16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 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 from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 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. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Back in the seventeenth century, there was a man in a Paris monastery whom people from all over sought out for advice and counsel. He was known for being a man who was always focused on God and therefore always at peace.
It was observed of him that his “countenance was edifying, with a sweet and calm devotion that it could not but affect (observers).” In the greatest hurry, he “still preserved his recollection and heavenly-mindedness.” He was “never hasty, nor loitering, but did each thing in its season, with uninterrupted tranquility of spirit.”
His name was Nicolas Herman, but most referred to him simply as Brother Lawrence. He was not a pastor, priest, bishop, or other notable figure. He was a cook, a dishwasher, and at some points in life a shoe repairer. Despite being a person of low status, his reputation as a spiritual giant attracted many people.
He said, “The time of business does not differ with me from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clutter of my kitchen... I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.” (p. 13)
He said, “If we knew how much God loves us, we should always be ready to receive equally and with indifference from his hand the sweet and the bitter; all would please that comes from him.” (p. 38)
Another word of advice was that we “ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.”
He said the worst that could happen to him in any situation was to lose the sense of God. (p. 8)
He claimed doing something as insignificant as picking up a piece of straw could become an act of love toward God.
The key to his perspective wasn’t having removed himself from other people, nor was it having his own perfectly curated worship set, blackout curtains, or an iPhone.
He said it was after trusting in Christ that he gave “himself wholly to God… I renounced, for the love of God, everything that was not him,” and “began to live as if there was none but he and I in the world.” (p. 14)
Brother Lawrence lived a beautiful life that attracted many people. That is the life offered to us through Jesus, and that is where Galatians 5 takes us.
In this passage, we see that the Spirit produces a different kind of fruit in our lives. The Spirit produces a kind of life that can be seen—not just in extraordinary spiritual experiences, but in our ordinary interactions with people. The Spirit brings a love, peace, and gentleness that works inside of us and overflows outside of us.
What would people say of your life? What is it full of?
In order to gain this, we have to follow...
The Way of the Spirit
To all you Mandalorian fans out there who have been praying for a sign: This is the way. It is the way of the Spirit. Unfortunately, you don't have a cute little Baby Yoda telling you what to do.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
This passage tells us in multiple ways to walk by the Spirit.
First, note the word walk. The Christian life is a walk, not a sprint. Some people go fast, but they don't go far. We are to walk. Walking is not spectacular, but it is a way to make progress. This is what we are told to do: walk by the Spirit. We walk in the power of the Spirit and in the way of the Spirit. Walking is active.
It also says to “be led by the Spirit” (v. 18). There is an action and intent we are to own, but there is also a passiveness as we seek to be led. We don't know everything; we depend on the Spirit and leave room for Him to work in our lives. I seek the Lord; His law tells me what to do, forms my boundaries, and gives me room to depend on Him and be led by Him. Don’t rush God; rest in Him. I’m not upset at interruptions in the kitchen because it may be the Spirit leading me in a different direction.
Verse 25 says to keep in step with the Spirit. This term was used of soldiers marching together in step with each other. You hear the military say, "Right, left; right, left." They are in step. They move together, and there is power in a unified force. Each soldier knows his place and where the others are. We are to know where we are in relation to the Spirit of God. Brother Lawrence said it's just him and the Lord—that quiets a lot of other voices.
Keeping in step with the Spirit expresses God’s intent for us. It's more than just obeying the law. You could go a whole week without lying or stealing, yet your heart might not be in it. At the same time, you could claim you are following the Spirit while indulging in all kinds of sin, which is equally out of line. Keeping in step with the Spirit saves us from both indulgence and legalism—which is what many think Christianity is ("I just need to keep these laws").
Look, Amanda has a honey-do list for me. I could ignore her all week, finish the list, and say, "Here you go, I did what you asked." She’d probably respond, "Thanks, you big jerk!" I got stuff done, but I missed the whole point. It's not about the list; it's about the relationship.
Being Spirit-filled isn't primarily about getting stuff done, nor is it having one spectacular spiritual experience; it's about developing a Spirit-directed way of life.
We walk with Him, keep in step with Him, seek Him, depend on Him, and are led by Him. We love Jesus and want more of Him in our lives. It is an intentional and patient pursuit of Jesus and His will for our lives.
To walk by the Spirit, we need to avoid...
The Way of the Flesh
There is a spiritual battle going on in the world. There is an enemy outside of us, but there is also an enemy within. We are often our own worst enemy.
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 from doing the things you want to do.
Several times, this passage presents the problem as the “desires,” “longings,” or “passions” inside us. The Spirit desires one thing; the flesh desires another. They are opposed.
Desires come from deep inside of us. They can be positive or negative, of the flesh or of the Spirit. What we do flows out of what we worship. How you walk reveals what you worship.
