WALKING BY THE SPIRIT:

AN INTERPRETATION OF GALATIANS 5:16-24

Clyde W. Overman
NTS 6800, Galatians
April 23, 2015

WALKING BY THE SPIRIT

An anonymous Christian poet once described the perfect church as one

whose members never gossip, complain, criticize, or fight. But the poet then
rightly concluded, Such perfect churches there may be, but none of them
are known to me. But still, well work, and pray and plan, to make our own
the best we can.1 The anonymous poets observation could be said of every
generation of Christian churches, including the congregations that serve as
the backdrop to the New Testament letters. Throughout Pauls letters, it is
apparent that though Christians worship a perfect savior, they are
themselves not yet perfect. The battle against sin and the flesh continue in
the life of every believer, and when believers succumb to the desires of the
flesh it is the church, the body of Christ, that suffers.
Such was the case in the churches of Galatia, to whom Paul wrote: But
if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by
one another (Gal. 5:15; [ESV]). The Galatian churches were obviously
embroiled in a fierce fight that was threatening their existence, a situation
that is all too familiar for some churches today. Thus, the question becomes:

1 Paul Lee Tan, Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations, 10th ed. (Rockville, Maryland: Assurance,
1988), 242.

is there hope for churches plagued by infighting and deep divisions?

Galatians 5:16-24 answers that question with a resounding yes. To those who
seek unity in the body of Christ, Paul says, walk by the Spirit (5:16).
Historical and Literary Context
As mentioned in the salutation, Paul the apostle is the author of
Galatians (1:1), and there is no reason to discount that claim.2 Internal
evidence suggests that Paul wrote to the churches he planted in the Roman
province of Galatia during his first missionary journey (Acts 13-14), and that
he composed the letter sometime between the completion of that journey
(AD 48) and the beginning of the Jerusalem Council (AD 49). During the
course of Galatians, Paul refutes the false doctrine of the Judaizers that
intermingled faith in Christ with observance of the Mosaic Law, the very issue
that was settled at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15). Yet, Galatians reads as
though the Council has yet to occur.3
After a brief introduction (1:1-5), Paul expresses dismay concerning the
Galatians swift departure from the Gospel (1:6-10). He then defends his
authority as an apostle and as a teacher of the true Gospel (1:11-2:14), while
2 Thomas R. Schreiner, Galatians, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary Series: New
Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 22. Most agree with Schreiner, who says, No
significant scholarly debate exists regarding Pauls authorship.

3 See Timothy George, Galatians, The New American Commentary (Nashville: B&H,
1994), 40-50 for a complete treatment of the issue at hand. If the Council had occurred, why
did Paul not mention it? Why did Peter act contrary to the decision (2:11-14)? On the whole,
the letter reads as though Paul wrote prior to the Council and not long after he planted the
churches mentioned in Acts 13-14(cf. 1:6).

rejecting the false doctrine of the Judaizers (cf. 2:3-5; 11-14). He continues
his assault on the Judaizers by demonstrating through experience and from
the Scriptures the supremacy of the doctrine of justification by faith in
comparison to the function and purpose of the law (2:15-4:11). Thereafter,
Paul writes an extended exhortation encouraging the Galatians to live in
light of the freedom that Christ brings, including freedom from the Mosaic
Law (4:12-6:10).
Galatians 5:16-24 forms a portion of Pauls exhortation. In the
preceding subsections, Paul encourages the Galatians to live in freedom from
the Mosaic Law (4:12-20); to stand in the freedom they have in Christ (4:215:12); and to live out their freedom in love rather than using freedom as an
opportunity to indulge the flesh (5:13-15).4 In 5:16, Paul begins with the
phrase, But I say ( ), a common Pauline introductory formula that
signals that the following material is built on and will elaborate material
previously stated (cf. 1 Cor. 1:12; 7:8; Gal. 4:1).5
Therefore, 5:16-24 is intimately connected to 5:13-15. In that section
Paul reminds the Galatians to love and to serve one another (5:14). He
reminds them of this Christian ethic due to the presence of severe
disagreements and infighting (5:15). The churches, it seems, were dividing
4 The partition is adapted from Schreiner, Galatians, 339.

