GALATIANS 5:16-18
LIVE BY THE SPIRIT
[Romans 7:14- 8:4]
What principle should one follow to live the Christian life? If a group of average church members were asked that question what answers would they give? Some would likely emphasis Bible reading and prayer. Some would stress faithful church attendance. Others might mention living by the Golden Rule or using your life to serve others. Still others might say "Imitate Christ." We have Paul’s answer to how to live the Christian life here. His over-arching guiding principle is Live by the Spirit.
Many professing Christians are quite ignorant of the Holy Spirit’s ministry and they fail to recognize and experience His work. They tend to emphasize rules rather than the life of divine grace, the life of the Spirit. We preachers often hammer on morality but teach little about the workings of the Spirit and His power to help. To substitute moralizing for the biblical teaching of the Holy Spirit led life is tragic.
The real secret of success or victory in living the Christian life is to follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance and receive His empowering. This leads to an inner and outer transformation of life that a code of ethics cannot even touch. This was Paul’s understanding and deep conviction; to live in victory is to walk by the Spirit (CIT). It is each believer’s personal responsibility to live a Spirit controlled life.
I. THE VICTORIOUS LIFE, v.16.
II. THE INNER STRUGGLE, v. 17.
III. SPIRITUAL FREEDOM, v.18.
In verse 16 we have the answer to the abuses of liberty described in the previous verses, and the secret to the victorious Christian life. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will never carry out the desires of the flesh.
The life of victory comes not from following an external code but from obeying an internal presence. The Holy Spirit takes the place of the law as the controlling power in the Christian’s life.
The statement contains an exhortation, "live by the Spirit" and a promise, "and you will never carry out the desires of the flesh." First the wise advice on how to live your life. The word walk, used 32 times in Galatians, is used figuratively of one’s way of life. It has the sense of "live" or "conduct oneself." The verb [peri-pateite] is in the present imperative and literally means keep on walking. Who we are to live in or by [the dative pneumati indicates origin, sphere, and instrumentality] is the Spirit. The exhortation is to live our lives in the new reality of "the Spirit" who we encountered and experienced at our conversion.
An astounding promise is attached to those who will surrender daily to God’s Spirit. This promise is to the believer who continuously lives in dependence on the indwelling Holy Spirit for guidance and power. The Spirit does not operate automatically in the believer’s heart but waits to be yield to or depended on. The secret victory in the moral conflict of the Christian life is living by the Spirit.
When a Christian continuously yields to the Spirit’s control, the promise is that he will not in any way gratify the fallen nature. The word "not" is better translated by the emphatic "never" for it represents the most forceful double negative ( µ ) possible in the original Greek. If you follow the Spirit’s directions and promptings you will "no never" be dominated by your sinful nature, here defined as "the flesh."
When you were saved by receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord the power of sin and of your fallen nature was broken, but it was not eradicated. The believer has been given the responsibility to obey the Spirit. The believer must walk in the Spirit for the fallen nature desires to reassert itself and dominate the believer’s life as it has been accustomed to doing before the believer experienced salvation from sin, Satan, and self.
The phase "carry out" or gratify (telesete from telé "bring to an end, finish, complete, accomplish, carry out") "the desires" indicates to complete or fulfill by outward action. This desiring is part of man’s original nature but has been perverted by our fallen nature. God has given us natural desires to be express in healthy ways. Satan uses our sinful nature to get us to use our natural and originally good desires in ways contrary to God’s will. Much sin is an illegitimate expression of a legitimate desire. While no believer will ever be entirely free from the evil desires that stem from his failed human nature, he need not capitulate to them, but by walking in the Spirit he will always experience victory over them. This wonderful truth is as much a part of the gospel as is the promise of the forgiveness of sin. The promised reward of walking by the Spirit is the guarantee of moment by moment victory.
Around our home in Spring City, TN were some beautiful OAK TREES. Every year during the fall season I observe that some of them retain their dried leaves long after maples, elms, and walnuts become bare. Even the strong winds of winter and the early spring rains did not completely strip their limbs. But as springtime progresses, the scene begins to change. Fresh little buds start appearing at the tips of the twigs. Soon the dried remnants of the preceding season drop away because of the surging forces of new life from within.
This event is a picture of the Holy Spirit’s work in us as a Christians. Old habits cling to our lives with a tenacity that can almost drive us to despair. Even trial and adversity do not remove all the lifeless leftovers of our fallen human nature. But Christ, who dwells in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, is at work. His powerful life continually seeks expression from within. As we nurture it through confession of sin, prayer, meditation on the Word of God, obedience, and fellowship with Christ we begin to live continuously in the Spirit. Then the dead works of the flesh gradually drop away. It is the living that expels and replaces the dead.
Do you feel discouraged? Have all your efforts to turn over a new leaf or pluck off the old ones met with defeat? Then take a lesson from the mighty oak. Thank God for the wonder-working power of the Holy Spirit within you! Keep on yielding to His gentle urging to be kind, loving, honest, and faithful. As you do your part the Holy Spirit will take care of those "old leaves." The best way to get rid of the old nature is give life to the new nature.
Two forces surge within my breast–
The one is foul, the other blest;
The new I love, the old I hate;
The one I feed will dominate. [Our Daily Bread]
II. THE INNER STRUGGLE (17).
Verse 17 provides an additional reason for a life that is controlled and energized by the Spirit. "For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."
