Galatians 5 and the Fruits of the Spirit- Indications of Salvation and Spiritual Growth

Introduction- A Survey of Galatians chapters 1-4

Throughout this ministry and all the large topical studies we have examined, we have shown the need and necessity for continuous spiritual growth, progress, and production. We started with the gospel (“The Gospel of Jesus Christ”) that deals with how to get saved, followed by the need to buck the current lukewarm trends of the present church era of Laodicea (“The Current State and Reality of the Church”). Next, we discussed how spiritual growth, progress, and production occur (“A Survey on How to Live the Christian Life and Prepare for the Tribulation”) and what is needed for the believer to mature in every step of the process (what the Lord expects of them after getting saved). Part of the process of spiritual growth is fleeing from sinful behavior, so I saw it necessary to teach how to overcome sin (“Overcoming Sin” along with “Meditation- We are What we Think!”), followed by an appeal to stick to the right path of salvation (“The Awesome Character of God-Psalm 78”). I also felt there was a need to remove any obstacles that could limit the believer’s motivation, growth, and service to Christ because of the false attitude of many within the church that limits genuine production for believers who may feel they are inadequate to serve in ministry (“How Believers are Defined- The Worth, Value, and Potential of Every Member of Christ’s Church”).

Now, I would like to discuss the indications of salvation and the spiritual growth that should follow through an in-depth examination of Galatians 5. We have already thoroughly covered “how” the Christian life can and should be lived (what that looks like and what needs to change and occur), but now I want to discuss the indications that prove the process is genuine. In other words, the fruits of the Spirit (all of which should be increasing simultaneously as opposed to one at a time in some particular order) are clear “proof markers” that the individual in question is saved and advancing as they should (after salvation) in producing them (a sign they are walking in fellowship with God). I write this because it is easy for many believers to go through the motions of reading their Bibles, praying, and receiving good solid Bible teaching without allowing the truth to transform their lives. “How do I know whether I am growing spiritually and advancing as I should? I am going through all the processes needed for that to happen, so what are some signs that I’m on the right path?” I have often stated elsewhere that the only way to live the Christian life properly is to seek the truth, understand, believe, and apply it. The spiritual virtues mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 can only occur and increase if the individual lives out what they know to be true in their heart(s). Simple head knowledge ( gnosis) that sits unused in the brain is worthless and something God cares little about if it is not applied in faith (epignosis refers to complete knowledge that is used).

The fruits of the Spirit can have multiple applications and result from living the Spirit-controlled life that demonstrates the difference between a believer and an unbeliever. It also further distinguishes the spiritual variations between the spiritually dull, lukewarm Christian (who increases very little in their knowledge and application of the truth 2 Peter 1:9) and the red-hot brother or sister who significantly grows in all areas of it (2 Peter 1:5-8). All believers will produce at least some of each to varying degrees because it is not possible to possess saving faith and have nothing to show for it (faith without works is dead James 2:14-26). But a lukewarm attitude with little change is unacceptable from any believer even if they have some production in every category.

Regarding multiple applications (this point should be a no-brainer), one example is patience. What is the object of the needed patience and the circumstances requiring it? Paul teaches that the fruits of the Spirit apply to every aspect of life. So, we must interpret these virtues as having an all-encompassing, general meaning that apply to every area of life. That is to say, does patience refer only to waiting on the Lord or bearing with others? It means both. Does the virtue of love involve only our love for God or others as well? The answer is both. We put our love for Christ before anything and everything else because that will produce love for all people within us (2 Peter 1:7). Both aspects of love link together because you cannot love God if you do not love others (1 John 4:20).

But we should hate sin so that there are clearly things we should not love! Hate is appropriate if it involves a suitable object (sin). Therefore, there are things to which the fruits of the Spirit do not apply. But other than all those other things, they should carry into everything we think, say, and do, regardless of time, location, and circumstances because they must be lived out at all times.

I believe that a study of theses spiritual manifestations is best done with some background context to demonstrate why and how Paul teaches on the Spirit’s production in the believer’s life. What led Paul to speak these words, and how do they relate to the former verses? How do verses twenty-two through twenty-six relate to the entire chapter? There are some very “loaded” verses in our context that lead up to the main subject of our study, so I just had to resist the urge to pass up the rest of the text. Many of the verses in this chapter relate and build up to the fruits of the Spirit (the main topic of our examination) and the central theme of living the Spirit-controlled life. Therefore, we will limit ourselves to working verse by verse through this chapter alone instead of the entire book of Galatians since that isn’t necessary.