5 Douglas J. Moo, Galatians, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand
Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013), 352.

into factionssome for Paul; others for the Judaizers. Scot McKight captures
the essence of the situation well:
We should think of rivalries, of separate house churches not speaking
with one another, of spiritual pride on the part of those who have been
circumcised (just a cut above the rest!), and of slogan after slogan
being bandied about in the communities. The picture we draw is sad
sad because they had adopted the pattern of letting their freedom
become a launching-pad for indulging the flesh.6
Into this fray steps Paul, who commands the Galatians to overcome their
flesh-driven fighting and seek unity via walking by the Spirit (5:16). He then
demonstrates that unity in the body of Christand also walking by the Spirit
is a deliberate choice one must make between indulging the flesh and that
of cultivating the fruit of the Spirit (5:17-24). Walking by the Spirit is not
letting go and letting God, nor is it some mystical experience. Believers
actively participate in their endeavor to walk by the Spirit and in their pursuit
of unity in the body of Christ.
Lexical and Syntactical Study
The Spirit-flesh Battle (5:16-18)
Paul opens this section with an imperative: walk by the Spirit (5:16a).
The verb for walk () frequently describes Christian conduct in
the New Testament. The command requires that believers be continually
characterized as walking by the Spirit. Paul previously reminded the
Galatians how they received the Spirit through faith and that the Spirits
6 Scot McKnight, Galatians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids.:
Zondervan, 1995), 267.

presence was confirmed by miraculous signs and wonders (3:2-5). Now Paul
commands them to demonstrate the Spirits presence among them by their
way of life.
Christians who live by the Spirit will not gratify the desires of the
flesh (5:16b). Notice two important words in 5:16 that help drive home the
meaning. The first is gratify (), which means to complete or
accomplish. The second is flesh (). This word denotes anything
that replaces God as ones source of trust.7 The point is, when Christians
obey the command to walk by the Spirit, they will not complete or fulfill the
sinful desires that pull one away from God.
It is important for Christians to continually walk in the Spirit because an
ongoing and powerful battle is being waged between the flesh and the Spirit
for supreme influence in the life of a believer. That is the unmistakable point
of the first three clauses of 5:17. The fourth clause then states that this
battle occurs to keep you from doing the things you want to do (5:17d).8 In
other words, since the Spirit and the flesh both exert powerful influence, the
result is that one cannot possibly do what he or she desires. Rather, one can
only do what the Spirit or the flesh desires. Therefore, the path to victory in

7 F.F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians, New International Greek Testament
Commentary (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982), 243.

8 See Ronald Y. K. Fung, The Epistle to the Galatians. The New International
Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), 249-251 for three
possible interpretations of this clause.

the Spirit-flesh battle is through the Spirits control. Ronald Y.K. Fung
summarizes 5:17 when he writes, The verse then means that in the Spiritflesh conflict it is impossible for the believer to remain neutral: he either
serves the flesh or follows the Spirit.9
Christians, then, must choose to be led by the Spirit (5: 18a). Here
Paul recaps 5:16-17 by reiterating the thrust of the command to walk by the
Spirit (5:16), which is the path to victory in the ever-present battle between
flesh and Spirit (5:17). However, rather than promising that believers will not
gratify the desires of the flesh (5:16-17), Paul now says that those who keep
in-step with the Spirit are not under the law (5:18b). The reference to the
law is a likely reference to the Mosaic Law.10 This has two implications. First,
according to Paul, the law and the flesh lead to similar results. Whereas
the law and the flesh lead to slavery to sin, the Spirit leads to victory over
sin. Secondly, Pauls use of law in place of flesh indicates that the
Judaizers, and their false doctrine, remain a central focus in this section.
The Works of the Flesh (5:19-22)
If believers are to walk by the Spirit, so as to avoid the desires of the
flesh (5:16-17), they must be aware of the traits of the flesh. Thus, Paul
provides a list of the works of the flesh (5: 19a). Such works are evident
9 Fung, Galatians, 251.

10 Moo, Galatians, 357. The law, as almost always in Galatians, refers to the law of
Moses.

(5:19a), meaning they are obvious and do not require effort or special
discernment to recognize. The works of the flesh include fifteen vices,
arranged into four groups: (1) sexual sins; (2) sins of idolatry; (3) sins of
social discord; (4) sins of self-indulgence. While the third category has an
obvious connection to the context (infighting/divisions), the same cannot be
said of the remaining three. The best explanation is that Paul includes them
to offset the charge of the Judaizers, who would have claimed that freedom
from the Law of Moses leads to debauchery of all types (sexual sins/sins of
self-indulgence), ultimately leading people astray from God (sins of idolatry).
Paul makes it clear that such behavior stands opposite of life in the Spirit.
The first group consists of three terms: sexual immorality, impurity,
sensuality (5:19b). (sexual immorality) has a wide semantical rang.
It can refer to incest (1 Cor. 5:1); to cult prostitution (1 Cor. 6:15-18), and it
can be used as a broad term for sexual irregularity in general.11 The broader
designation is used here. The second term, impurity (), can
apply to the misuse of sex but also to ethical matters unrelated to sex. It
refers here to impure conduct in sexual relations. The final term, sensuality
(), indicates a lack of restraint that leads to the violation of all social
norms, particularly sexual debauchery.12 Altogether, the three terms
emphasize that uninhibited sexual license is a mark of living according to the
11 Bruce, Galatians, 247.

