Have you ever thought, “Well that’s easy for you to say”? If so, you’re
like most of us. When someone gives good advice that seems impossible to
actually carry out, we are likely to say, “That’s easy for you to say; however,
I’d like to see you actually do it.” And Paul was no stranger to this kind of
response. In fact, He anticipates it in our passage today. It is easy to say,
and it is simple to do also; the problem is, it is not easy to do, and Paul
here explains why.[1]
Paul writes in Galatians 5:16-6:10,[2] “I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out
the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the
Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to
each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the
Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works
of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity,
idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish
ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and
anything similar. I tell you about these things in advance—as I told you
before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is
no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh
with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, we must also
follow the Spirit. We must not become conceited, provoking one another,
envying one another. Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual
should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves
so you also won’t be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens; in this way
you will fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone considers himself to be
something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each person should
examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself
alone, and not in respect to someone else. For each person will have to
carry his own load. The one who is taught the message must share all ⌊his⌋ good things with
the teacher. Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man
sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap
corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal
life from the Spirit. So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will
reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have
opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong
to the household of faith.”
Paul is here continuing to describe the path of true freedom. The
complete thought of this lengthy passage continues past the struggle to give
hope to the struggling Christian that there is an end to the struggle—that Christ
has already won the victory—and to keep our eyes on the goal—not to stop
sinning, but rather to practice active righteousness. As Andy Mineo rapped, “Putting
on new, taking off old / If you only take off, you’ll be waking up cold.”[3] Paul has already stated that
we are free and that our freedom is not to sin, but to serve through love. He
has also stated that we are not to submit to another yoke of slavery. Here’s a
bold statement this post will seek to prove: If you say, “That’s sin—I can’t do it,” then you are submitting to law
and another yoke of slavery, and in fact—rather than resisting the sin—it will
only cause you to commit the sin.
Paul begins in 5:16 by saying, “walk by the Spirit.” This is a command. We cannot get out of this
command. We are not to walk by the Law and we’re not to walk in sin either. We
are to walk by the Spirit. (Next week’s post will specifically describe the
opposite of walking by the Spirit—5:19-21—and the week after will describe
walking by the Spirit—5:22-24.) To put it simply now—walking by the Spirit
means walking in “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith,
gentleness, and self-control.” Keep in mind that as these are commanded in
5:16, it isn’t a natural occurrence—just like it isn’t natural to avoid the
things listed in 5:19-21. We must actively put on love, joy, peace, etc.
It is curious that this injunction comes directly after a caution about
biting and devouring one another. Martin Luther explains, “No flesh, not even
that of the true believer, is so completely under the influence of the Spirit
that it will not bite or devour, or at least neglect, the commandment of love.
At the slightest provocation it flares up, demands to be revenged, and hates a
neighbor like an enemy, or at least does not love him as much as he ought to be
loved.”[4]
Paul
wanted the Galatians then, and us now, to know that if we find ourselves in a
place where we are biting and devouring one another we are not walking in the
Spirit. However, at the same time, Paul wants us to know that repentance is
possible. The word translated “Walk” often carries the idea of “way of life.”[5] And it’s helpful to use the
term “walk” because even the most sophisticated person—while walking—may occasionally
slip or stumble. It does not mean that they are unable to walk, it just means
they aren’t infallible. In the same way, even the most dedicated, Spirit-filled
believer will not successfully walk by the Spirit 100% of the time. If they
could, they would have no need for Jesus. (This should never become an excuse
for sin, but it is a comfort for the troubled believer.) When you’re walking
and you trip, you get up and keep going. It must be the same way in the
Christian life. Hebrews 12:1 would exhort us to remove whatever causes us to
stumble, so that we can run more victoriously in the future.
It’s why Paul concludes verse 16 by saying, “and you will not carry out
the desire of the flesh.” Literally, this translates to, “and you will by no means
at all complete the desire of the flesh.” There are two meanings within this, and
I believe Paul is aware of and intending both.
First, if we place the emphasis on the words, “will not,” we see that if
we walk by the Spirit perfectly we will never do anything fleshly. In addition,
with this viewpoint, it is clear that if we as believers fail to walk by the
Spirit, it is not at all the Spirit’s fault, but rather ours alone.
