Galatians 5: 16-26 says this:
“So I say then: walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
There is just so much to unpack here. But let’s look at this specific verse:
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Paul explains how we do it. We do it by not gratifying the lusts of the flesh. To not gratify the lusts of the flesh means we don’t allow our old man to take control. Ephesians 4:22-24 says –that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
The new man is the Spirit of the Living God within us and apart from Him we can do nothing. We have his strength, because Christ lives in us. And because Christ lives in us, we are empowered to live the way He did and do what He did. Philippians 4:13 says that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. And Romans 8:31 says, If Christ lives in us, then who can be against us?
Hebrews 12:1-2 say this:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Isn’t it amazing how Jesus submitted His will to the Father EVERY single time and how He ALWAYS remembered the joy that was set before Him? His joy was to fulfil the will of the Father. We were the reward. Jesus was the ultimate picture of someone that died to his flesh every single time. He remembered the goal and the prize. Even if He wanted to choose another way, He didn’t. Luke 22:42, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Philippians 2:8 says, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death- even to death on a cross.
There are times when we want to quit. Even if it is just for a second and we allow other things to enter in. I have had times where I wondered if I made the right decisions or if I was doing the right thing… I basically started allowing my flesh to take over and was forgetting what the goal was. (The reason why I was doing what I was doing in the first place.) It all comes back to Jesus. The goal was and will always be Jesus. Paul knew that full well. In Philippians 1: 21, He says: For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Galatians 2:20 : I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. “
We have to keep our eyes on Jesus. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, yielding to the spirit just flows through that. We allow ourselves to be led. His desires become our desires and His wants become our wants.
Romans 8: 14 says: For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
The good news is that we are sons and daughters of God which means we are led by Him. To be led means to be guided, to be steered, to be directed. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” The AMP version says He has plans for PEACE and well being and not for disaster. So we can take heart in knowing that He really does have us in the palm of His hand and His plans really are good. God is always thinking about an expected end and He knows the end. He knows the end from the beginning.
Isaiah 46:10 says, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.” So we can take heart in knowing that God has got it and we just have to focus on the joy set before us, which is Jesus. It’s why we are here. Not gratifying those desires of the flesh but being led by His spirit.
Jude 1:24 says, Now to him who is able to protect you from stumbling and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, without blemish and with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power and authority before all time, now and forever. Amen.
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