12 Horst Balz and Gerhard Schneider, eds., Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament
(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992), 1:169.

flesh.
Next are the sins of idolatry: idolatry, sorcery, (5:20a).
(idolatry) is a general term for the worship of anything or
anyone other than the one true God.13 The root word for sorcery
() literally means drug and it is the word from which the English
word pharmacy is linked. It refers to the use of drugs for medicinal purposes,
for poisoning, and for use in witchcraft. Its biblical use is restricted to the
occult and that is the meaning here.14 The two terms demonstrate that a
second mark of the flesh is the refusal to worship the one true God.
The next eight vices (sins of social discord; 5:20b-21a) contribute to
disharmony within the local church. These vices are most likely listed here as
a result of the ongoing conflict and resulting division in the Galatian
churches. (enmity) denotes hostility or hate. Paul used this word
in Romans 8:7 to describe the hostility directed toward God by those who are
led by the flesh. In Galatians 5, Paul uses it to describe hostility between
individuals leading to the breakdown of human relationships. (strife)
describes selfish bickering between rival factions. (jealousy) has a
positive and negative range. In the positive sense, it refers to holy zeal
(Rom. 10:2; 2 Cor. 7:7; 11; 9:2; 11:2; Phil. 3:6), but here it is used in the negative

13 Bruce, Galatians, 247, Not only of graven images but of any substitute for the
living and true God.

14 George, Galatians, 394, (cf. Ex. 7:11; Rev. 9:21; 18:23).

to describe the type of jealousy that leads to hostility.15 The word translated
as fits of anger ( ) is used elsewhere of Gods wrath (Rev. 14:10;
19:15) and of Satans rage (Rev. 12:12). In the present context, it describes
human outbursts of anger directed at others.16
The word translated as rivalries () was used by Aristotle to
criticize the self-absorbed fighting of rival political factions of his day. 17 Such
self-seeking behavior is unfit for the body of Christ, for it results in the
following two vices: dissensions () and divisions ().
Both terms convey the idea of factions arising from sinful behavior and
attitudes. The final word among the sins of social discord is envy (),
which carries virtually the same meaning as . The point, then, is that
envy and jealousy invariably lead to hostility, strife, and divisions among
believers.
The two vices that complete the works of the flesh (5:21a) are
drunkenness (), and orgies (). Commenting on , F.F.
Bruce notes, As gluttony is excessive indulgence in food, so is
excessive indulgence in wine.18 occurs only three times in the New
15 Balz, Exegetical Dictionary, 2:100, Additional negative uses: Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor.
3:3, 2 Cor. 12:20.

16 George, Galatians, 395.

17 Moo, Galatians, 360.

18 Bruce, Galatians, 249.

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Testament, but all three occur in the context of drunkenness. In extra-biblical

sources it often refers to pagan revelries in honor of Dionysus. Those who
indulge in the excesses of drinking and partying are giving in to the desires
of the flesh.
Paul completes the vice list with the phrase, and things like these (5:
21b), indicating that the list is not exhaustive. Rather, it represents behavior
typified by those who allow the flesh to win in the ever present Spirit-flesh
battle. Paul then closes with a strong warning concerning the abovementioned vices: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of
God (5:21c). The warning is unambiguous: those who continually practice
the works of the flesh will not receive Gods promise of resurrection unto
eternal life at the end of the age.19 McKnight once again captures Pauls point
when he notes, Ones final standing before God, Paul contends, is directly
related to whether or not a person lives in the flesh or in the Spirit.20
The Fruit of the Spirit (5:22-24)
Paul now turns to the fruit of the spirit (5:22) to contrast the works
of the flesh. That is, as Fung says, If the latter expression denotes deeds

19 So Moo, Galatians, 363 and Fung, Galatians, 261-262. For an opposing view, see Rene
Lpez, "Paul's Vice List in Galatians 5:19-21." Bibliotheca Sacra 169, no. 673 (January 2012):
64-67, accessed April 2, 2015, ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost. Lopez
argues that Paul is exhorting (not warning) Christians to refrain from such works of the flesh,
and that ones eternal destination is not in view.
20 McKnight, Galatians, 270.