As for everything else that led up to what we have contained in chapter five, a brief overview in our introduction will not be out of place here. In chapter one, almost immediately right after his salutation (Galatians 1:1-4), Paul lays into this Galatian church for their “pending” substitution of the true gospel of grace for that of works (Galatians 1:6-10). That is to say, some of the believers in this assembly were (with reservations) beginning to creep toward whole-heartedly embracing a works-based gospel that would have led to the complete death of their faith. It was this very danger that Paul attempted to save some of them from, while unfortunately for others, it was, undoubtedly, too late. The Judaizers, of whom specific individuals did not seem to be known by Paul at the time of this letter’s writing (Galatians 5:10), taught strict adherence to the Mosaic Law (particularly circumcision but also other rites and rituals) as a means to earn salvation and were trying to lead this Gentile congregation astray out of jealousy (from both Paul and the fact that Gentiles were now receiving the gospel). This false gospel promoted anything but true saving faith in Jesus Christ but hope and trust in oneself as if God needed something from the individual instead of vice versa.

Salvation can only remain secure as long as believers remain in the faith because if anyone stops believing in Jesus Christ, they are, by definition, no longer believers and are no longer saved. The teaching these Galatian Christians began to dally with was so serious that Paul condemned anyone who taught it by stating that they are/should be under God’s curse (anathema, literally meaning condemned, damned, or cursed). This “curse” would apply to all who firmly believed (without reservations) and taught this false gospel. Why would it only have implications for teachers and not those who listened but also believed it? If anyone believes something, whether they are a teacher or not, they will spread what they believe to others when asked or given the chance.

One of the reasons the Judaizers so effectively began to persuade Paul’s audience of their false teaching(s) was because of their convincing reasoning that Paul wasn’t who he claimed to be and was, therefore, untrustworthy because his message came from impure motives (Galatians 1:10). They also claimed he was a fraud and that his teachings were of his own invention which led to Paul’s defense of his ministry (Galatians 1:11-24, Galatians 2). The apostle thoroughly scoured his history and presented it to the Galatians precisely just as it had happened so that they would be left with little doubt that his teaching had originated from God. He also mentioned and again affirmed that what he had received from the Lord and accepted himself was the true gospel of faith by grace alone in Jesus Christ. Not only did he present a divine message, but it contradicted the false lies the Jews had been feeding these Galatians.

Chapter three of our book continues with Paul again reprimanding the Galatians for believing something so devastatingly false that he goes so far as to say that it is almost as if they had been “bewitched” (as some translations put it) or cast under some spell as a parallel analogy. He questioned them to help figure out whether they initially got saved by believing or obeying the Law and being circumcised. They should have already known the answer! They could have only entered into union with Christ by grace through faith! They began their Christian life once the Holy Spirit baptized them into Christ and, eventually, indwelt them with his permanent indwelling (brought on by belief in and acceptance of the true gospel). The life the believer lives is only possible through being in the realm of life (salvation because of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit Romans 8:9). Additionally, those who possess within them this great gift from God the Father can only be in proper obedience and fellowship with the Lord if they are living under the Spirit’s controlling power and influence (Galatians 5:16-18). How could the Galatians expect to experience sweet fellowship with God if they weren’t walking in the Spirit? Also, how did they think they would remain in their justified state if they continued trying to work their way to heaven? Their faith would inevitably die, so it was imperative that they immediately abandon their present course. Verse eleven puts it best when it says, “Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith. It is impossible to please God and spend eternity with Him absent faith in God’s Son.

So, if the Law had no power to save, why was it added, and how does it relate to the true gospel of faith? Paul answers both of these questions in Galatians 3:15-29. He then explains that it was given to show people the futility of trying to earn salvation apart from Christ by pointing out their sinfulness and need for a Savior. To further prove and drive home his point that salvation has always been by faith in God’s Son, the apostle reminds his readers that the promise of faith was made to Abraham (whose belief in God was credited to Him as righteousness Genesis 15:5-6) 430 years before the Law ever came into existence. The Law was added as an aid for the nation of Israel to help them see, understand, believe, and accept this “way unto eternal life.” The Law was meant to point to the true gospel of faith through grace alone, not away from it (a theme continued in Galatians 4:1-7)! Many of the Jews in Israel turned this whole idea upside down by believing the Law was an addition to salvation and not a guidepost meant to point to it!

