If Christ’s summary of the law—”Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (see Matthew 22:34-40)—provides the goal of the Christian life, then what provides the motivation and strength to do it? Paul’s answer: Live by the power available through the Holy Spirit.

By his extended argument during much of this letter, Paul had refuted those who insisted on a law-centered life. But in 5:13, following his pattern of reserving the final parts of his letters for practical application, Paul turned to the personal, spiritual lives of the Galatians. He had warned them not to follow the teaching of the Judaizers. Here he warned them about following their own wishes and desires. Slavery was a threat from the outside influence of the false teachers, but it was an equal threat from the inside desires of the flesh. Paul began with the warning in 5:13, “Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature” (niv), and he immediately contrasted it with the second part of Christ’s summary of the law, “Serve one another in love” (niv). Paul wanted them to replace self-indulgence with loving service to others.

In this section, Paul explained that the secret to loving our neighbor as ourselves is by living in the Spirit and not giving in to our sinful human desires. He contrasted the characteristics of a life motivated by the sinful nature and a life motivated by the Spirit.

5:16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.^NIV The word so ties in with verses 13-15. The strategy for removing the divisiveness that marred the Galatian church was to serve one another in love, but that too was humanly impossible. People cannot, in their own power, show love to all people at all times. But God has provided the means to meet his commands—the Holy Spirit.

God sent the Holy Spirit to be with and within his followers after Christ had returned to heaven. The Spirit would comfort them, guide them to know his truth, remind them of Jesus’ words, point out when they did not obey, give them the right words to say, and fill them with power to do good (see John 14-16).

At Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), God made the Holy Spirit available to all who believed in Jesus. We receive the Holy Spirit (are baptized with him) when we believe in Jesus Christ as Savior. We must understand the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the light of his total work in Christians:

• The Spirit marks the beginning of the Christian experience (Ephesians 1:13-14). We cannot belong to Christ without his Spirit (Romans 8:9); we cannot be united to Christ without his Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17); we cannot be adopted as his children without his Spirit (Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 4:6-7); and we cannot be in the body of Christ except by baptism in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13).
• The Spirit provides power for our new lives. He begins a lifelong process to make us more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). When we receive Christ by faith, we begin an immediate personal relationship with God. The Holy Spirit works in us to help us become like Christ.
• The Spirit unites the Christian community in Christ (Ephesians 2:19-22). The Holy Spirit can be experienced by all, and he works through all (1 Corinthians 12:11; Ephesians 4:4).

The phrase live by the Spirit (pneumati peripateite) conveys the meaning of the literal translation “by the Spirit keep on walking.” Walking means “living” in this context, and it emphasizes the moment-by-moment contact with and guidance by the Holy Spirit for daily decisions and activities. Living “by the Spirit” should be a daily, continuous action by Christians. He is always present, but we must be in touch with him and stay open to his guidance and correction.

We live the Christian life “by the Spirit“—meaning that he gives us the power we need to follow God when his will goes against our nature or desires. Expressed negatively, we cannot live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit. Expressed positively, we experience the truth that “it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13 niv). The tense of the verb is present continuous action, so it conveys “keep on living” or “keep on walking” by the Spirit, portraying the Christian life as a process. We do not obtain salvation by works; neither can we obtain sanctification (growing in the Christian life) by works.

The result? You will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. When we become believers, our sinful nature still exists. But God asks us to place our sinful nature under the control of the Holy Spirit so that he can transform it. This is a supernatural process. We must never underestimate the power of our sinful nature, and we must never attempt to fight it in our own strength. Satan is a crafty tempter, and we have a limitless ability to make excuses. Instead of trying to overcome sin by our own willpower, we must take advantage of the tremendous power of Christ. God provides for victory over our sinful nature—he sends the Holy Spirit to live in us and give us power. But our ability to restrain the desires of the sinful nature depends on how much we’re willing to “live by” the Holy Spirit. For each believer, this daily process requires moment-by-moment decisions.

5:17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.^NIV While believers live in this world, they face constant tension between their sinful human desires and their new spiritual life. These two are in conflict with each other. We must not infer from Paul’s words that our personality has two selves, nor that we have two equal and opposite forces struggling to gain control. In Christ and in the Holy Spirit, we have a victorious new resurrection life. The Holy Spirit in us guarantees our future total redemption and change. Sarx, translated as “sinful nature,” gives that impression. However, it is better to understand it as “sinful human desires.” Though we have new life in Christ, we still have a mind and body prone to rebel and enticed by sinful desires. We must resist those desires.

