Walking in the Spirit

Charles Stanley

‘Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh’ (Gal. 5:16). 

Mark, this does not say there is no flesh or evil nature left in you. That is fully admitted. But a distinct remedy is presented so that you may be superior to the flesh so as not to fulfil its evil desires: ‘walk in the Spirit’. This is God’s remedy. Take hold of infinite strength and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. And this is further enforced: ‘for the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these things are opposed one to the other, that ye should not do those things which ye desire’ (v. 17).

Are you a Christian — that is, are you born again, and have you the Holy Spirit dwelling in you, your sins forgiven you for Christ’s sake? You say, ‘Through the mercy of God, I can say it is so. I am a Christian.’ Have you not lusts utterly contrary to the Spirit? You say, ‘That is the very plague of my heart and life.’ That is exactly what you find here in this scripture. If the first part of this verse is true of you, then the old man is not mended or in the least better. And you find it so. Then what is your remedy? How shall you overcome them? The desires of the Spirit of God are holy and pure. You may read the list in verses 19–24. There is the double catalogue: what the works of the flesh are, and what the fruits of the Spirit are. There is the black list of what the flesh is capable of doing. And every Christian that knows himself, knows that this is a true bill; this is God’s account of what the flesh is. And are these lusts to be put under law? No, the law only provoked them into actual transgressions. 

How may we not do those things which we desire? Let this be seen, and the subject will become clear. You long for practical holiness and righteousness of walk. How is this to be obtained? These Judaizing teachers would put them under law. The Scripture plainly declares the flesh does lust; but you have the Spirit. Then walk in the Spirit. The only power for a holy walk is real, humble, watchful dependence on the Spirit. You say, ‘I am puzzled that the flesh in a believer is so vile, and that he needs the constant power of the Spirit; and is there no improvement of the flesh?’ No! What then? ‘They that are of the Christ have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts’ (v. 24). Crucifixion is not improvement but death, the most painful and ignominious death. Have we really accepted God’s judgment of the flesh — mine, yours — on the cross of Christ? There is the end of vile me. My old man is entirely sin; but judged on the cross. He was made sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21). We can thus reckon ourselves dead unto sin, and alive unto God (Rom. 6:11). Sin has been utterly condemned on the cross. I, my old self, was sin; I therefore have been judged, so as to need judging no more as to my old nature.[1]

[1] From Paul’s Defence of the Gospel.

From: Truth and Testimony, 2023