Galatians 4:8-20 then resumes Paul’s appeal for the Galatians to rid themselves of this false teaching that was beginning to lead some of them toward apostasy. Again, Paul wanted to save them from this fate by grabbing hold of anyone before they “went over the cliff.” Undoubtedly, some refused his rallying cries but based on what we read throughout this entire epistle, it is safe to say that most of these believers later repented. Much of this was no doubt because Paul had so effectively picked their consciences that what they were doing was making them weak, miserable, vulnerable, ineffective, and unproductive. They had forgotten that they were cleansed from their past sins because their present behavior began to eat up all their former progress. They were no longer advancing but regressing into their prior way of life, explaining why Paul thought perhaps much of his efforts with them may have been in vain.

Finally, in our brief overview of the preceding context leading up to chapter five is Pauls’ argument in Galatians 4:21-31 involving the true story of the slave and free woman (Hagar and Sarah). This example pertains to the believer’s true belonging because we who have believed in Christ are enslaved to Him, not our cursed flesh and some written code that brings forth death. It is the height of insanity to take the guidepost pointing to the solution and attempt to use it as the problem solver itself. That is like taking a paper instruction booklet and trying to use it to tighten a bolt when the booklet said to use the wrench to secure it. Believers are not enslaved to the works of the Law but to Christ through faith alone.

Naturally, saving faith produces good works that God has prepared for us to walk in (James 2:14-22, Ephesians 2:10), but these are entirely different from the “works” of the Mosaic Law. Not only that, but the morally good works of Christlike behavior and the good fruit produced through faith in ministry and in the believer’s life spoken of in our two passages are the result and not the cause of salvation.

One final thing I wish to point out is verse twenty-nine in chapter four, which says, “At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.” The religious Judaizers who were born of the flesh by living according to it persecuted those born of the Spirit through faith, just as Ishmael mistreated Isaac until they were both separated.

With all the above understood and accounted for, we are now ready to examine Galatians 5 verse by verse (or section by section) by showing how the entire chapter relates to our topic of the fruits of the Spirit and other indications of salvation and spiritual growth. We will base our examination of this passage on the ESV version.

Galatians 5:1-6- Freedom from the Law and Fallen from Grace

Galatians 5:1 continues the theme begun by Galatians 4 regarding the example of Sarah and Hagar (the free versus the slave woman). This valid analogy fit well with the Galatian’s situation because they were at a point of having to choose between the true gospel or abandon it for a counterfeit that demanded human effort. Anyone who tried to remain in or flee to the Mosaic Law for salvation would find themselves in the never-ending cursed cycle of never being capable of keeping it perfectly (see verse three). Therefore, if no one could appease it, there could be no justification despite all the wasted effort (again, see verse three). The Law had no power to save, so anyone who used it to solve the problem of sin and death would and could never inherit eternal life because of their lack of true saving faith.

The word “cursed” aptly describes those in this unbelieving status because not only will they suffer away from God forever, but they will have gone to their fate having troubled and toiled so much only to come away with nothing. They are storing up wrath for the day of wrath (Romans 2:5) instead of building up treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). It is terrible to work so hard for something good only to receive the absolute worst. But that is what comes to those who refuse to accept the One who did all the work for them. Only God could solve the problem of sin and death, and only His work with His Son’s death on the cross was sufficient to pay off our debt, something we can only benefit from if we accept it in faith.

But the Galatians did accept the freedom God offered through the blood of His Son! Christ came to set all humanity free from the curse of the Law. So Paul urged these believers to live and stand firm in that freedom because that was their true status in Jesus Christ. To put themselves back under the old covenant Law was to defeat the whole purpose of what Christ had done for them. These believers attempted and very nearly came close to throwing away their salvation through enslavement to something that would (if they continued to follow it for the rest of their lives) lead to their eternal death (1 John 5:16-17). To live under the Law was to live under a yoke of slavery as an ox that had a wooden “yoke” placed on its neck to serve its master. There could be no escaping the inevitable consequences of living under the Law, just as an ox cannot flee his keeper once he is secured.

For this reason, Paul tells the Galatians in verse two that Christ will not be advantageous to them because believing any false gospel will deprive the believer of all the spiritual and physical benefits they had while walking with Christ. It is impossible to please and live for God without faith! There will no longer be any true peace, joy, hope, and any other of the fruits of the Spirit in a person’s life if they do not remain in the realm of salvation. This point leads to our next verse.