There is an inner spiritual conflict and struggle in each believer’s life between desires wrongly expressed and the indwelling Holy Spirit, and between the indwelling Holy Spirit prompted desires and the flesh or our fallen nature. The explanation for this inner civil war is the fact that Christians have two natures, a fleshly or sinful nature received at birth, inherited from fallen Adam, and a new nature received from Christ at spiritual birth. Again, the old nature’s power was broken not eradicated at salvation.
Both natures, the believers earthly nature and the new nature, have desires; the one for evil and the other for holiness. The flesh wants to live only humanly or according to one’s own guidance and direction. The new nature wants to live out God’s Word under the direction and empowering of the Spirit. The fallen nature wants to continue dominating your life. Thus they are opposed to each other and in conflict with each other. You must choose constantly to obey the Spirit. [The verbs wish or please and do are subjunctive.] If the Spirit is not yielded to the result would be that a believer will not do what he would otherwise do. Paul gives personal testimony to his struggle in Romans 7:15-25 and to his victory in Romans chapter 8.
Note that Paul does not say these two antagonists are equal. There is daily victory. The Holy Spirit is infinitely stronger. The Bible is saying that Christians cannot simply use their will-power to over-come the flesh. We cannot win this victory in our own strength and by our own will-power but only by surrendering to the person of the Holy Spirit and finding His strength. The only way to victory is willing the Holy Spirit to control your life and walking continuously in His love and guidance.
I read a humorous story about a man who strolled out of a hardware store with a smile on his face and a brand-new chainsaw in his hands. He was told it could cut down five big oak trees in an hour. Twenty-four hours later, however, his smile was gone. Frustrated, he was back at the store complaining that the saw would never cut five trees in an hour. "It took me all day to cut down five trees," he said.
Puzzled, the store owner stepped outside with the saw, gave the cord a swift pull, and fired up the steel-toothed beast. Its deafening roar sent the customer stumbling to get away. "What’s that noise?" he gasped.
It’s ridiculous for someone to try to cut down trees with a chain saw without starting it up. But that’s how foolish we are as Christians when we try to live for Christ in our own strength. We get frustrated and spiritually exhausted when we try to work things out on our own terms and according to our own schedule. We fail to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us (Romans 8:9-11). Yet His presence can become real and powerful when we rely on Him. [Our Daily Bread MRD II]
III. SPIRITUAL FREEDOM (v18).
Verse 18 reinforces the doctrine that a Christian is not to be under law but led by the Spirit. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. [The if is a first class condition which could be translated -and you are.]
The solution to the believer’s conflict is not to push our will to obey "the law" which also opposes the works of the flesh but to surrender our will to the Holy Spirit. The present passive tense verb indicates that freedom from the defeat, bondage, curse and impotence of the law (Gal 3:11ff, 21ff) is for those who voluntarily are continually being "led by the Spirit." The Holy Spirit will enable the believer to live on a higher plane of existence. It is a new reality of life based in and directed by the Spirit.
The godly life is not lived by following the rules of Law but is found in a life lived in relationship with the Spirit of God. Just as justification is not obtain by work so sanctification cannot be achieved by fleshly effort. Jesus must save us and the Holy Spirit must sanctify us (through heeding the Word of Truth and living a life of truth). To live victoriously one must submit to the Spirit’s direction and let the Spirit control one’s life.
A group of pastors had gathered to make plans for a city-wide EVANGELISTIC CAMPAIGN. One of the men suggested that the well-known evangelist D. L. Moody be considered as a possible speaker. The pastors discussed the suggestion and several spoke favorably about Moody. But one young preacher who wasn’t in favor of inviting him stood up and said with a note of sarcasm, "From the way some of you talk, you’d think Mr. Moody has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit."
The room became quiet. Then another pastor said, "No, Mr. Moody doesn’t have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit does have a monopoly on Mr. Moody!"
That pastor recognized that Moody was a man who had not only yielded his body as a temple of the Holy Spirit but had learned to be fully submissive to His will. The Holy Spirit truly had a monopoly on Mr. Moody.
We are admonished to "be filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18). That involves yielding ourselves to the will and power of the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to accomplish His purposes through us.
No one has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit. But He should have a monopoly on us. Does He?
[Back to the BASICS] In the 1994 Winter Olympics, held in Norway, twenty-three year old Tommy Moe of the United States won the gold on the men’s downhill. It was "a beautifully controlled run," said William Oscar Johnson in Sports Illustrated, "on which he held tucks and thrust his hands forward in perfect form at places where others had stood up and flailed their arms."
After his victory, Tommy Moe explained his thought processes. "I kept it simple," he said, " and focused on skiing, not on winning, not on where I’d place. I remembered to breathe sometimes I don’t."
The winner of the gold medal in the Olympics had to remember the most basic of basics: breathing! He kept it simple.
Likewise as we seek to have a strong walk with God, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know where we win or lose. Those being led by the Spirit breathe the exhilarating and invigorating air of moral and spiritual freedom. No longer being under law’s bondage. They live out God’s presence with gladness of heart. Spiritual victory depends on the basics. We need to make sure we’re being led by the Spirit.
CONCLUSION
How can you win the unrelenting battle between you flesh and your spirit? Admit that you are powerless to win without surrendering to God. Consciously submit to God and draw on His strength. The closer you walk with God the stronger your spiritual life will be.
Cooperating with the Spirit and letting Him lead will be in accord with the high standards of the life and teachings of Jesus. Being led by the Holy Spirit involves the desire to hear, the readiness to obey God’s Word, and the sensitivity to discern between your feelings and His prompting. Live each day controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit. Then the words of Christ will be in your mind, the love of Christ will be behind your actions, and the power of Christ will help you control your selfish desires.
