Galatians 5:16 (LITV)
“But I say, Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
What a powerful statement! For those followers of our Lord Jesus who truly desire to live victoriously; Paul has in few words declared a strong truth which if lived-out will produce overcoming Victory!!
In His Epistle to the Romans, in chapters 1-6, Paul expounds on the teaching of how righteousness is imparted into a believer when places his faith in Jesus Christ; when he is born again (saved). And so, he teaches us about the process of Salvation But in chapters 6-8, Paul takes his expository teaching to a “higher level,” the higher level of maturing and becoming godly once born again. And so, he teaches us about the process of sanctification. In several verses in that section, Paul makes strong truth-assertions which contrast the quite opposite ways of living; living/walking in the flesh versus living/walking in the Spirit.
Here is a sampling of some of Paul’s life-changing flesh v Spirit (led living) statements.
6:11 “Consider yourselves to be truly dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
6:12 “Then do not let sin reign in your mortal body, to obey it in its lusts.
6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under Law, but under grace.”
8:1 “There is; therefore, now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to flesh, but according to (the) Spirit.”
8:2 “For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus frees me from the law of sin and of death!”
8:6 “For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace;”
8:8 “And those being in the flesh are not able to please God.”
8:13 “For if you live according to (the) flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the practices of the body, you will live. (14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
And there are many others, and we should consider the entire passage (6-8) to get the full impact of Paul’s teaching.
Similarly in his Epistle to the Galations, Paul compares three (not two) ways of achieving God’s righteousness in our lives: living in lusts and licentiousness versus moral improvement by Torah observance versus Living in the Spirit of God. He clearly concludes that “Life in the Spirit” is the only way!
In Galatians 5, Paul compares living according to the flesh (carnal nature) versus living according to the Spirit (God’s Spirit in us via baptism but also guiding, directing our lives). This is why he includes a list of “works of the flesh” and contrasts them with a list of characteristics that the Spirit produces, “fruit of the Spirit.” His statement about the two lusts are amazing (but time does not permit me to discuss them at this moment).
So, Paul’s statement in Galatians 5:16 becomes not only a summary of these composite truths, but also an expansion of them. “But I say, Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Here is the key to success in conquering the carnal nature; to having victory; to stopping the dominion of sin and Satan in your life!
If you walk according to the flesh, you lose.
If you walk according to His Spirit, you win.
Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” We must not only live, but also walk IN THE SPIRIT! When a person learns how to walk in the Spirit and then does so regularly, the Spirit of God (which is within him), will correct, reprove, encourage, lead, guide, direct, and empower him to live a holy, godly, sanctified, victorious life!!!
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