Paul expands upon this conflict in other letters; for example:

• For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. . . . But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. (Romans 8:5, 9 nrsv)

(For more refer to:  Romans 8:5-9, 12-17; Ephesians 4:21-24; and Colossians 3:3-15.) The conflict described in Romans 8 and in Galatians 5 differs from the conflict described in Romans 7:7-25. In Romans 7, Paul described how the power of indwelling sin keeps the person under the law from doing what the law requires. He did not mention the Spirit until later in the letter.

We shouldn’t be surprised that the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit. We often experience resistance when we follow the Spirit’s leading.

When we decide to share the gospel, our sinful human nature will make us feel foolish. When we decide to commit ourselves to some service, the flesh hinders us with evil desires. The flesh relentlessly tries to thwart the leading of the Spirit.

Conversely, each time we follow our sinful human nature, we will receive (through our consciences, God’s Word, or even other believers) reminders not to follow those sinful desires.

True believers realize the deadly power of sin. No longer their master, sin now attacks like a powerful enemy. Sinful desires still pop up, like guerrilla forces, attacking us when we least expect it. And when we attempt to follow the Spirit’s desires, we find the attacks growing in intensity, indeed they “war against [the] soul” (1 Peter 2:11 niv). In other words, having wrong desires doesn’t always mean we have sin in our life. If we are in tune with the Holy Spirit, sinful human desires will attempt to block his leading.

Because of this conflict, believers do not do what [they] want. This phrase has one of three possible meanings: (1) The sinful nature keeps believers from doing the good that the Spirit desires; (2) the Spirit keeps believers from doing the evil that their sinful nature desires; or (3) the sinful nature and the Spirit work against each other, hindering each’s desires. The third explanation seems likely. If we function normally, our desires and the Spirit will counter each other’s moves. So we must realize this warfare, claim the Spirit’s victory, focus on Christ’s help, and rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

What does our sinful nature desire? And what does the Holy Spirit desire? Paul will answer these questions in the following verses.

5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.^NKJV Some might have wondered if Paul was moving into a form of legalism all his own. So he reiterated that believers are not under the law. Yet freedom from the law does not imply freedom to do whatever one pleases (5:13). Neither do we live in the Spirit in some sort of “middle ground.” Instead, we live on another plane altogether—we have truth as opposed to falsehood; we have grace as opposed to works; we act out of love as opposed to keeping laws; we are supervised by the Spirit as opposed to being supervised by the law.

So what does a Christian do? How does a Christian live? The “works” of Christianity come from the Spirit indwelling the believer. The Christian is led by the Spirit. But the Christian must make up his or her mind to follow where the Spirit leads, especially when the sinful nature constantly rebels, in order to do the acts described in the next three verses. For more on the Holy Spirit’s leading, see 5:16 and 5:25.

5:19-21 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious.^NIV Paul contrasted the works of our sinful human desires and the works of the Spirit-filled life in 5:19-21 and 5:22-23. Paul’s use of the word obvious (phanera—self-evident, manifest) probably did not mean readily visible, for some of the sins listed are private (although may well manifest themselves at some point—as with hatred or jealousy). Instead, the word means that these sins obviously come directly from sinful human desires. In other words, once the behavior has been identified, we know its source.

Paul’s list of sins falls into four categories. These particular sins were especially prevalent in the

In the first category three sexual sins are mentioned:

Sexual immorality (porneia—fornication)—Any form of illicit sexual relationship. The term serves to spotlight forbidden sexual behavior between people or indirect participation as an audience. We derive our term pornography from this Greek word.

Impurity (akatharsia)—Moral uncleanness. Perhaps no sexual act has taken place, but the person exhibits a crudeness or insensitivity in sexual matters that offends others and leads them to false conclusions about the other person’s character. An example today would be the excessive use of sexual humor (or what is supposed to be humor), where people make statements with a sexual double meaning.

Debauchery (aselgeia—licentiousness)—Open and excessive indulgence in sexual sins. The person has no sense of shame or restraint. Debauchery is the outworking of sexual immorality and impurity.

