Discover the transformative power of living by the Spirit as we explore Galatians 5:16-26. Learn how to overcome selfish desires, cultivate the fruits of the Spirit, and walk in true freedom and love in Christ.

Identifying Our Selfish Nature

When we don’t let the Spirit guide our lives, we inevitably succumb or revert to our sinful human nature, which cannot peacefully coexist in our hearts, minds, and souls. When we follow the flesh, we get the list of sinful acts that the Apostle Paul shares in Galatians 5:

• sexual immorality

• impurity

• lustful pleasures

• idolatry

• sorcery

• hostility

• quarreling

• jealousy

• outbursts of anger

• selfish ambition

• dissension

• division

• envy

• drunkenness

• wild parties

• and other sins like these

While that may sound like much of the world we live in, and even the modern church sometimes, we must remember that Paul said these things exist because we’re not walking in the Spirit but in our world. This is where following the impulses of the flesh leads us.

When we read through that list of sins, sometimes we categorize them as sexual sins, religious sins, or social sins. But if you look at them together, they all have one central theme: selfishness and self-absorption.

Paul tells us that the flesh and the Spirit are opposed, and we can’t simultaneously give allegiance to both. If we indulge those sinful natures, we inherently keep ourselves from showing God’s love to our neighbors.

Galatians 5:13 shares, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” Yet, there’s a temptation when we’re free; it’s tempting to do what we want. English political philosopher Thomas Hobbes said that life in utter freedom is nasty, brutish, and short. When we live without purpose or guardrails, we always turn to taking care of ourselves first and foremost. But that’s not what we were created for! We weren’t designed for total freedom because we’re prone to misuse it. Self-service is not our directive.

Paul’s point is that we weren’t created only to follow the law. Any attempts to follow the law will lead to our destruction, both in community and our souls. He even says those who indulge these selfish passions won’t inherit the kingdom of God. But we also can’t do this on our own. We can’t earn our way back into God’s good graces.

When we look at the law, sometimes our mind thinks, “Well, it was easier when I had everything laid out for me.” The law enables self-reliance. When the Israelites fled Egypt, they cried to return. Maybe we don’t know we’re free now. Or perhaps we haven’t fully repented of our sin. We look back and are tempted to take our hand from the plow. We haven’t trusted the Spirit to walk with us—not just to save us but to sanctify us.

So, how do we know when we’re walking in the Spirit? What does that mean?

Am I Walking in the Spirit?

Paul says walking in the Spirit is an ongoing fight. Even after we’ve trusted Christ, sin’s effects remain, even if they don’t reign. When a car factory closes, the cars produced there don’t cease to exist. They still drive on the roadways and sometimes even park in our own garages.

When we’re saved, the Sin Factory closes, so to speak, but its effects are still in our lives. We might be tempted to remember the vehicle that we used to drive and how much we liked it and want to take one more spin, but the promise of life in the Spirit is that He will lead us to something bigger and more fulfilling if we let Him.

Referring to the ongoing struggle, Paul wrote the following in Romans 7:15-20:

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.”

How often do we succumb to that mentality? “Oh well, I’m going to struggle my entire life.” Paul has an answer found a few verses later in Romans.

“Who will rescue me from this body that’s subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 7:24-25

Christ delivers us.

Tim Keller wrote that Christians shouldn’t be optimists because we know too much about sin. But we shouldn’t be pessimists because we know too much about the living God. We can even go further than that and be more optimistic about the power of the Spirit to change and transform our lives than we are pessimistic about the human condition.

The Victory Over Sin

When we remain in the Spirit, we are delivered and given victory over sin. In Galatians, Paul doesn’t expound on this declaration. He only states:

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.” Galatians 5:24

However, he goes deeper in Romans 8:5-11:

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires, but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

The solution is right there! We’re given victory over sin when we remain in the Spirit!

We cheer and hope for victory when we watch a spirited game between our favorite sports team and our rival opponent. However, this victory isn’t one we have to wonder about the outcome. The Spirit will give you victory today!

Crucifying Our Sinful Nature

As stated in verse 24, we nail our sinful nature to the cross and crucify them. In his sermon “On Patience,” John Wesley had this to say about conversion:

“And there is as great a change wrought in our souls when we are born of the Spirit, as was wrought in our bodies when we are born of a woman. There is, in that hour, a general change from inward sinfulness to inward holiness. The love of the creature is changed to the love of the Creator, the love of the world into the love of God. Earthly desires, the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life are, in that instant, changed by the mighty power of God into heavenly desires. The whirlwind of our will is stopped in its mid-career and sinks down into the will of God. Pride and haughtiness subside into lowliness of heart, as do anger, with all turbulent and unruly passions, into calmness, meekness, and gentleness. In a word, the earthly, sensual, devilish mind gives place to ‘the mind that was in Christ Jesus.’”