Second, if we place the emphasis on the words “complete the desire” (my
translation), we see that even when we fail to walk by the Spirit we are unable
to carry out fleshly desires to their ultimate end—death (cf. 5:21). John
Calvin helpfully explains, “We ought to mark the word fulfill;[6]
by which he means, that, though the sons of God, so long as they groan under the burden of
the flesh, are liable to commit sin, they are not its
subjects or slaves, but make habitual opposition to its power.”[7] The point is that the
believer is free and will never again be enslaved, and as a result, even when
he/she sins, he/she did not do it out of slavery, but rather freely chose to do
so. It’s why Paul commands in Romans 6:13, “And do not offer any parts of it to
sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead,
offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for
righteousness.” When we sin we basically say, “I want to serve you,” and it
paints a confusing picture because we are no longer slaves of sin and can never
be such again.
And then Paul says in 5:17, “For the flesh desires what is against the
Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to
each other, so that you don’t do what you want.” This helps to further explain
the previous discussion. If the believer cannot complete the desires of the
flesh, and the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, then it stands to
say that it is impossible for the believer to successfully oppose the Spirit.
We may make jabs at the Spirit by our sin, but ultimately the Spirit wins in
the end (cf. Genesis 3:15).
Many people want to compare this verse to Romans 7:7-25. I don’t believe
that that is a valid interpretation of Romans 7. If we look closely at Romans
7, the Spirit is nowhere to be found, but it is clearly shown here. The Spirit
is opposed to the flesh. Romans 8:12-15 are closer to this discussion:
So
then, brothers, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the
flesh, for if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by
the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery
to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry
out, “Abba, Father!”
Again,
we will come back to Romans 7 before the end, but for now it’s enough to know
that the struggle of holy living is real. In fact, Calvin explains, “Carnal men
have no battle with depraved lusts, no proper desire to attain to the
righteousness of God. Paul is addressing believers. . . . Paul therefore
declares, that believers, so long as they are in this life, whatever may be the
earnestness of their endeavors, do not obtain such a measure of success as to
serve God in a perfect manner.”[8]
As such, I would posit that the believer is actually capable of becoming
more distressed, more discouraged, and more depressed than a non-believer. It
is why Paul starts chapter 6 by saying, “Carry one another’s burdens.” If a
believer is isolated, and if he has no one to carry his burdens, he can end up
in a worse place than even a non-believer, because he sees his sin as being
directly against God, he sees his sin as active and present, and he sees the
holy standard that he is failing to live up to, and it grieves him to the core.
(For free: this is why I’m planning on moving back to California this summer; I
know there’s a healthy church there that will actually be glad to help me carry
my burdens, and I’m sick of drowning on my own.)
And then Paul concludes his introduction to the Spirit/Flesh dichotomy.
And, as he does so, he throws us a curveball:
Verse 16: Spirit vs
flesh
Verse 17: spirit vs flesh
Verse 18: spirit vs flesh
law
Where
we would expect Paul to say, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not
under the flesh,” he says instead, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are
not under the law.” And as such, he returns to his discussion of Law that has
been huge throughout Galatians. For all practical purposes this is the last
time the Law comes up in this letter. And this occurrence is huge! Paul
essentially places flesh and law on the same level. Here’s where Romans 7 comes
in:
What should we say then? Is
the law sin? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it
were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet
if the law had not said, Do not covet. And sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me
coveting of every kind. For apart from
the law sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to
life and I died. The commandment that was meant for life resulted in death
for me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived
me, and through it killed me. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment
is holy and just and good (7:7-12,
emphases added).
Paul
has already explained in 3:24 that the Law was created to lead us to Christ. In
Romans 7, Paul explains that the Law does this because sin commandeered it and
uses the law to incite sinful desires. The law shows us what we are supposed to
be living like, but because of sin we are completely unable to live that way.
The Law has no power to help us live rightly, and it therefore shows us our
need for Jesus—leading us to Him.
Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan is again helpful. Bunyan
relates the following parable that Christian is shown in the house of
Interpreter.
