Galatians 5:16-17 Walk By the Spirit, so that You Will Not Fulfull the Desire of the Flesh

Galatians 5:16-17 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 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.

How are you to keep from falling into the desires of the flesh? How are you to keep from biting at one another in a caustic fashion so as to destroy one another? “Walk by the Spirit”! This is a command. This is to be an ongoing action, not merely a one time decision or commitment. You must continually walk by the Spirit. This is the only way to keep from walking in the flesh and carrying out the sinful desires of the flesh.

This statement by Paul resembles very closely his command in Ephesians 5 to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Here Paul says, “Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ” (Ephesians 5:15-21). Notice the similarities. The will of the Lord is for us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be subject to one another. Being drunk is a way of walking in the desires of the flesh. Rather than being drunk, just as rather than walking in the flesh, you are to “be filled with the Holy Spirit” or to “walk by the Spirit.” The result of this will be to love your neighbor, to teach them of the Lord (in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs) and to have edifying, rather than “biting and devouring” speech.

As being filled with the Spirit (being controlled by the Spirit) and being drunk with wine (being intoxicated and controlled by foreign substances) are in opposition, so walking in the Spirit and carrying out the desires of the flesh are in opposition. The flesh and the Spirit are in opposition to one another, warring for control of you. As God told Cain, “If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it” (Genesis 4:7), so it is with you, dear Christian. If you do not do well by walking in the power and agency of the Spirit, the flesh, which is “crouching at the door” waiting for any opportunity to pounce upon you and devour you like a lion, will master you and keep you from obeying the Law of God and loving God and your neighbor. Thus you must “Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). Only by walking in the Spirit in a wise manner, using your time wisely, not sitting idle but dwelling upon the things of God daily, can you master the flesh by the power of the Spirit.

If you are a Christian, then your desire is to please God. This is the desire of all of His children. However, the flesh wars against this desire and seeks to master you (Romans 7:14-25). You cannot walk in the flesh and by the Spirit at the same time, and so if you are walking in the flesh, you cannot please God (Romans 8:8), for God can only be pleased by faith (cf. Romans 14:23, Hebrews 11:6). The only method that is proven and true for overcoming the desires of the flesh and walking in a manner that is pleasing to God and your conscience is to “walk by the Spirit.” The Spirit will not give you over to walk in the desires of the flesh for that is absolutely contrary to the nature and desire of the Spirit of God. Therefore dear Christian, “walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”