Verse four further confirms many of our prior statements. Salvation is by grace through faith alone, so if any of those two critical aspects disappear, so does one’s eternal life. However, it is never the case that grace will be the first to go without any good reason because then God would have broken His promise. Nothing outside of individual human free will can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:31-39). On the contrary, it is always the case that the apostate chooses to run away. So, if there is no longer any faith to receive the Lord’s grace, how will this grace remain? It cannot absent faith. The verse is clear- those who had abandoned their faith in Christ were no longer believers and had thus lost their justified status before God (the meaning of the phrases- “Fallen from grace” and “severed from Christ”).

Some may argue that falling away from grace means substituting it for works and nothing more. They had fallen from the former by exchanging it for something else. In other words, it doesn’t mean loss of salvation but a break in fellowship with the Lord. However, most of our English translations contain another phrase indicating separation from God. The word in our ESV version above is “severed” (passive aorist tense phrase) from Christ, which would refer to separation. The Greek word for “severed” is καταργέω katargéō and has the meaning of “to be severed from, separated from, discharged from, loosed from any one.” Additionally, the word “fallen” in Greek is ἐκπίπτω ekpíptō and, in our context, means to “fall from a thing or lose it” (it has the idea of losing something).

Most of the Galatians had not done the above (Paul addresses believers here) but were treading close to that destination. The majority of them most likely had reservations and could still be helped because they had not wholeheartedly embraced the false gospel promoted by the Judaizers. Paul’s words about falling from grace and being severed from Christ apply only to those who had committed apostasy (if the shoe fits). So he is saying that his words only ring true for those who had done so (they’ve made up their minds and wish to continue on their perilous path), not to any of the believers among the assembly who still had faith. To put it this way, the words, “You who would be justified by the law” (present-passive indicative- this is what they are presently trying to do) have a general meaning that would mean something like “Whoever is doing this, this has already happened for those who have officially crossed the line.”

Verse five presents a stark contrast to the false gospel promoted by the legalistic Judaizers who sought to win over the hearts of these Galatian believers. Faith entered them into union with Christ through the baptism of the Holy Spirit (the same Spirit that signifies one’s belonging to Christ Romans 8:8-9). Our hope which saves us (Romans 8:24-25) is in Jesus Christ and the resurrection He has promised to all those who endure in their faith to the very end. This gospel enters the believer into salvation (justification), continues the process (sanctification), and finishes it if held fast to the very end (glorification). This sanctification is what Paul has in mind with his readers and all of us today and in times past. We would not possess any hope of salvation without faith in Jesus Christ. A person must be and remain positionally saved (in the realm of life) to have any hope of experiencing eternity to come.

Therefore, circumcision (verse six) means nothing because it has no salvific implications. Many of the Jews taught that it was necessary for salvation, and without it, no one could be saved. But, again, the only way to eternity is through faith in Jesus Christ, further proved by obedient acts of love toward God, other believers, and, therefore, all men (James 2:14-22, Matthew 22:37-39).

Galatians 5:7-12- A Little Leaven Leavens the Whole Lump

Once again, Paul tells the Galatians how baffled he is about their present course. Most were still believers but had already begun to stray from their original path. They had accepted the gospel by faith through grace alone and had made significant progress until they allowed the Judaizers to slow them down through the false gospel they promoted. Our specific context doesn’t tell us how long they had been doing well after their reception of the gospel until they began to stagnate. The issue now involved repentance from dead works through continuous allegiance to Christ.

Paul knew the Judaizers were behind the false religion of “do-goodism” that seemingly “hypnotized” his readers but wanted to know of any specific individuals who had instigated the whole ordeal. He may have wished to know this so he could call them out by name to encourage the assembly to take special note. Someone from the Judaist religion (verse ten suggests that it was one person) crept in unaware and craftily snuck into the assembly to drag away as many members as he could.

A church can know false teachers by their fruits (what they teach Matthew 7:15-20). The false teachings the religious Judaizers fed the Galatians came from their man-made inventions and not from God who called them to sanctification (verse eight). All it takes is one or a few unbelieving individuals to creep into a group of believers to set off a chain reaction (much like a bit of yeast causes a whole lump of dough to rise). Therefore, Paul genuinely wished to know the perpetrator who had hindered the Galatians. But the congregation needed to pay better attention (not all of that is Paul’s job) and call out people and lies that didn’t square with the teachings passed down to them.

