How To Live By The Spirit's Leading: The Spirit Vs. The Flesh In Galatians 5-6 Series

I recall an episode of Star Trek Voyager that always hit me very hard. It was called Timeless. The Voyager was a spaceship that had ended up far, far from home, and it was slowly making it’s way back through unknown territory.

It reminds me of us, as Christians, lost in the wilds of this fallen Earth, but also now on a journey, through dangerous territory, back home to God.

Voyager travels through many difficulties and dark places, and enemies, but, they are always kept safe. They make wise choices. They avoid dangerous areas. They refuel and resupply from time to time.

But in the episode Timeless, we see a worst case scenario, in which Voyager was destroyed, and plunged into an icy grave, because of some bad choices that were made.

In any case throughout the episode, two of the crew find a way to change history, so that they can change the bad decision they made.

One of the crew named Harry, actually sacrifices his life, to correct the mistake, and make things ok again.

We as Christians also face decisions that can either keep us on the right path, or begin to lead us astray.

The Bible talks about our faith journey as like we’re sailing on a ship. And yet Paul also writes of those who have “Shipwrecked faith” because they got off course.

I’ve seen decisions in front of me as a Christian, a temptation, an old friend who wants to hang out, a drink or drug in front of me, and I can see where it leads, an icy grave.

But I’ve avoided those pathways, and followed the paths of life. We too must learn to follow the pathway of life. The great thing is, God helps us every step of the way. He protect us. And guides us. And he helps us to make the right choices, to steer our ship toward heaven.

But I want you to remember this as well: Even if you tumble off the path and into the clutches of sin and death, God has provided pathways even in those dark places to change history, like history was changed in our example today.

Galatians 5:13-25 "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

You have been called to freedom, is one of the key teachings that Paul lays out to the Galatian church. Certain people in this church were saying that they needed to go back to the Old Testament law in order to follow God rightly.

Instead Paul gives them different instructions, he says, actually you’re free in Christ. You don’t need to follow the old testament law. But do consider yourself obligated to love your neighbor as yourself.

So we see our structure begins to be built. Two towers, one is the Spirit and one is the flesh. The Spirit’s leading in your life is marked by freedom, a call to humble service, and a general command to love your neighbor.

However, in the flesh, there is slavery to sin, not freedom. That slavery leads to indulgence of evil desires, and that leads to conflict among believers.

Next in verses 16-18, “So I say, 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. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”

All this leads us to the key command for our scripture today: Walk by the Spirit. Or be led by the Holy Spirit.

If you do allow the Holy Spirit to lead your life, then you naturally won’t want to gratify the desires of the flesh.

But, if you allow the flesh to lead your life, then you will naturally begin to gratify the desires of the flesh.

Next we get a list of fifteen ways in which believers can end up walking by the flesh.

In verses 19-21, “The acts of the flesh are obvious: 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. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Gratifying the desires of the flesh, lead to the acts of the flesh, which are listed by Paul here. You can see how a lot of these acts of the flesh are connected, one leads to the next, sexuality immorality leads to impurity, hatred leads to discord, jealousy leads to fits of rage, selfish ambition leads to factions and envy, sexual immorality leads to drunkenness leads to orgies and the like.