Gospel of Grace - Spiritual Battle, Part 1

Galatians: 5:16-21

Only by walking by the Spirit can we win the battle against the works of our flesh.

Galatians 5:16-21: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (ESV)

Have you ever heard this saying before? The best battle is the battle that was never fought. Last Friday was the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I am sure the Ukrainian president wants nothing more than a battle that he and his nation did not need to fight. However, the reality is that wars and battles are inevitable because of sin. Why sin? Because of the lust of the flesh. It is the flesh that wants more control and power. It knows no limit, no matter the carnage it inflicts on people.

The reality is that ever since the fall of man, every person is fighting some sort of battle. From Eve to Cain, who killed his own brother, to the Galatians to us, the flesh is the root of all evil. Most people do not understand this, but all our battles are rooted in a spiritual battle between the flesh and the Spirit.

In this passage, Galatians 5:16-26, Paul warned the Galatians about the battle between the flesh and the Spirit. If they do not walk by the Spirit, they will lose the battle.