The Flesh and Spirit

How many would like to not fulfill the lust of the flesh?  To not fulfill the lust of the flesh, we need to examine and follow what Paul wrote in Gal 5:16-26 about the flesh and Spirit.

The lust of the flesh.  It’s there; it’s always there; it takes nothing to cultivate it.

The antagonism of the flesh. (Antagonism is opposition of a conflicting force).  Concerning the flesh and Spirit, the flesh is opposed to the Spirit.  Always contrary.  It doesn’t make any difference how justified you feel in your actions or how spiritual you may want to be in everything else you do.  If it’s flesh, it’s flesh.  And it’s contrary to the Spirit.

The works of the flesh. Defined (see below) and manifested (you can see what they are).

The result of fulfilling the lust of the flesh.  You can’t do the things that you would, v.17. And you will lose your inheritance in the Kingdom of God, v.21

Our instructions to keep from fulfilling the lust of the flesh:

Live in the Spirit, v.25.  That is, you must be saved.  To pretend to be saved when you aren’t saved is ridiculous.  You live as a miserable hypocrite and then die and go to hell because you’re lost.

Walk in the Spirit, v.16, 25.  Concerning the flesh and Spirit, the Spirit is contrary to the flesh; they are mutually exclusive. Walk in the Spirit every single step of the way.  You start out like a kid learning to walk.  The scripture teaches you and the Spirit guides you.  Be patient; it takes time.

The result of walking in the Spirit, v.22-23.  You start seeing the fruit of the Spirit in your life.  Love Joy Peace Longsuffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance.

This is fruit.  It takes time for fruit to grow and mature. You have loved and experienced joy, and put up with other peoples’ stuff, and so forth.  But until the Holy Spirit has produced this in you, you really don’t know what it is because the flesh can’t produce it or imitate it.  Concerning the flesh and Spirit, their love is completely different, their joy is absolutely different, their peace is totally different, etc.

If you try to fake it, then your fruit is like artificial fruit on the coffee table.  It looks good on the outside, but as soon as you pick it up you know there’s something wrong with it.  Likewise, the same is true with the flesh faking spirituality.  Don’t mistake that for spirituality.

Conclusion: The remedy is to walk in the Spirit.  Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  The Spirit produces things in you that far exceed every lust of the flesh. Whether it’s the flesh’s covetousness, envy, lasciviousness, vengeance, rebellion, pride, or sinful desire, the fruit of the Spirit is far better.  And it is incomparable.  Concerning the flesh and Spirit, nothing in the flesh gives you even a sample of what you will see in the fruit of the Spirit.

You can’t put down the flesh.  But the Spirit can crucify the flesh, v.24.  You may want to destroy the flesh for it’s works.  It makes you think you’re going to die if you don’t give in to it’s lusts and demands.  Crucify it.  The Spirit puts you in Christ who died.  And you die with him in Christ.  Go ahead and die. It won’t KILL you.  Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live…. Christ liveth in me”.  That’s the Spirit.

Conclusion: Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

The works of the flesh (defined).

The first four are sexual and sensual.  Adultery – committed with the eyes, heart, Matt 5:28, as well as with the body.

Fornication – the act.  Premarital sex is fornication.  See 1 Cor 6:13-20.

Uncleanness, 2 Cor 7:1 says “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit”: filthy mind, filthy mouth, filthy habits.  Your spirit is defiled by what you see.

Lasciviousness – preoccupied with or exhibiting lustful desires; lewd = loose; voluptuous emotions = Full of pleasure, sensual gratification, exciting sensual desires.  Mega churches mistake lasciviousness for the liberty of the Spirit.

Result of Violating 1st command. Idolatry. We can easily see it in idolatrous religions.  But can we see it in ourselves?  Covetousness is idolatry, Col 3:5.

Witchcraft.  See Acts 13:6, 8, 10.  Today you see on TikTok and Instagram an increased visibility of witchcraft.  You see it in Movies, TV.  Wicca.

Result of Violating 2nd command. Hatred.  Prov 26:24-25 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him.  When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart.

Variance – at variance, in disagreement.  Produces discord.

Emulations – contentions, rivalries, acts of attempting to excel in qualities.  One ups.  Not of the Spirit.

Wrath – indignation, violent anger.

Murders.  Not only killing but hating, 1 Jn 3:15.

Result of Earthly wisdom (Jas 3:14-16) Strife – opposition, contrariety.  No matter which side you take, they take the other.

Seditions – incitements of resistance to lawful authority.  I don’t care how right you think you are, these are not from the Spirit.

Heresies – opinions, doctrines, or practices contrary to the truth.  The doctrine as taught by the Holy Spirit is always the same.  The temptation to be the new kid on the block with the new deep revelation of doctrine is of the flesh.

Envyings – painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.  You’ll tear them down if you can’t beat them.  Not of the Spirit.

Contrast Jas 3:13, 17.

Result of sowing to the flesh. Drunkenness – Eph 5:18.

Revellings – wild parties. Eph 5:11 the unfruitful works of darkness.

And such like. Drugs, porn, etc.  In other words, this list is not exhaustive.  It just gives you the kinds of things that are manifested as works of the flesh.

Concerning the flesh and Spirit, none of these are from the Spirit of God.