_pn.png)
Have you ever felt as if there's a tug of war going on inside of you? You want to do the right thing, but you end up doing something you know is wrong. This is something we have all dealt with at one point or another, and it is even a struggle for some devout Christians. This tug of war takes place between our flesh (wanting to do what is wrong) and the Spirit (wanting to do what is right).
​
The Bible tells us that the flesh and the Spirit are in conflict with each other in Galatians 5:17. "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want." It is important to understand that in order for this conflict to take place at all, the Spirit must dwell within you, and this happens through salvation.
​
Walking by the Spirit
In Galatians 5:16, Paul admonishes us to "walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." But how do you walk by the Spirit, and what does that even mean? Part of the answer lies in verse 18 where Paul says, "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." That's an interesting choice of words. Being led implies that you aren't the one who determines which way you should go. So the simple answer to the question is that the Holy Spirit should lead you. Where most of us get tripped up is due to the fact that we fall prey to the desires of the flesh.
​
The Acts of the Flesh
There are distinct differences between the flesh and the Spirit. These differences take place as evidence rather than predestined traits. This means that what you do after the fact is a display of either the flesh or the Spirit at work in your life. Which one you subject yourself to is dependent upon which one you surrender yourself to. In essence, our outer acts are expressions of our inner selves.
The acts of the flesh are illustrated in Galatians 5:19 and are as follows:
​
-
Sexual immorality [Adultery]: Being married and having sex with someone other than your spouse, having sex with someone else's spouse, lusting after someone other than your spouse
-
Impurity [Fornication] Having sex without being married.
-
Debauchery: Overindulgence in sensual desires.
-
Idolatry: Excessive adoration, devotion, or reverence for anything other than God, worshipping false gods, praying to people or objects other than God.
-
Witchcraft: Practicing magic which utilizes demonic powers or evil spirits, sorcery; includes magic used for "good" purposes.
-
Hatred: Passionate, intense hostility or dislike; ill-will against someone.
-
Discord [Conflict, fighting, etc.]: Being argumentative or quarrelsome.
-
Jealousy: Envy of someone else in any capacity.
-
Fits of rage: Having uncontrolled anger or fury; violence.
-
Selfish ambition: Only caring for one's own interests or wellbeing despite the effects on others.
-
Dissensions: Having a lack of agreement or harmony; causing discord.
-
Factions [Heresies]: Division among groups of individuals driven by the need to cause trouble.
-
Envy: Similar to jealousy, especially in thinking that you deserve something that you believe another person is unworthy of.
-
Drunkenness: Excessive drinking/drug usage to the point that you lose judgement, cognitive ability, or self control; applies to any mind-altering substance.
-
Orgies [Revellings]: Rioting, partying, and otherwise boisterous activities; plural of orgy
​
The Fruit of the Spirit Explained
As you can see from the previous list, the acts of the flesh are broad but essentially encompass everything sinful. For instance, getting into a fight is a sign of discord or fits of rage, stealing could fall under selfish ambition (taking from someone else despite the negative effects on them), and watching pornography could fall under sexual immorality. Please understand, however, that the feeling of being pulled and tugged is a sign of war and is consequently a sign that the Spirit is at work within you. So take heart if you are struggling with the flesh. This only indicates that there is indeed a spiritual tug of war at work in you. In other words, having "fleshly" desires does not mean that you aren't a Christian. On the contrary, Christians battle with those desires, aided by the power of the Spirit.
​
Unlike the acts of the flesh, the fruit of the Spirit isn't provided as a plural list of individual "signs." This is because bearing the fruit isn't technically up to us. Remember that we are led by the Spirit, not the other way around. Another way to think of it is by imagining fruit on a tree. The branches bear fruit, but they aren't the source of the fruit. The fruit comes from the work of the tree itself which provides life to the branches in the first place. In John 15:5, Jesus says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." He is the vine, the source. If we are to be led by him, we must rely on him as a source of strength which helps us in the war against the flesh.
​
Galatians 5:22-23 tells us plainly what the fruit of the Spirit is:
​
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Though you may feel that bearing the fruit of the Spirit is a tall task, it's not completely up to us to bear this fruit. It's not up to our own strength. Rather, we should take rest in God and let the Spirit work just as branches are dependent on the tree in order to bear fruit. Friends, consider it joy that we have the Spirit to rely on. Walk in the Spirit and be guided by God and in doing so, you will avoid falling prey to the desires of the flesh.