Galatians 5:16-17
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”
The context of Galatians 5:16-17 is within the creation of the fruit of the Spirit. These verse come before the listing of the fruit of the Spirit and it appears that the Apostle Paul suggests that they are created with much internal conflict, due to our nature or carnal mind.
While obedience to God’s Word is required to produce the Spirit’s fruit, as a human, the Christian is being pulled in multiple directions. Often, the Christian may be pulled in the direction to satisfy the desires of the old nature, as well as the direction toward the fruit of the Spirit. Perhaps, one of the most recognized section of scripture that captures the essence of this struggle is found in Romans 7:15-19, where the Apostle Paul’s wrote, “ For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.”
Every Christian can relate to the internal struggle to produce the fruit of God’s Spirit, as well as the external strife of a systemic force working against positive personal Christian growth. Therefore, if we really desire to glorify God and produce the fruit of God’s Spirit, the internal and external conflict can drive us to open communications, in our prayers, with our Father through Jesus Christ. As we develop spiritual maturity, we understand that we can only do all things required of us, through Jesus Christ.