You never just "get angry." You are wanting something so badly that when you don’t get it, you feel driven to rage or tear things down. Your actions and emotions are indicators of what you worship.
The battle isn't simply between good behavior and bad behavior. It's deeper—between competing desires and competing gods. Who has supremacy over your life?
Sometimes these desires give the enemy a foothold—a place where there isn't much room, but enough to get a foot in and brace a little. Ephesians 4:27 says do not give the devil a foothold. A foothold isn't much, but it provides an opportunity to advance.
Sometimes a foothold becomes a stronghold—a fortified position. The enemy moves in and sets things up to thrive. It’s like setting up a desk, computer, and sofa to get the most work done.
You can rebuke a foothold. If a robber tries to climb through a window, he only has a foothold, and you can run him off. It's very different when the person has moved into one of your rooms. That takes far more effort.
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4–5)
The Greek word logizomai means “to reckon,” “to charge,” or more generally “to deliberate” and “to conclude.”
Destroying a stronghold takes long periods of intentional discipline to retrain our minds and habits. It's not enough to show up to church a couple of times a month and hope God miraculously changes us. We need to think God’s thoughts after Him—about our situation, about what pleases the Spirit, and about what doesn't.
Let's dive into specifics. Paul doesn't leave what living for the flesh looks like open to interpretation. The first category is sex!
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality...
Sex
So much for easing into the conversation—Paul, service just got awkward! Here we see the trinity of immorality.
Porneia is the Greek word used for sexual immorality, and it is where we get the word pornography. It gives the enemy a foothold that leads to so much more. Sexual immorality includes sex outside of marriage. It doesn't matter if you are a mature, consenting adult with a good job; sex is designed for marriage. Sexual immorality is a fruit of the sinful nature, and when it is present, other bad fruits follow: anger, dissension, factions, etc.
What do your view and practice of sex say about what you worship and where you think life and joy come from?
Religion
20 ...idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.
Idolatry: Idolatry is more than worshipping a statue; it is looking to something created to give us what only God can give—identity, security, meaning, or satisfaction. Martin Luther said that whatever your heart trusts and relies upon most is truly your god. The flesh continually takes good things—money, success, relationships, pleasure—and makes them ultimate things. Idolatry occurs when a good gift becomes the god you cannot live without.
The word for sorcery is pharmakeia, where we get the word pharmacy. It generally refers to the use of drugs, potions, spells, poisoning, witchcraft, or making incantations for healing. It is not saying the use of medicinal drugs is wrong, but people often place a weight and hope on medicine and drugs that borders on viewing them as witchcraft.
Community
Next are eight examples of the breakdown of community—the breakdown of how we relate to and treat other people.
The flesh doesn't just ruin individuals; it ruins relationships. Pride is at the root of all of these issues: insisting on your own way, getting mad at others, creating divisions, pitting people against each other, and self-centeredness (which always views yourself as right and everyone else as wrong, never admitting sin).
Drink
Drunkenness: Several times in Scripture, the pursuit of the Spirit is contrasted with drunkenness. It's not wrong to have a beer or a glass of wine, but it is wrong to get drunk. That is a fruit of not resting in God—filling ourselves with something other than the Spirit of God. Why isn't the filling of the Spirit our primary consolation in those times?
If you are consuming too much alcohol, are dependent on it, or need it to unwind, what does that say about your hope, what you worship, and your ability to trust God?
These are the fruits and effects of what you fill your life with—an external indicator of internal desires. Test and evaluate yourself. It's like picking out a watermelon at Kroger: people say to thump it, look at the stem, or roll it around. I may not know all the tricks, but I know when a watermelon is bad. It's obvious when it's moldy and mushy. It's evident, and so is the sinful nature. It's a clear and obvious indication.
But this is not just to condemn you; it is to show you that there is a better way.
Renounce these things. Say no. Do not give in. Do not gratify or fulfill them. Starve the sinful nature.
If you are experiencing these things, note this: the frustration and disappointment that come from them are like the rumble strip on a highway. You know when you're driving and get too close to the edge, and that noise shakes the whole car to wake everyone up? That is what this warning is meant to do. If you are experiencing this, know that there is more for you to experience from God. This is a warning so that something worse does not happen to you. The Word says those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God, so don't belittle the warning.
Look at the fruit of the Spirit:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Love: Everyone wants to experience love. You can have this through Christ. Consider the gospel: what is the effect on your heart when you meditate on the infinite God who loved us so much that He became finite, coming in human form to die for our sins and set us free from the desires of the flesh? When you think much of Christ, you begin to know, feel, and express love. That is a fruit of the Spirit of Jesus.
There is peace.