If freedom is doing what we want, then freedom in the Spirit will change what we want. Therefore, we die to ourselves regularly and frequently, even daily. Jesus tells us it’s an ongoing process:

JESUS: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” Matthew 16:24-26

We must daily crucify our entire selves. It’s a daily surrender from our passions, selfishness, and idols. Over time, it’s like Paul wrote earlier in Galatians: It’s not I who lives, but Christ living in me (Galatians 2:20- 21). We don’t have to see it as Jesus changing our lives, but exchanging our lives.

It’s through this daily crucifixion that we grow more into Christ-likeness. Our heart is changed bit by bit, but the effects are cumulative. Look at the verbs:

• Walk (v. 16)

• Be led by (v. 18)

• Live by (v. 25)

• Keep step with (v. 25)

Who does that sound like? That sounds like the life of Christ. He was conceived and led by the Spirit (Luke 4). He rejoiced in the Spirit (Luke 10:21). He promised us the Spirit to teach (Luke 12:12) and lead us (John 14:26). He also said the Spirit would baptize us as believers. We’re told to go and share the Gospel with others through the power of the Spirit.

Christ’s entire life and ministry were Spirit-led and Spirit-dependent, and we must abide in Him.

Is Your Life Marked by Love?

JESUS: “For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:4, 8-14

God provides a way for you to live a life guided by love and produce spiritual fruit for His glory. Jesus makes three points in that passage:

1. Remain in His Love

2. Obey His Commands

3. His command is to love each other

That’s the Gospel God provides as the way for us to live a life guided by His love. This is what it means to be on a discipleship path.

We’re more than what we believe, and our habits shape this love. We need a rule of life that provides these practices, taught by Christ, to shape those habits, moving us on in love towards what John Wesley called holiness of heart and life.

As we practice these works of piety, loving God, works of mercy, and loving others, new holy habits are formed. They produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That’s what we’re capable of doing if Christ is in us. Do you want that? Do you want to be directed by love overflowing from your heart so much that others see it and it brings glory to God?

Does the fruit of the Spirit mark your life? Does love mark your life?

What do others see when they look at your life? Do they see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? We all have areas where this fruit isn’t being produced, and we should pray for the grace to give those things to God so He can redeem them.

Is your life conducted in love? Are your conversations about politics conducted in love? Is it evident in the way you talk to or about people? Is your love for God, deferring to the person you’re speaking to, the first and foremost thing shown?

If you converse with someone about an election, politics, or culture, the most important part of the conversation is your soul and the soul of the person you’re speaking with. We must ensure we’re living in the Spirit and that we’re not tempted to indulge those sinful impulses listed at the beginning. We must crucify that to the Spirit.

If you want to grow more fruit, you have to tend the garden. This applies to our faith as well. A recent news story said that the average American spends roughly two to four minutes a day in personal worship, prayer, reading Scripture, or holy conversation. If you had a vegetable garden, how much produce would be created if you only gave it two minutes a day?

There are many ways to abide in Christ, but to tend your garden and walk in the Spirit, you must cooperate. Now, this is all by God’s grace. You can’t achieve this by hard work, but God’s also not going to sanctify you against your will. When He gives you grace, you respond. Over time, you develop habits and disciplines of prayer, Scripture reading, worship, communion, sharing your faith, confessing your sins, and other spiritual disciplines. When you do these things, God will give you fruit.

As you finish reading, examine your life. Where is the spirit in you? Where are you in the spirit? What fruit are you producing? What selfish, sinful passions are you hanging on to? What haven’t you nailed to the cross yet to be delivered from, to be changed into fruit?

Reflect on your own life. Is it marked by love? Is it producing joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control? If you remain in Him, walk in Spirit, and allow the power of the Spirit into your lives, He can make this change for you.

TL;DR

1. Living by the Spirit means choosing a life guided by God’s love and rejecting the selfish desires that lead to sin.

2. We align ourselves with Christ’s teachings by crucifying our sinful nature and embracing the fruits of the Spirit, such as love, joy, peace, and patience.

3. This spiritual journey brings personal transformation and enables us to love and serve others authentically, reflecting the true essence of Christian living.

4. Through this process, we find true freedom and victory over sin, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Related Reading

How to Live in the Freedom of Grace by Bro. Chris Carter

Believers, Not Achievers: Why Only Grace Save You by Bro. Chris Carter

How Adoption into God’s Family Changes Everything by Rev. Paul Lawler