“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh”(Galatians 5:16, NASB).
Beloved brothers and sisters, you have been called into the freedom of Christ—not a freedom that serves the flesh, but a freedom that submits to the Spirit! Have you not received the very presence of God within you? “Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16, NASB). If this is true, why do you still struggle against the fruit of righteousness?
The Spirit has been given, and His fruit is evident—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). These are not mere ideals but the very evidence of God’s work in you. Yet many still return to strife, to envy, to the empty boastings of the flesh. But “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24, NASB). If you are in Christ, then the old self is dead! So why would you return to what has been nailed to the cross?
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25, NASB). It is not enough to claim the name of Christ while walking in the ways of the world. Your conduct must be empowered by the Holy Spirit. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2, NASB). There is no room for arrogance, for provocation, or for envy among the people of God (Galatians 5:26). These things belong to the darkness, and “what partnership does righteousness have with lawlessness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14, NASB).
Examine yourselves, then! “Every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:17, NASB). Has the fruit of the Spirit increased in you? Or do you still find the thorns of the flesh rising up? Do not be deceived—a tree is known by its fruit. If the Spirit of God dwells within you, let Him produce a life that testifies to His power. Abide in Him, and He will abide in you! (John 15:4).
May the grace of Yeshua be with you, strengthening you to walk in the Spirit all the days of your life. Amen.