The next two sins are religious sins particular to pagan culture:

Idolatry (eidololatria)—Worship of pagan idols. A person creates substitutes for God and then treats them as if they were God. This person is giving in to sinful human desires.

Witchcraft (pharmakeia)—Involvement with the powers of evil, at times using potions and poisons. With idolatry, a person acts in a submissive role in relation to evil; with witchcraft, the person is an active agent who manipulates the powers of evil.

The next eight sins pertain to conduct toward people (inter-personal relations) that has been motivated by sinful desires:

Hatred (echthrai)—A condition of fixed enmity between groups. This may be real, unresolved conflict whose cause has been forgotten but which has yielded a harvest of bitterness toward one another.

Discord (eris)—Competition, rivalry, bitter conflict—the seeds and the natural fruit of hatred.

Jealousy (zelos)—A feeling of resentment that someone else has what another feels he or she deserves. The negative aspect of jealousy depends on its context. This word has also become the English word zeal. Earlier, Paul used the verb forms three times, referring to two forms of zeal—one negative, one positive (4:17-18). Zeal, then, intensifies any of the other characteristics in this list.

Fits of rage (thumoi)—Outbursts of anger for selfish reasons. The plural form conveys the meaning of continual and uncontrolled behavior.

Selfish ambition (eritheiai)—The approach to life and work that tries to get ahead at other people’s expense. Not only might this refer to what we call “workaholism,” it also implies a mercenary, aggressive attitude toward others in the pursuit of one’s goals.

Dissensions (dichostasiai)—Strong disagreements or quarrels. The attitude that can quickly develop between people when a disagreeable attitude prevails. Whatever the topic or issue, as soon as one side states its opinion, the other party immediately champions the opposing view, as a matter of “principle.”

Factions (haireseis)—Divisions created among people because of dissensions. This describes the tendency to look for allies in conflict, to form power blocks. The almost spontaneous generation of cliques demonstrates this characteristic of sinful human desires.

Envy (phthonoi)—A desire to possess something awarded to or achieved by another. Or even the twisted logic that cries “Unfair!” about another’s circumstances and expresses the wish, If I can’t have that, they shouldn’t get it either! It’s sad to note, but many of these social sins are often seen in our churches today.

Finally Paul lists two sins, common to pagan cultures, that are often connected with the rituals of idol worship:

Drunkenness (methai)—Excessive use of wine and strong drink. Later Paul used this tendency to highlight the contrast between living by the flesh and living by the Spirit: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18 niv).

Orgies (komoi)—Drunken, carousing “parties,” often filled with sexual promiscuity, were associated with festivals of some pagan gods. The feasts in honor of Bacchus were particularly infamous for their immorality.

And the like—Paul added an “etc.” to show that the list was by no means complete.

I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.^NIV Paul repeated his warning. The phrase as I did before enlightens us, for it reveals that while Paul was spreading the gospel to Gentile congregations across the Roman Empire, he was applying the gospel to morality. He gave his listeners certain guidelines to follow as “standard Christian behavior.” The freedom he preached was not a moral wilderness of “easy believism” but a guided tour of life under the influence of God’s Spirit.

Those who live like this will not inherit refers to the lifestyle of people who habitually exhibit these characteristics. This does not mean that believers who lapse into any of these sins will lose their salvation. People who habitually exhibit these characteristics reveal themselves to be enslaved to sinful human desires. They are not children of God; thus, they cannot have any part in the inheritance. The priceless gift had been offered, but they had refused to receive it. The gift had not been withheld from them; they simply had withheld themselves from the gift (see also 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Ephesians 5:5). People who have accepted Christ and have the Holy Spirit within them will manifest that new life by making a clean break with such sins as listed above.

The kingdom of God has two aspects: (1) its presence in human hearts at conversion, and (2) its future coming at the end of the age. Paul was most likely thinking of the future kingdom promised to all believers. However, as long as a person insists on the habits of the flesh, he or she will not experience even those aspects of the kingdom of God that are possible in this life.

We will close out chapter 5 in the next post, The Fruit of the Spirit.

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Source: Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – Galatians, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1994), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, Under: “GALATIANS 5:2-26”.