Verse ten confirms what we have said above about the recipients of Pauls’ letter consisting of believers who would later repent from their downward course. Much like many of the Jewish believers he wrote to in Hebrews (see passage below), he was firmly convinced they would heed his rallying cries and remain in the secure position they had entered initially upon belief in Christ. He believed the Galatians would not continue to fall for the false gospel of works and strict adherence to the Law because of the persuasive letter he had written them. Paul remembered when they first received him and the gospel message as if he were an angel from God (Galatians 4:12-16). For this reason (based on their past track record and his interactions with them), he strongly felt they would accept his current message. If they held him in such high esteem then, how could they no longer do so now?

The second half of verse ten confirms that the troublemaker who started all these problems would bear the penalty of his errors. This refers to the ultimate fate of eternal death at the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ, known as the great white throne judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). However, this fate would only come upon the individual if God’s punishment of them did not lead to any repentance.

Despite Paul having already confirmed and clarified his views to the Galatians on multiple occasions (including times before he wrote this letter), some (or someone) had spread rumors that he agreed with the Judaizers that circumcision and Law keeping were necessary for salvation (But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted?). If some went with this argument, they could reason that Paul wanted to hog the spotlight out of jealousy, further discrediting his ministry because of selfish motives. They used his history against him because Paul was once a Judaizer himself! But he changed and laid out his past just as it had happened in chapters one and two. Throughout the book, Paul defended his views and credentials by demonstrating through his letter that the gospel he received opposed that taught by the jealous legalists. Paul’s motives were pure, and his message was true as straight from God. What more did some of these doubting Galatians and false teachers want? Paul pointed them to the fact that if his teaching agreed with theirs (it used to be before he came to Christ, but he changed it after he got saved), why would they persecute him for it? Why would the Judaizers claim he taught what they taught if the offense of the cross (Paul’s teaching of the true gospel) continued to infuriate them? The truth separates and divides, just as it had done with Paul and these religious zealots.

Verse twelve ends with a strong expression of Paul’s jealousy for the Galatians, for their salvation and not his self-aggrandizement. He cared little about who evangelized who (we see this consistent attitude from him throughout his epistles), just as long as people got saved by hearing the truth of Christ crucified.

Paul’s zeal for the safety of these believers went so far that he wished those individuals who tripped them up wouldn’t stop at just circumcision but would go the whole way and castrate themselves (castrate- future-middle indicative of ἀποκόπτω apokóptō- means to cut off or amputate). This fact demonstrated just how much Paul loved and cared for his family in Christ! How could they come away after reading his letter without believing he had their best interests at heart? There was hardly any way for them to accuse him of impure motives because the whole tone and tenor of his letter suggested otherwise.

Galatians 5:13-15- Slavery from the Law to Freedom in Christ

Like all believers, the Galatians possessed freedom from sin and death because they had received God’s solution to the problem by faith. Therefore, since their acceptance of the gospel freed them from the Law’s power, why would they wish to live under it?

On the other hand, Paul didn’t want these believers taking the extreme of licentiousness out of a false sense of security that saw spiritual freedom as an opportunity to live in sin (the word flesh refers to the sin nature resident within all human beings, believers included). The believer is no longer a slave in captivity under the Mosaic Law but is also not free to do as they wish because they are slaves of Christ (sin and carnality are antithetical to faith Romans 6:1-2). However, slavery unto the Lord is true freedom because it liberates all believers from the fear and power of sin and eternal death (wherever the Spirit is, there is freedom 2 Corinthians 3:17).

Obedience stemming from love is the ultimate contrast to disobedience and indulgence of the flesh. True love for God requires trust and obedience that results in all the fruits of the Spirit examined further below. This fact means that true love for God is synonymous with loving others. 1 John 4:20 truthfully states, “If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” Therefore, there is no contradiction between Galatians 5:14 and Matthew 22:36-40 because no one can truly love their neighbor in the ultimate, meaningful way if they do not love the Lord as they should (or at all). Those believers who were accepting the lies fed to them by the false teachers were not acting in love toward God and His church because they were beginning to spread these lies to others. What a person believes often dictates how they think, speak, and behave.