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done by the flesh, the former refers to the concrete manifestations of the
Spirits work in the believer.21 The emphasis is upon the role of the Spirit.
The Spirit is the active force that produces the fruit of the Spirit, which
then appear naturally in those indwelt by the Spirit of Christ.22 Unlike the
works of the flesh, the fruit of the Spirit lack any discernable groupings.
However, the first fruit of the Spirit, love (), may very well
function as an important foundation from which the remaining eight flow.
Both and its verbal form () signify important Christian
concepts of love. This includes the love that God and Christ have for their
people (Rom. 5:5, 8; 8:35); the love Christians have for God and Christ (2
Cor. 5:14), and the love that Christians are to have toward each other.23
Indeed, Jesus said to his disciples that their love () for one another
would be the distinguishing mark of his followers (John 13:34-35). In the
same way, Paul emphasizes love as an ethic of primary importance for
Christians.
For Paul, joy () is more than a fleeting emotion. Rather, the kind of
joy that epitomizes Christians is a settled state of mind grounded in a
believers understanding of Gods love, produced by the Spirit (1 Thess. 1:6)
21 Fung, Galatians, 262.

22 Colin Brown, New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Grand

Rapids: Zondervan, 1986), 1:723.

23 Moo, Galatians, 364.

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that exists regardless of circumstances (2 Cor. 7:4; 1 Thess. 1:6). 24 Likewise,

peace () is an ever-present reality for Christians regardless of
circumstances. Spirit-indwelt Christians are forever in a state of peace
because they have peace with God (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:17), from which they
receive the peace of God (Phil. 4:7).
The fourth virtue is patience () or, long-suffering.
is a quality attributed elsewhere to God that means slow to
anger, specifically in regards to sinful men and women (Ex. 34:6; Ps.
103:8).25 In the same way kindness () is attributed to God. For
example, God is kind to the ungrateful and the evil and he expects his
children to do likewise (Luke 6:35). Accordingly, as God is patient and kind
with rebellious men and women, Gods children will also be slow to anger
and project kindness.
The word for goodness () has a wide range of meaning,
but in this context it stands in contrast to envy (). It is likely that
Paul has in mind the type of goodness that is marked by generosity.26
Although (faithfulness) is often used in reference to faith in God, that
is not the meaning here. in this context denotes reliability or
24 Ibid.

25 Bruce, Galatians, 253

26 Ibid., 253-254. The two words carry similar meanings in Matt. 20:15.

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trustworthiness in personal relationships.27 The word for gentleness

() is used elsewhere to describe Christ (Matt.11:29; 21:5; 2 Cor.
10:1), who also used the word to describe those who would inherit the earth
(Matt. 5:5). The final virtue of the Spirit is self-control (). This
word is frequently used in the context of controlling sexual passions. Though
inconclusive, Pauls intent may be to contrast with the sins of
sexual immorality.28
Concluding the list of virtues is the phrase, against such things there
is no law (5:23b). This phrase suggests that the fruit of the Spirit fulfills
every requirement of the law. This understanding makes sense in light of
Pauls prior statement that the law is fulfilled through love (5:14); in light of
Pauls use of love at the beginning of the list of virtues (5:22), and with
Pauls teaching in Romans 8:4, where he writes, in order that the
righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not
according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Finally, and perhaps most
importantly, this view is in full accord with Jesus understanding of the law
and its fulfillment through love (Matt. 22:40).
Paul concludes that those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified
the flesh with its passions and desires (5:24). Paul uses the active voice for
the verb (crucified), indicating that believers have an active role
27 Fung, Galatians, 269. cf. Matt.23:23; Rom. 3:3; Tit. 2:10.