Patience (forbearance): You don't get easily angered. You don't jump to conclusions. You are patient to hear the full story. When people wrong you, you do not retaliate in kind.
Goodness and Gentleness: This is how the Lord deals with us.
Part of being full of the Spirit is being full of the knowledge of God. When you know who God is, it begins to transform you. We often focus on spectacular spiritual gifts, but those are useless if they are not accompanied by graces of character.
Brother Lawrence was a simple man who knew God, and people took notice. In 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about a church filled with people who had impressive spiritual gifts and abilities, but they had gifts without grace.
“There can be gifts without graces: that is, one may be capable of performances that benefit others spiritually and yet be a stranger oneself to the Spirit-wrought inner transformation that true knowledge of God brings.” — John Owen (quoted by J.I. Packer)
This shows us that the fruit of the Spirit requires community. This is where our love, patience, and forbearance are put to the test. Oftentimes, people frustrate us, and our reaction is to abandon the relationship, leave the church, or move away.
Community is where the fruit of the Spirit becomes visible. The fruit of the Spirit grows on the vine of community.
The fruit of the Spirit is not merely about who you are when you're alone; it is about who you become when you're with people. You don't really know how much patience you have until someone gives you a reason to be impatient. You don't know how much gentleness you have until someone treats you harshly. You don't know how much self-control you have until someone pushes your buttons.
The hardest thing as a pastor is watching people have issues with others. I can't fix it. You have to rest in the fact that God is at work refining each of us. Maybe they will get it eventually; maybe years down the road they will look back at their immaturity; maybe they will learn from others.
We need community because God uses other people to expose the flesh and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in us.
When I was in college, I joined a set-up team. It was a great group of brothers. We got to eat free donuts and pray with the pastor; we just had to show up at 6:30 a.m. with a U-Haul to move equipment to a high school. I loved those guys. But then I realized that every week turned into an argument over who was driving the U-Haul the next week. We argued about how to load and unload it and the proper way to back up the truck. We were all rough around the edges. It took one proud guy to help another proud guy see how foolish his behavior was. It was there that I saw people apologize and ask for forgiveness. It was messy, and it was beautiful.
What does your relationship with others say is the driving force in your life—the Spirit of God or the flesh? Are you leaving behind love and patience, or pride and aggravation?
Whatever is directing you is determining what is growing in you.
The Spirit-filled life is not accidental; it requires daily surrender and intentional obedience.
The Way of Victory
Following the Spirit is resting in what Jesus has secured for you. If you belong to Christ, then you are His, and all He has is yours. There is something so much better to live for.
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
We are in a spiritual battle, but the decisive point is trusting in Christ. When you trust in Christ, it is a moment-by-moment decision that changes your allegiance. You are no longer living for the world or the flesh, nor are you excusing your sinful behavior. You realize those things are offensive to Jesus, you turn to Him for forgiveness, and you submit your life to Him. He is yours.
I don't fight sin to become God's child; I fight sin because I am God's child.
This is the key to your strength—the key to getting up when you have fallen. You belong to Christ. He loves you, walks with you, and welcomes you back when you fall. When you know that love, you realize no other love can match it.
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The way of the flesh: I belong to myself. Do whatever makes you happy. Satisfy yourself and your needs.
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The way of the Spirit: I belong to Christ. He is mine, and I am His.
You don't crucify the flesh in order to belong to Christ. You crucify the flesh because you belong to Christ.
If you are in Christ, you are not in an endless tug-of-war. There is a decisive victory in Christ. Crucifixion meant certain death, but it was also a slow, gradual, and painful process. It was public for everyone to see. So too, if we are in Christ, we have crucified our flesh. It is as good as dead, though it might kick and scream for a bit. We will have moments where the flesh flares up.
In Christ, you can look at your worst faults and sins and still find hope, love, and peace. God knows these things about you and chose to redeem you anyway. He didn't excuse them or say, "Don't worry about it." He said, "That is wrong, and I am paying the price, making a way, and giving you My Spirit to lead you."
Brother Lawrence didn't wake up every morning thinking, "Today I need to produce more patience. Today I need to produce more gentleness. Today I need to produce more peace." Instead, he declared, "I am the Lord’s, and He is mine."
The goal isn't to become a person who looks more religious; the goal is to become a person in whom the Spirit of Christ is increasingly visible.
Discussion Questions
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What are some ways you see the flesh competing with the Spirit for control of your desires, decisions, and relationships?
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Which fruit of the Spirit is most evident in your life right now, and which one is God inviting you to grow in?
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How does knowing that you belong to Christ change the way you respond when you are tempted? What would it look like to live from that identity this week?
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Who is someone in your life who may need to experience Christ’s love, patience, kindness, or gentleness through you, and what could you do this week to intentionally show them the character of Christ?
