“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:16-18)
In the previous passage, Paul speaks the truth to the Galatian Christians. That truth applies to all Christians, even today. His plea is for believers not to waste their freedom in Christ on serving their flesh and their selfish desires. Instead, he has told those free in Christ to serve each other in love. Now, Paul begins to describe how to live in this way. After all, this kind of love does not come naturally. Not only do we resist giving up our way, we often do not know how to serve. Without the rules of the law to guide our every decision, how will we use our freedom in Christ to love each other? Paul points to the only source of power and wisdom beyond ourselves: the Holy Spirit of God. He revealed earlier in this letter that the Spirit comes to live in the hearts of every one of God's sons and daughters (Gal. 4:6). Now Paul tells us to use this freedom in Christ to access the power of God's Spirit in our hearts in our everyday lives. He tells us to walk and keep on walking by the Spirit's power and guidance.
Again, Paul will paint the picture of setting aside our power and relying on God's. In the same way, we could not fulfill the law by our efforts, and Paul tells us to quit trying to serve each other in love by ourselves. The Spirit of God in us is available and willing to help. Yes, this is a mysterious idea, but it's also how free people in Christ avoid giving in to the desires of our flesh. It's how we overcome our strong appetites to do what feels good, even if that thing is sinful. In the Spirit's power, we can say no to ourselves. We must rely on the Spirit. We must avoid merely serving our flesh by doing whatever feels good. In short, when we walk by His power, we won't indulge our desires at the cost of others.
Paul now describes a conflict that goes on in the heart and mind of every Christian. Our flesh wants one thing, and God's Spirit wants something very different. It wants to honor God and serve others with His love. When the Spirit comes to live in our hearts, a battle sometimes rages. However, Paul will show that those in Christ can win that battle by allowing the Spirit to lead us.
It is possible to act in the Spirit's power to love others as Christ loves us. When we love others that way, we do not need the law. None of its rules or regulations matter; our words, actions, and thoughts will be born from our love for God and others. Free people in Christ can (and should) live like this.
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