President, Thrive Ministries International
We live in a day when so much emphasis is placed on how we feel. Many times we lose sight of the fact that we as Christians shouldn't live by our feelings or emotions. There is a saying that goes this way, "If it feels good, do it!" Christians have changed that to say, "I have peace about it." My concern as one called by God to equip the people of God is that we have become much like the world. We live by how something makes us feel. That was never God's intention! We are to live by the Spirit.
In Galatians 5, the Apostle Paul exhorts the church in Galatia to walk by the Spirit. Here is what he said in verses 16-18: "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17: 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. 18: But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law." Paul begins here with giving us a guarantee. He says, "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." What Paul is trying to get across to us here is that first of all, you don't have to give in to the desires of the flesh.
If we were to continue reading in verse 24 of this chapter, we would find that our flesh has already been crucified. Now that may be shocking news to you, but it is true. You don't have to give in to the desires of your flesh. Galatians 2:20 says that we have been crucified with Christ. That is past tense. It is already done. Our problems come from the area of our lives called our will and our mind. If your will isn't completely surrendered to Christ, your flesh - even though it has been crucified - will dominate your life. Have you ever seen a dead man dominate the lives of others? I have. His name was Joseph Stalin. Long after his death, he enslaved the lives of thousands of people through his teachings. And just like Joseph Stalin, your flesh can only control you through your thinking, but if you think or consider that you are dead to sin, you will be free to walk by the Spirit. (See: Romans 6:11)
Again looking at Galatians 5:16-25, Paul teaches us a few things about the works of the flesh. First, he teaches us that the desires of the flesh are opposite of the desires of the Spirit. They are actually in opposition to each other. In verse 19, Paul begins to list the works of the flesh, but before we go into them, I want to call your attention to the first phrase that he uses. He says, "Now the deeds of the flesh are evident." It isn't hard to disguise between the flesh and the spirit. The works of the flesh are evident; or another way to translate that word "evident" is shining brightly. Paul then lists the works or deeds of the flesh. Here they are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. There is one thing that I want you notice about this list. All of them can be displayed as emotions! Now I know some of you are saying, "You know - Leon is against emotions." No I am not! What I want you to understand is that you can't trust your emotions! You can't build a secure life on emotions.
Paul finishes this teaching on the desires of the flesh by warning us that if we do the desires of the flesh, we will not inherit the Kingdom of God. In order to live the life of the Kingdom of God, we must walk by the Spirit and not by the desires of our flesh. By the way, there is a big difference between inheriting the Kingdom of God and going to heaven. The Kingdom of God belongs to us now. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit right now. (See: Romans 14:17)
How do we walk in the Spirit? The only thing you need to do to walk in the Spirit is yield yourself to the Spirit of God. That means making a decision to follow the desire of the Spirit and deny the desires of the flesh. This all starts in your mind. The way you think will determine what you yield to. It is much like a computer. If you put good things into your computer, then good things will come out. Romans 8:6 says, "For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace." Many Christians have difficulty in walking in the Spirit because they fill their minds with things that are set on the flesh. If we will set our minds on the things of the Spirit, we will naturally walk in the Spirit.
It isn't difficult for an apple tree to yield apples. All it needs is the right conditions and apples will appear naturally. Walking in the Spirit will come naturally to anyone who will make sure that they live in the right conditions. What are those conditions? First, you need a mind that is filled with the Word of God. Setting your mind on the Word is setting your mind on the Spirit. Second, consider yourself as dead to the flesh. That means you don't think about your selfish desires. Instead, you are conscious of the desires of God. Those desires are summed up in two commands: Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.
The fruits of the Spirit are also emotions, but they come from a totally different source with different outcomes. The outcome of walking in the Spirit is life -- real life the way God meant for us to live -- with lives in abundance of peace, joy, love, righteousness, and all the good things that God has destined for us to enjoy. (See: 1 Tim. 6:17
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