Then he
took him by the hand, and led him into a very large parlor that was full of
dust, because never swept; the which after he had reviewed it a little while,
the Interpreter called for a man to sweep. Now, when he began to sweep, the
dust began so abundantly to fly about, that Christian had almost therewith been
choked. Then said the Interpreter to a damsel that stood by, "Bring hither
water, and sprinkle the room;" the which when she had done, it was swept
and cleansed with pleasure.
Chr. Then said Christian, What means this?
Inter. The Interpreter answered, This parlor is the heart of a man that was
never sanctified by the sweet grace of the Gospel. The dust is his original
sin, and inward corruptions, that have defiled the whole man. He that began to sweep
at first, is the law; but she that brought water, and did sprinkle it, is the
Gospel. Now whereas thou sawest, that so soon as the first began to sweep, the
dust did so fly about that the room by him could not be cleansed, but that thou
wast almost choked therewith; this is to show thee, that the law, instead of
cleansing the heart (by its working) from sin, doth revive, put strength into, and increase it in the soul, even as it doth
discover and forbid it; for it doth not give power to subdue. Again, as thou
sawest the damsel sprinkle the room with water, upon which it was cleansed with
pleasure, this is to show thee, that when the Gospel comes in the sweet and
precious influences thereof to the heart, then, I say, even as thou sawest the
damsel lay the dust by sprinkling the floor with water, so is sin vanquished
and subdued, and the soul made clean, through the faith of it, and consequently
fit for the King of glory to inhabit.[9]
In much the same way, someone who is trying to use the law to be sanctified
will only succeed in stirring up dust and choking himself/herself on more sin.
Paul illustrates this principle well in Romans 7:13-25—proving that even he
wasn’t able to perfectly walk by the Spirit. Romans 7 is not describing
sanctification, but rather anti-sanctification. Romans 7 is followed by Romans
8 which talks extensively of the Spirit’s power in sanctification.
Paul has questioned in Galatians 3:2-3, “Did you receive the Spirit by
the works of the law or by hearing
with faith? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you
now going to be made complete by the
flesh?” (emphases added). He also equated law and flesh there, and he does
so again in 5:18 because he wants us to know that the more we rely on law
instead of Christ, the more fleshly and sinful we will end up being. This is
why I said at the beginning, If you say,
“That’s sin—I can’t do it,” then you are submitting to law and another yoke of
slavery, and in fact—rather than resisting the sin—it will only cause you to
commit the sin. Saying, “I can’t do that,” is putting a law on yourself in
a certain way of thinking. The better method is to say, “Jesus, this action
would be unloving. Help me to act lovingly instead.” We have to put on, not simply
take off, because if we simply take off, something is going to be put on, and
it will be sin if we don’t actively put on righteousness. (Read that sentence
again slowly and digest it; I don’t know how to say it more clearly.)
If you’re an unbeliever, the truth is that your life is Romans 7. The
things you want to do you cannot do, and the things you do not want to do you
keep on doing. Even if your only goal is to live by your own standards of good,
you fall short of it. Jesus is here saying, “Believe in me—that I died for you—and
be saved from your fruitless effort that only frustrates you.” If you are not a
believer, then you are actively opposing the Spirit everyday, and the fact is
that you will ultimately lose. The Spirit wins (cf. Genesis 3:15) and those who
are not in Christ will be crushed like the snake. Please trust Him today and
let the Spirit enable you to truly live for Him.
With that, Paul has introduced us to the Spirit/flesh dichotomy. This
dichotomy continues through Galatians 6:10, though the emphasis after 5:21 is on
the Spirit. The struggle is real for the believer trying to obey the Lord and
walk in the Spirit. But we are guaranteed ultimate victory if we get up and
keep walking when we stumble.
Til next time.
Soli Deo
Gloria. Solus Christus.
[1] In
fact, Paul shares his own experience with this very concept in Romans 7:7-8:17.
More on this concept later in this post.
[2]
Verses 16-18 are bolded because those are what this post is focusing on.
[3]
Andy Mineo, “Every Word,” Formerly Known
(Reach Records, 2012), MP3.
[4] Martin
Luther, A Commentary on St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians.
[5]
John MacArthur, Galatians, 152.
[6] Translated
“carry out” by the HCSB, “complete” by me.
[7]
John Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles
of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians.
[8]
Ibid.
[9]
John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress,
31.
