves the Holy Spirit. ITaffects many others, not just the one sinning. IT displays a graphic self-centredness. IT dishonours those made in the image of God. It violates God’s pure plan for marriage. It is totally opposite of the fruit fo the Spirit, especially love.

Religion: The Bible actually talks about good religion as James describes what good religion is by pure and undefined. But being religions does not imply walking by the Spirit. Who or what are people worshipping? Idolatry is the problem: It’s a heart issue. People commit idolatry when they look to something other than God to give them what only God can give them. These desires include salvation, please, security, joy, and provision. Money, mentioned through the bible, is a big idol today.

Remember the Good News

Relationships: Hatred refers to enmity of any kind. It’s at the root of conflict. Strife, means to have contentious temper. jealousy, a jealous person wants what someone else has. Can lead to other sins like bitterness and violence. They lack an attitude of gratitude to God for his provision and a lack of love for others. Outburst of anger talks about a person with an uncut rolled temper. This isn’t a personality trait or a cultural trait, call it what it is, sin. Selfish ambition, the type of person who seeking to build their own kingdom. Dissension and factions, the Spirit bring unity, but the flesh bring division. Envy, is a person who isn’t happy with God’s gift and can not stand it when others succeed. Indulgence, sins were you can’t control your appetite like getting drunk or eating way more than you should.

You may ask, why does this matter so much? Because I love you. And Paul gives a warning.

Verse 21 So Paul gives us a warning IF you are living under the rule of the flesh, then you should stand in fear because you will not enter the coming kingdom. Those who come to faith in Christ by grace alone are a new people. While they will still struggle with sin, the flesh will not dominate them. They have new desires and new power to live. Our good works do not save us, but true salvation lead to fruitfulness and faithfulness.

Goes on to describe the life of one who is walking in the Spirit as:

Love. It is the greatest. Love isn’t one virtue among a list of virtues, but the sum and substance of what it means to be a Christian. The Greek word, agape, is talking about a selfless, sacrificial affection that enables us to serve one another in love. Love is what we return to God who first loves us through he suffering and death of his Son, and then poured his love “into our hearts through the HOly Spirit.” (Romans 5:5)

Joy. It’s not so much happiness by contentment. Joy is the ability to take good cheer from the gospel. It’s not dependent on circumstances. It’s the rock solid peace of being made right before God. That’s can’t be taken away.

Patient. Talking about the quality of mind that disposes us to take everything in good part and not to be easily offended. The ability to put up with other people even when that is not an easy thing to do. It’s the ability to end our through hardships because you know who you are in Christ. Kindness and goodness are related to this.

Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self control. Is being trustworthy. Paul charges Timothy is 2 Timothy to find faithful men who can teach the Gospel. We are to imitate the Life of Jesus as he displayed a life of gentlesness and meekness, not violence. As the Spirit works in us, we grow in sel—control. In our flesh we are out of control, doing whatever we want, but by the SPirit we live self-controlled lives.

How can one live a life filled with such traits? Pauls says, by the spirit. It doesn’t happen by the law, “against such things there is no law.” (Vs. 23) THe law can never produce this kind of fruitfulness.

Paul tells us to walk by the Spirit, then he gives us marks of the flesh and of the Spirit and tells us to observe the obvious. So do you got to ask some questions. Is the fruit of the SPirit evident in your life? Is the character of Christ being formed in you? Perhaps you can say, “Yes, but I would love more progress.” Join the crows. The Spirit grows us gradually and painfully. But He produces fruit over time, as we yield to the Spirit and put to death the flesh. \

BI: By the power of the Holy Spirit, believers will conquer the desires of the flesh, which constantly threaten us.

But there’s an important point not to forget as the battle rages.

Remember the Good News vs. 24-26

Galatians 5:24–26 ESV

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. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:

Galatians 5:24–26 ESV

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. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:

The New American Commentary: Galatians (4) The Fruit of the Spirit (5:22–26)

Crucifixion of the flesh is described here not as something done to us but rather something done by us. Believers themselves are the agents of this crucifixion. Paul was here describing the process of mortification, the daily putting to death of the flesh through the disciplines of prayer, fasting, repentance, and self-control.

The basic demand of Christian discipleship is that we take up our cross daily and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). Paul stretched this metaphor further by saying that “we must not only take up our cross and walk with it, but actually see that the execution takes place.” The mortifying work of self-crucifixion is a continuous, lifelong process, for this side of heaven we dwell in mortal bodies and are bound by inordinate desires. J. Brown describes the continual putting to death of the flesh with all its sinful passions and desires in this way: “Crucifixion … produced death not suddenly but gradually.… True Christians do not succeed in completely destroying it (that is the flesh) while here below; but they have fixed it to the cross and they are determined to keep it there till it expires.”107 This verse tells us that there is no shortcut to spiritual victory in the life of the Christian. No second blessing, or rededication, or spiritual quick-fix can take the place of consistent, obedient, vigilant renunciation of the world and mortification of the flesh.

belong to Christ Jesus. As a Christian, you are Christ.We do not need the law to restrain our behaviour, we have been “crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Crucifixion of the flesh is described here not as something done to us but rather something done by us. Believers themselves are the agents of this crucifixion. Paul was here describing the process of mortification, the daily putting to death of the flesh through the disciplines of prayer, fasting, repentance, and self-control.

The basic demand of Christian discipleship is that we take up our cross daily and follow Christ (). Paul stretched this metaphor further by saying that “we must not only take up our cross and walk with it, but actually see that the execution takes place.” The mortifying work of self-crucifixion is a continuous, lifelong process, for this side of heaven we dwell in mortal bodies and are bound by inordinate desires. It’s continual putting to death of the flesh with all its sinful passions and desires in this way: “Crucifixion … produced death not suddenly but gradually.… True Christians do not succeed in completely destroying it (that is the flesh) while here below; but they have fixed it to the cross and they are determined to keep it there till it expires.” This verse tells us that there is no shortcut to spiritual victory in the life of the Christian. No second blessing, or rededication, or spiritual quick-fix can take the place of consistent, obedient, vigilant renunciation of the world and mortification of the flesh. We do this because we are his.

Verses 25 - 26 Believers possess the Spirit. Not only has our identity changed at conversion, but we also now have the power to live every day by the Spirit. Paul doesn’t shy away by telling us that the battle is intense. But we belong to Jesus, and we have the Holy Spirit.

Transition: We need to remember that we belong to Jesus and that we posses the Holy Spirit. We must resolve to live daily by Spirit so that we do not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Conclusion:

So What. How do I grow? How do I continue to fight?

3 core habits that every follower of Jesus needs to do to master the core gospel habits that will keep you growing for a lifetime and walking in the Spirit. We never move beyond them.

Read or listen tot he Bible

Pray

Pursue worship and fellowship within a church community.

Questions:

What is the conflict Christians have with the flesh?

Compare and Cocontrast this passage with

What struck you the most in the section on the works of the flesh?

What is the “good news” in this passage?

How might you daily crucify the flesh?