Introduction
Last week we looked at the necessity of guarding our precious freedom from the opposing threats of legalism and license. We saw that both of these “yolks of bondage” were rooted in a lie that separated God’s law from His character. This means that for our sinful natures, the will of God is not a revelation of His gracious and generous character, but rather a revelation of how difficult it is to earn his favor. It sees the law as a forbidding approach to God rather than an illuminating portrait of the freedom He has graciously given us in Jesus. Paul says this is what the path circumcision represented to the Galatians: “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace” (5:4). But on the other hand, Paul says that our freedom is also in danger of being abused by a complacency that allows it to become a “base of operations” for the flesh (5:13). In passage before us, Paul explains in greater detail how we go about avoiding this complacency. If we want to protect our freedom against the threat of license we must actively follow Paul’s direction in vs. 16: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” What then does it mean to “walk by the Spirit”? Let’s dig in to this by looking at three things: (1) The conflict between the Spirit and the Flesh, (2) how the Flesh works, and (3) how we actively cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
The Conflict Zone
The first thing Paul notes is that the Spirit’s presence in our lives creates conflict. Just as with Jesus (Matt. 3:13-4:1), the Spirit leads us into battle with our enemy. Now, the first thing to understand about this battle is that it is not an external war. The enemy identified as the “flesh” isn’t our physical bodies (Soma). This means that the conflict between the flesh and the Spirit isn’t a struggle between what is internal nature (Spirit) and our external nature (Flesh). Instead, Paul uses the term flesh (Sarx) to identify an inner principle that is at work in the heart of every Christian. It is the “sin-desiring aspect of our whole being as opposed to the God-desiring aspect. The sarx is our sinful heart.”
Notice also the nature of this conflict: The desires (epithumia) of the flesh are set against those of the Spirit. Epithumia literally means “over-desire” or “inordinate desire.” This helps us understand the nature of the battle within. The main problem in our hearts isn’t first and foremost that we desire bad things. Rather, the Flesh is the inordinate desire for good things. Desire that makes a good thing into a god that controls us by subverting our love and service of the true God. It’s what the Bible calls idolatry (Col. 3:5). “Therefore, underneath all our disobedience—is always a lack of trust in God’s grace and goodness, and a desire to protect and guard our own lives through self-salvation.” (Keller)
How to Cultivate the Spirit’s Fruit
Note the contrast between the “works of the flesh” and the “fruit of the Spirit.” Paul chooses his metaphors carefully. Fruit is the natural product of a living tree. In the same way, we do not manufacture the Spirit’s fruit on our own. S.H. Hooke puts this well: “A vine does not produce grapes by an Act of Parliament; they are the fruit of the vine’s own life; so the conduct which conforms to the standard of the kingdom is not produced by any demand [or law], not even God’s, but it is the fruit of that divine nature which God gives as the result of what he has done in and by Christ.” Jesus says the same thing: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5) This is why Paul tells us that we cultivate the fruit of the Spirit by “walking by the Spirit (vs. 16).” What does this mean? This passages points to two specific things: (1) to engage actively in the battle to mortify the flesh, (2) to “keep in step with the Spirit.”
Crucifying the Flesh
The first point we must remember is that Jesus’ crucifixion leads directly to the crucifixion of sin in our lives. There is an absolute connection between Christ’s/our crucifixion in Galatians 2:20 and the crucifixion of the flesh in 5:24: “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…And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Because we have been crucified with Christ, we are to crucify the desires of the flesh.
This past reality has ongoing implications: “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you…So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:9, 12-14)
This isn’t easy because the flesh wants to get down from the cross and there is a part of us that wants it to as well. It is painful to crucify the flesh, to keep nailing our sinful desires to the cross, but it is the only path to true life. It is what it means to take up our crosses and follow Jesus. To be successful in the battle we must realize that crucifying the sinful nature isn’t simply trying harder to not worry, lust, be angry, etc. It is about strangling sin at the motivational level in our hearts. In other words, it’s about facing our hearts and identifying and combating the idols that lead us to the practice of sin. Idols left unchallenged have the ability to inflame our desires. If we simply try to resist sin at the behavioral level, its root remains intact (It’s like picking those nasty lawn thistles).
As we saw earlier, the heart of our flesh’s desire to be “under the law” (vs. 18) is the central motivation to be our own lord and savior. Therefore, the “root” of every sinful practice is the desire to stand in God’s place and seek my own good because I don’t trust Him. So, the cravings of the flesh isn’t just inordinate desire for something that will make me happy. It’s inordinate desire for something I think will make me happy. It’s a fundamental betrayal of our Lord and a rejection of his goodness, generosity, and grace (ex. Joseph, Gen. 39:9)
Consider the sin of fear and worry: Worry leads to controlling behavior, harsh words, nagging, bitterness, frustration, etc. The battle is fought by combating the lie that God isn’t good and inclined to care for me and by giving thanks.
Keeping in Step with the Spirit
The Nicene Creed calls the Spirit, “the Lord and Giver of life.” He is the one who makes alive (Eph. 1:19-23). His job is to reveal the Son and all that He has done for us: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.” (Rom. 8:16) “Keeping in step with the Spirit” (a military term) means literally to march according to His orders. The Spirit is our drill sergeant, but instead of standing over us in condemnation, He stirs us up to see Jesus and the wonder of His grace and love for us.