28 Ibid., 271.

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in killing the desires and passions of the flesh. Though some commentators
disagree, this understanding aligns with the concept of the ever-present
Spirit-flesh conflict (5:16-18), which requires that believers make a choice
between indulging the flesh and walking by the Spirit. Consequently, to walk
in the Spirit, in one sense at least, is to kill the flesh by taking up ones cross
daily (Luke 9:23). As Timothy George comments, The mortifying work of
self-crucifixion is a continuous, lifelong process, for this side of heaven we
dwell in mortal bodies and are bound by inordinate desires.29
Theological Analysis
The phrase walk by the Spirit (5:16) occurs only here. But Paul uses
(to walk) elsewhere to describe the manner in which Christians
should live. In 1 Thessalonians 4:1, Paul urges Christians to walk in a way
that pleases God. Immediately thereafter, Paul lists both virtues to adopt and
vices to avoid. Those who adopt the virtues and avoid the vices please God
(1 Thess. 4:2-8). Similarly, Paul writes to the Ephesians, Look carefully then
how you walk, not as unwise but as wise (Eph. 5:15). The command in
Ephesians 5:15 comes shortly after a list of both virtues and vices similar to
Galatians 5:19-23 (Eph. 4:32; 5:3-5). According to Paul, walking by the
Spirit is not a great mystery, it is discernable according to how one lives.
Those who walk by the Spirit will be known by their fruit.
But walking by the Spirit continuously requires effort, for as long as
29 George, Galatians, 405.

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believers remain in this present age (1:4) they remain part of an intense
battle between flesh and Spirit (5:17). Pauls notion of powerful forces of both
Spirit and flesh warring for control in the life of a believer is not isolated to
Galatians 5:17. Paul speaks similarly in Romans 8:13, saying, For if you live
according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirityou will live. Peter
also speaks of the flesh waging war against the soul of the believer (1 Pet.
2:11). Christians should not be surprised by the presence of the Spirit-flesh
conflict. After all, the Bible also teaches that the Christians greatest foe,
Satan, is alive and looking for someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). As a result,
believers must make a conscience effort each day to walk by the Spirit and
defeat the flesh.
The key to walking by the Spirit, and thus defeating the whims of
Satan, is nurturing the fruit of the Spirit (5:22). This phrase occurs nowhere
else in Scripture, but Paul uses a similar metaphor in Eph. 5:9: For the fruit
of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Paul also speaks of
the fruit of the new life in Christ as righteousness (Phil. 1:11) and
sanctification (Rom. 6:22).30 By contrast, he speaks of unfruitfulness as
marking those who walk in darkness (Eph. 5:11). In the Gospels, John the
Baptist instructed the Pharisees, saying: Bear fruit it keeping with
repentance (Matt. 3:8). And Jesus taught that false teachers would be easily
recognizable, saying: You will recognize them by their fruits (Matt. 7:16).
30 Gerald F. Hawthorne, Ralph P. Martin, and Daniel G. Reid, eds., Dictionary of Paul
and His Letters (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 1993), 316-317.

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The fruit of the Spirit is likely adapted from the Old Testament, where
Israel is often compared to a fruit-bearing tree or vineyard.31 But in the Old
Testament Israel is unable to bear fruit, thus Isaiah indicts the vineyard of
the Lord for its lack of fruit (Isa.5:2, 4). However, the Old Testament predicts
a future time when the Spirit of the Lord is poured out, during which the land
will bear fruit (Isa. 32:15-16), and the trees and the vines will also bear their
fruit (Joel 2:18-32).32 In Galatians 3:13-15, Paul says the Old Testament
anticipated the outpouring of the Spirit. It seems likely, then, that Paul
derived the fruit of the Spirit from the Old Testament. Whereas the law
produced unfruitfulness, in the age of the Spirit, Gods people are able to
produce fruit in keeping with repentance and thus demonstrate that they are
the true Israel of God (Gal. 6:16).
Finally, Pauls use of Spirit is crucial to understanding 5:16-24.
Previously, Paul claimed that "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer
I who live, but Christ who lives in me (2:20). Paul used similar language in
Romans 8, where he wrote, But if Christ is in you (Rom. 8:10) and If the
Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you (Rom. 8:11). So
then, the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of God are one and the samehe is
the Holy Spirit. Moreover, it is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that empowers
believers to live victoriously over the flesh.
31 Hawthorne, Dictionary of Paul, 317. Ps. 80:8-18; Is. 5:1-7; 27:2-6; Jer. 2:21; 11:16;
12:10; Hos. 14:6; Ezra 9:31-32.

