A Post By Emily Phillips, NGU Student.

What does it mean to walk by the Spirit?

In Galatians 5, Paul talks about what it means to keep in step with the Spirit. Paul tells us how to live by the Spirit: reject the desires of the flesh and practice the fruits of the Spirit.

Paul says is in verse 16: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh”. We are constantly surrounded by temptation and sin. With the world at our fingertips, it is easy to look at pictures and be envious of the way someone looks or what they have. It is easy to watch pornography. It is easy to comment on posts without thinking of the repercussions. It is easy to conform to the world. The only way to combat our earthly desires is to walk by the Spirit. In verse 22, Paul introduces the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are characteristics that we practice to stay in step with the Spirit and combat sin.

How do we keep in step with the Spirit?

In verse 17, Paul explains that our desires of the flesh and the Spirit oppose each other. To walk by the Spirit, we must put our earthly desires aside and grip to the truth. Verse 23 says, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires”. Jesus crucified the flesh! We are set free from jealousy, envy, drunkenness, anger, enmity, strife, divisions, and impurity. If you’ve been set free, don’t pick back up the chains.

We use the fruits of the Spirit to keep in step. We fight jealous and envy with love and joy. We fight drunkenness and sexual immorality with self-control and patience. We fight anger and divisions with peace and kindness.

by Emily Phillips