The Crucial Step: Choosing The Spirit
Jeffery Anselmi / General Adult
Keep in Step / Holy Spirit; Fruit of the Spirit / Galatians 5:16–25
The desires of the flesh are directly opposed to the desires of the Spirit.
INTRODUCTION
• There are so many things we struggle with on a daily basis.
• Some of them are obvious.
• Some of them are quiet.
• But the struggle is real—and at times, the battle can be fierce.
• BREATHE
• Not just the big, headline sins—but the everyday ones.
• The small choices.
• The repeated decisions.
• The things no one else sees.
HAVE COOKIES ON THE TABLE AND SOME CARROTS.
• Now, on the chairs, I’ve got two very ordinary things: cookies… and carrots.
• Neither one is imaginary.
• Neither one is illegal.
• Both are real choices, and most of us already know which one we want.
• The cookie promises immediate satisfaction.
• The carrot promises long-term health.
• And here’s the thing—we don’t usually wrestle over this once a year.
• We wrestle over it every single day.
• I KNOW I DO!
• In a very real way, this is what the Christian life feels like.
• As followers of Christ, we face an internal struggle between two opposing forces:
• The flesh
• And the Spirit, and they are not working together.
• Similar to these daily choices, Scripture tells us that the Christian life is not lived on autopilot.
• It requires intention.
• It requires discernment.
• And it requires a decision about which voice we will listen to.
• Paul concludes Galatians 5 with a simple yet demanding instruction, which has served as the foundation of this series and, more importantly, our lives.
• I pray that this verse sets the tone for your 2026 and the rest of your life.
Galatians 5:25 CSB
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
• Paul has been building toward an important truth throughout this chapter: keeping in step with the Spirit requires a choice and purpose on our part.
• That choice is not theoretical.
• It’s daily.
• It’s practical, and it takes place in the middle of a very real battle.
• And that brings us to our first truth this morning…
Galatians 5:16–18 NET 2nd ed.
16 But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.
17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
SERMON
MAIN POINT 1 SLIDE
I. The Battle
• So if you’ve ever found yourself wanting to do the right thing—but struggling to actually do it…
• If you’ve ever known what God was calling you to do, but felt pulled in another direction…
• If you’ve ever wondered, “Why does following Jesus still feel like a fight?”
• Then take heart—because the Bible doesn’t deny that struggle.
• It explains it.
• Paul tells us that what we experience isn’t random weakness or spiritual failure.
• It’s a battle.
• A real, ongoing conflict between two opposing desires that are constantly at war within us.
• Before Paul tells us how to walk by the Spirit, before he names the fruit of the Spirit, he wants us to understand what we’re up against.
• That’s why he begins by describing the battle.
• Paul does not begin by pretending the Christian life is easy.
• Verse 16 reminds us to live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.
• The command assumes resistance.
• Verse 17 explains why the command is necessary.
Galatians 5:17 NET 2nd ed.
17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.
• The verb “are opposed” pictures a habitual, ongoing conflict, not a one-time crisis; this is the normal Christian experience, not an exception.
• This battle explains why we sometimes do not do the things we truly want to do for God, because the flesh and the renewed spirit continually interfere with each other.
• The flesh pulls one way, and the Spirit pulls the other.
• Every Christian lives at that intersection of that tension.
• The word "flesh" (sarx) refers to human nature and speaks of our literal flesh, which is neutral (in other words, our flesh is neither good nor evil).
• Sin stirs up evil desires within this nature.
• Flesh” here is not your physical body as inherently evil, but sin working through your human nature, often stirred up by the devil.
• Spirit” in this context emphasizes the renewed inner person made alive to God, longing to please Him.
• This battle is about direction; which way will you go in life?
• Christian liberty is not about effortless perfection; it requires ongoing effort and reliance on the Spirit to maintain freedom from sin's enticements.
• This battle is a battle of allegiance.
Matthew 6:24 NET 2nd ed.
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
• Paul is saying the same thing in Galatians 5.
• You can’t serve your old desires and the Spirit of God.
• Every choice is an act of service to one or the other.
• Switzerland is an illusion in this battle.
• There is no neutral ground.
• This is like a basketball game where there is only one basket you’re meant to score on.
• When you score in the wrong one, you don’t just fail—you help the other team
• When we gratify the flesh, we are not standing still—we are actively opposing the Spirit.
• Let’s move to verses 17-21.
Galatians 5:17–21 NET 2nd ed.
17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!
MAIN POINT 2 SLIDE
THE CHOICE
II. The Flesh
• If the Christian life really is a battle—and if the flesh and the Spirit are truly opposed to one another—then the next question we have to ask is this:
What exactly is the flesh that we’re fighting against?
• Paul doesn’t leave that vague.
• He doesn’t talk about the flesh in abstract terms.
• He names it.
• He exposes it.
• And he shows us what happens when it’s given the upper hand.
• If we’re going to make the crucial step of choosing the Spirit.
• We first need to be honest about what the flesh produces when it’s allowed to lead.
• That’s why Paul moves next from the battle…to the flesh.
• When Paul talks about the flesh, he is not talking about the physical body as if it were evil, and he’s not describing an occasional mistake or moment of weakness.
