Christianity is meant to be practiced in a victorious, Christ‑honoring way. But we can’t do that unless we understand—and experience—the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

We learned a lot about the Holy Spirit in the last two posts. We learned that the church cannot operate effectively without His power working in believers. We also learned that we receive His power by faith. Now we’re going to learn how the Spirit works in each of us personally.

How do we live victoriously for Jesus Christ over other urges that we feel all around us? Galatians 5 tells us: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh” (Galatians 5:16–17, NIV).

What’s this “flesh” Paul was writing about? Our skin? No, no. The word in the Greek is sarx, and it’s our fallen, sinful, always‑looking‑to‑indulge‑itself human nature apart from God’s influence. It’s the Jim Cymbala who is always looking to satisfy himself. “I want what I want, when I want it.” It’s a very ugly thing in our lives.

But the flesh feels so natural! New believers quickly find out how those old currents of sin try to pull them under again. But Paul said that the only victory over our old‑nature tendencies is to walk by the Spirit.

Now the things that the flesh wants are the exact opposite of what the Spirit wants. What are the works of the flesh? Paul listed them: “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like” (Galatians 5:19–21, NIV). No truly born‑again Christian can live in those ways and be comfortable. The Holy Spirit in them says, “Get out of here. Fight it.”

So notice this inner conflict that can be in a believer’s life: God wants us to be controlled by the Spirit, but the flesh wants the exact opposite of what the Spirit wants.

Some Christians say, “No, when you’re saved, you can’t fall into those sins.” Then why was Paul writing this to a Christian church? And why was he saying that the only victory over the flesh is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit? It’s true: the more we set ourselves against some sinful habit, the less power we realize we have.

“No, I’m not going to get angry.”

“Ahh, I got angry and said things I shouldn’t say.”

“I’m not getting angry anymore. I’m telling you right now.”

We can’t defeat anger or any other structural weakness in ourselves—immorality, alcoholism, lying, cheating, stealing, racial prejudice. The only way to overcome sin is not to fight it but to yield control to the Holy Spirit. He’ll free us from those strongholds without our even trying. How? By producing His fruit in us: “love, joy, peace, forbearance [patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23, NIV).

We must let the Spirit produce His fruit in our lives by yielding to Him every day. Then we’ll have victory over the works of the flesh—the sarx—that are always looking to regain their ascendancy.

Notice—it’s the fruit of the Spirit. It’s not us. There’s only one person who can live the Christ life: Christ. Unless He lives through us, we’ll just get more of ourselves—and that’s no bargain.

Paul closed Galatians 5 by saying this: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25, NIV).

Many times, when we get saved, we thank God that our sins are gone, and then, to try to live the Christ life, we practice self‑effort. We think we have to show God that we appreciate what He’s done. But if we were saved through putting our faith in Christ, and the Spirit now lives inside us, can we become more like Christ by trying hard? No.

If we started by the Spirit, let’s keep in step with the Spirit. Then He will give us not only power to do ministry—He will also produce His fruit in us.

Prayer

God, run my life. Flow through me and produce Your fruit in me. Let there be less of me and more of Jesus, through the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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