32 Ibid.

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Paul speaks frequently of the Holy Spirit in Galatians. He says that

every Christian receives the Spirit at the moment of conversion (3:2, 5, 14);
that the Spirits presence among the Galatians was accompanied by signs
(3:5), and that the Spirit was, as mentioned above, promised in the Old
Testament (3:13-15). Paul also says that those who are in the Spirit are
persecuted by those in the flesh (cf. 3:4; 4:29), and that those who are in the
Spirit eagerly await Gods declaration of righteousness (5:5). He then
concludes by stating that those who are in the Spirit have victory over those
of the flesh (5:16-21) and live a full life in the Spirit (5:22-23), and the path
to victory for every Christian is to walk in the Spirit, or submit to the Spirits
leading (5:25; 6:8). For Paul, the Christian life is about living in the power of
the Spirit.
Application
The application of this passage must focus upon the meaning of Pauls
opening command, walk by the Spirit (5:16a), and how it applies to life in
the church. On one hand it seems as though there is no concrete answer
regarding how to walk in the Spirit; it sounds nebulous and there is no stepby-step guide per se. Moreover, the very phrase, fruit of the Sprit, indicates
that spiritual fruit is the direct result of the Spirits work. Conversely, Paul
also speaks of believers having to make a choice to follow the Spirit (5:17d),
and to be active in killing the flesh (5:24). Clearly, believers can and must
actively walk by the Spirit. The question then becomes: how does one walk
by the Spirit? When this question is applied to 5:16-24, three practical steps

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emerge that will aid Christians in their endeavor to walk by the Spirit.
The first is to recognize the presence of spiritual warfare (5:16-18).
Christians should never assume that the Christian life is free from temptation
to sin. Satan wants nothing more than to cause believers to stumble into sin,
especially if it results in deep divisions and infighting within the body of
Christ. And so he attacks relentlessly until he can find a chink in ones armor.
That is precisely why Paul commands the Ephesians, Put on the whole armor
of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil
(Eph. 6:11). Therefore, Christians should be ever vigilant to the schemes of
Satan and they must prepare to do battle daily. For as soon as the defenses
are relaxed, he will attack with the desires of the flesh.
Secondly, Christians should not only recognize the presence of spiritual
warfare, they must also recognize the works of the flesh and kill them (5:1921). That is, a believer must recognize his or her sin and resolve to destroy it
immediately. Failure to do so may be catastrophic (5:21b). Recognizing sin
requires a fundamental understanding of sin within the church. It is
imperative, then, that pastors preach and teach against sin. Pastors must do
it boldly but in love and with the motive of leading people to walk in-step
with the Spirit of God. It also means that those who fall into sin must have a
way of killing their sinful desires. For instance, if one is addicted to
pornography, he must safeguard his computer, preventing further
temptation.

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Third, to walk by the Spirit is to recognize and cultivate the fruit of the
Spirit. The Spirit is indeed solely responsible for producing fruit, but that does
not relieve the Christian from his or her duty to prepare the spiritual soil of
the heart. Spiritual fruit may sprout, but if left to the desires of the flesh,
weeds and thorns will also grow and choke the fruit of the Spirit (Matt.13:22).
It is vital, then, that Christians understand the traits of the Spirit: love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and so on, and allow room for those
traits to blossom. Perhaps the best approach to cultivating the fruit of the
Spirit is to grow in ones understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When
one truly understands the depths of Gods love, demonstrated in the cross of
Christ, one should automatically be moved to love others; to be ever joyful;
to be patient, kind, and gentle toward others in the same way that God
showered those very same traits upon those he has forever pardoned.
Gospel growth is a central component of both walking in the Spirit and
developing unity in the body of Christ. In its simplest form, the root cause of
division in Galatia was a misunderstanding of the Gospel. When Christians
rightly understand their common need for Gods grace, and the price paid by
God to secure their redemption from the penalty of sin, they will live in all
humility before God and before their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. So
then, let the Gospel reign supreme in the churches of Christ. Let the love of
Christ, so powerfully displayed in the cross of Christ, lead Christians each and
every day to worship him with greater passion, love, and devotion. Let the
magnificent Christ point the way to his Spirit and ultimately to unity in the

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body of Christ.
Conclusion
Galatians 5:16-24 is an urgent call to seek unity in the body of Christ
via walking by the Spirit. It has been demonstrated that walking by the Spirit
is not simply letting go and letting God, nor is it some mystical experience.
Believers actively participate in their endeavor to walk by the Spirit and in
their pursuit of unity. They must take-up arms and do battle with the flesh
daily, recognizing the war within. Above all, they must make a conscience
effort to allow the fruit of the Spirit, or rather the fruit of the Gospel, to take
firm root in their lives so that the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and
gentleness of Christ may blossom in the lives of individuals and throughout
the entire body of Christ.

WORKS CONSULTED

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