Exposition
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
- Walk - περιπατέω - to be conducting one's self (Present Active Imperative Verb)
- Fulfill - τελέω - to perform, execute, complete, fulfill (Aorist Active Subjunctive Verb)
- Lust - ἐπιθυμία - desire
Do we walk ‘in’ or ‘by’ the Spirit?
A person’s walk is their behaviour, their lifestyle, their way of being. The Bible is telling us here that if our walk is ‘in’ the Spirit, the desires of the flesh will not be ‘completed’ by us. But do we say ‘in’ or ‘by’ the Spirit? We can also ask the same question in verse 25. It speaks of living ‘in’ the Spirit. But do we not live ‘by’ the Spirit? Romans 8:9-14 clears this up for us. We live ‘in’ and ‘by’ the Holy Spirit. And, we are to walk ‘in’ and ‘by’ the Spirit as well.
(Romans 8:9-14) 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors-- not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 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. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
We may walk ‘in’ the Spirit ‘by’ the Spirit.
In other words, because the Spirit of God dwells in us as Christians, we may walk ‘in’ the Spirit ‘by’ the Spirit. This keeps the desires of the flesh from being performed by us.
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Young’s Literal Translation:
“that the things that ye may will -- these ye may not do”
The desires of the flesh are directly opposed to the desires of the Spirit, and vice versa. That seems obvious, but it is important to note that the two are mutually exclusive.
Though you may want to do what the flesh wants, you are constrained from ‘fulfilling’ that because of the Spirit.
The last phrase of this verse is very important to understand properly. I’ll take a translation from a very stiltedly literal translation I consult from time to time, Young’s Literal Translation: “that the things that ye may will -- these ye may not do” - Basically, what this is says is that though you may want to do what the flesh wants, you are constrained from ‘fulfilling’ that because of the Spirit.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Christians are ‘under the Spirit’, not ‘under the law’.
This once again confirms the fact that it is ‘by’ the Spirit that we are to walk. Paul is once again explaining how that ‘keeping the law’ for the purpose of being saved by it is not in view. Instead, the Christian is ‘under the Spirit’, not ‘under the law’. Indeed, as we see in verse 23, the Spirit automatically fulfills the law in that nothing that the Spirit produces in our lives is contrary to the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
- Practice - πράσσω - are practicing (Present Active Participle)
Today we will not delve deeply into the ‘works of the flesh’ list because our focus is on walking in the Spirit. Suffice it to say, Paul had both predicted ahead of time, and shared with the Galatians in the past, the fact that those who practice these things are not saved.
Those who practice these things are not saved.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
❌ 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳 🌳
❌ 🍎 🍊 🍋 🍎 🍊 🍋 🍎 🍊 🍋
It's one tree, with one type of fruit.
One of the most commonly missed things here is that it is the ‘fruit’ of the Spirit, not the ‘fruits’ of the Spirit. Imagine walking up to a fruit tree and finding a single type of fruit that had nine different characteristics. It’s not nine different trees, or nine different fruits on one tree. It is one tree, with one type of fruit.
The Holy Spirit brings forth the fruit that He produces in your life.
We tend to see this list of good things and we think the practical point is the list. If I will be loving, if I will be kind, if I will be patient, then I am walking in the Spirit. Nope, you have it backwards. Walking in the Spirit means that the Holy Spirit brings forth the fruit that He produces in your life.
24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
- Passions - πάθημα - inward afflictions
- This is intentionally reminiscent of what Christ suffered on the cross.
Remember Galatians 2:20:
As a reminder of how this works, Paul reminds us of Galatians chapter 2 verse 20:
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
🔨 the flesh to the cross and 👣 in the Spirit.
We can nail the flesh to the cross and walk in the Spirit. The works of the flesh do not have power over us as Christians. This is a very significant point. Without Christ, no matter how much headway you make with your fleshy desires (and passions, that is ‘afflictions’), they will always master you in the end (that is, they will be ‘fulfilled’).
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
- Walk - στοιχέω - to be directing one's life (Present Active Imperative Verb)
🥁 in order, following the Spirit.
The idea here is, if by the Spirit we will escape as great enemies as death and hell, should we not trust the Spirit to lead us away from sin? The ‘walk’ idea repeated in this verse has with it the idea of ‘marching’ in order, following the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Don't fall into the 🕳 of pride!
If we seek to defeat the flesh in our own power, we will only fall into the pit of pride, the original sin of the flesh. This leads to self-aggrandizement and/or despair because of comparing ourselves with each other. Thus, the Spirit is the only escape.