• He’s talking about the old way of life—the self-directed life—that insists on being in control.
• The flesh is what happens when our desires take the lead and God’s Spirit is pushed to the background.
• And Paul doesn’t leave us guessing about what that looks like.
• In these verses, he pulls the curtain back and shows us the fruit that grows when the flesh is allowed to rule.
• Not to shame us—but to warn us—because anything that consistently pulls us away from God will eventually cost us more than we ever intended to pay.
• Paul says, “The works of the flesh are obvious.”
• In other words, you don’t need a commentary to recognize them.
• Rather than slowing down and dissecting every word, Paul paints a picture.
• And when you step back, you begin to see a pattern.
• Look at verses 19-21a.
Galatians 5:19–21 NET 2nd ed.
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions,
21 envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!
These verses paint the picture of Disordered Desires.
• These are sins that distort God’s design for intimacy and desire.
• The flesh always promises fulfillment—but it never delivers satisfaction.
• When desire is detached from God’s design, it doesn’t free us—it enslaves us.
• Verse 20 also paints the picture of distorted worship.
• Paul then moves from the body to the heart.
• Look at verse 20 carefully.
• Idolatry and sorcery are not just ancient practices—they represent a desire to control outcomes instead of trusting God.
• At its core, idolatry says:
“I want God’s power without God’s authority.”
• Anytime we trust something more than God—or turn to something else for peace, security, or identity—we’ve stepped into this category.
When you look at verses 20-21, we see the picture of destroyed relationships.
• Finally, Paul lists sins that fracture community:
• Hostility
• Strife
• Jealousy
• Outbursts of anger
• Selfish rivalries
• Dissensions
• Factions
• Notice how many of these damage relationships as well as destroy a sense of worship.
• The flesh doesn’t just isolate us from God—it isolates us from one another.
• Left unchecked, it always divides:
• Homes
• Churches
• Friendships
The Point of the List
• Paul isn’t saying, “If you’ve ever done one of these, you’re lost.”
• He’s saying, “If this is the direction of your life, pay attention.”
• Because the flesh is not just something we occasionally stumble into—it’s something we choose to follow or put to death.
• And that’s why Paul issues this warning—not in anger, but in love.
The flesh always leads to decay—but God never leaves us there.”
• Let’s move to verses 22-25
Galatians 5:22–25 NET 2nd ed.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.
MAIN POINT 3 SLIDE
III. The Spirit
• If all Paul wanted to do was expose the problem, he could have stopped there, but he doesn’t.
• Because the Christian life is not defined by what we’re rescued from—it’s defined by what we’re invited into.
• Paul shows us the end of the flesh, not to condemn us, but to convince us that we were made for something better.
• The flesh produces works—things we manufacture when we’re in control.
• But what comes next is different.
• What comes next is not something we achieve.
• It’s something that grows.
• And when Paul turns from the flesh to the Spirit, the tone of the passage changes—from warning to promise, from exposure to hope.
• So now, having seen what the flesh produces when it leads, Paul invites us to look at what the Spirit produces when He is allowed to work.
• When Paul turns to the Spirit, everything changes.
• The language shifts from what we produce to what God produces in us.
• He doesn’t give us another list of rules to follow or behaviors to manage—He gives us a picture of a life shaped by God’s presence.
• The fruit of the Spirit is not something we force through willpower or discipline alone; it is the natural result of a life that has chosen to walk in step with the Spirit.
• This is what grows when the Spirit is leading—when Christ is trusted, surrendered to, and allowed to work from the inside out.
• Paul is very intentional with his words.
• When he talks about the flesh, he calls them works of the flesh.
• But when he talks about the Spirit, he calls it fruit of the Spirit.
• That difference matters.
Works Are Manufactured—Fruit Is Grown
• Works are things we produce.
• They come from effort, striving, and control.
• Work expresses, "Look at me, look at what I did!"
• Fruit, on the other hand, is something that grows.
• Fruit is the result of staying connected to the source.
• You don’t yell at a tree to make it grow fruit.
• You don’t threaten it.
• You don’t shame it.
• You nurture it.
• You water it.
• You let it stay rooted, and then over time, fruit appears.
Works Focus on Behavior—Fruit Reveals Nature
• Works can be performed without transformation; anyone can fake behavior for a while.
• But fruit reveals what kind of tree it is.
• Jesus said a tree will be known by its fruits (Matthew 7:20).
• Paul isn’t saying, “Try harder to be more loving.”
• He’s saying, “Stay close to the Spirit, and love will grow.”
Works Exhaust—Fruit Sustains
• Works wear us out because they depend on us.
• Fruit brings life because it depends on God.
“The flesh produces works when we’re in control—but the Spirit produces fruit when we surrender.”
CONCLUSION
Galatians 5:22–25 NET 2nd ed.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
24 Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.
• Look at this list.
• What on this list is a bad thing to allow to grow in your life?
• If we live by the Spirit, we must choose to keep in step with the Spirit.
• That choice isn’t theoretical—it’s daily.
• Not someday—but today.
• So the question isn’t whether you’re walking; it’s who you’re walking with.
• Which way do you really want to live?
• The choice is yours: the cookie or the carrot?
CLOSING SLIDE