But if (in contrast to the false teaching of works taught by the Judaizers), on the other hand, the Galatians took Paul’s teaching on grace too far (antinomianism), then this behavior would most certainly spread to others, resulting in the churches spiritual and moral decline. Worse yet, if they came to reject Christ through apostasy (by taking both extremes mentioned here past the absolute limit), they would begin to seduce others into doing the same, resulting in the death of their faith. No love any unbeliever will have claimed to have demonstrated toward anyone else will have constituted genuine, “godly” love because it was all done in unbelief. Only the righteousness God gives the believer at salvation is truly good because Christ imparted it to them (Mark 10:18). Apart from Christ, no one can do any lasting good to his neighbor. The flesh counts for and produces nothing by itself (Romans 7:13-25).

The false teaching the Judaizers presented the Galatians would cause divisions and factions within the assembly, setting off a domino effect of disunity within the congregation (some chose one side, while others took the other). This behavior is not the way of love the believer must demonstrate. Do we want assurance of salvation? Then, we need to examine ourselves to see if we possess this critical fruit of the Spirit as an indication of our belonging to Christ and the spiritual growth that comes with that.

Galatians 5:16-18- Walking by the Spirit

Verse sixteen answers how the Galatians (all believers in general) could resist the sinful nature (But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh) and any false teaching that came their way. But this critically important teaching of walking in the Spirit (same as being controlled by Him) has been highly misunderstood because many have made it out to be so much more complicated than it is. Therefore, it is only appropriate for us to discuss the subject here.

Walking and keeping in step with the Spirit are synonymous. So how does one do it? We carry out this command by giving our hearts and minds to God, who will then direct our thoughts, words, and actions. It is a simple teaching that doesn’t require much prior research or contemplation because it is a process that all growing believers naturally do (whether they always realize that or not). The text in our passage never comes out and tells us, “Here is how you do it,” because the writers of Scripture expected us to use a little common sense through our natural applications of this principle. We naturally do it (based on a non-automatic present and continuous choice) and learn to get better at it with time, patience, and experience.

So, the principle of walking by the Spirit is a truth every believer must know to apply to live the Christian life. That is to say, anyone reading Galatians 5:16 will naturally say to themselves, “Ok, so I know that I need to do this.” Whether they do it or not will not be dependent on having any knowledge on “how” to carry out the command (something the text never specifically explains) but whether they will genuinely desire to do so. Most Christians today are lukewarm (Revelation 3:14-22) not because they don’t know how to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Instead, the issue concerns their indifferent attitude toward the Christian life. In other words, they don’t live by the Spirit because they don’t want to, not because they don’t know how to. There is no magical formula or incantation one must know or recite to give themselves over to God. You surrender your heart/mind to Him by submitting your will to His. Anyone can do that at any time or place.

So the issue is never “How do we do this?” but “Are we willing to do it.” Are we willing to allow the Holy Spirit to control and guide us in our walk, or would we rather live under the influence of our flesh according to it’s desires? Naturally, just as a kingdom divided against itself cannot stand (Matthew 12:22-28), we cannot overcome the sinful influence within us using that same nature. Our minds must be set on things above (including the things of the Spirit) so that we will properly speak and act according to what is on our hearts and minds. All the passages below confirm our given explanation. The Spirit can only transform us if we change our thinking by giving it over to the truth. This process requires a mindset bent on doing things God’s way. In other words, we are not living in sin but have a repentant mindset to overcome it, resulting in a change of action (obedience and spiritual fruit). We can only walk by the Spirit with the proper disposition of heart, which requires we cede our will over to God. So when we get up in the morning, we give our attention to Christ so that we can focus on pleasing Him in everything we think, say, and do. Once we have done this, we can carry out all the other prerequisites for our spiritual growth, progress, and production, such as Bible reading, prayer, Bible teaching, and ministry.

The “things of the Spirit” mentioned above are the much-needed truth He needs to make real and usable in our hearts. True Christian meditation (a practice that indicates we are under the Spirit’s influence) is about what goes on in our hearts (are we dwelling on God’s truth or sinful thoughts?). The form and manner are not what matters because it is all about the content.

Again, we can only walk by the Spirit and benefit from His leading if we surrender our minds to Him. The results of doing this will manifest themselves in what we think. That is why we must set our minds on things above. Our heart follows our desires (Matthew 6:20-21), and we typically think most about the things we love the most. That is why surrendering our hearts to the Lord is synonymous with giving our mind’s attention to Him. They are both two sides of the same coin because one does not set one’s mind on Christ without adequately aligning one’s heart to do so. We could compare it to repentance and confession. When we sin, we can only genuinely confess to the Lord if we have had a change of heart (a desire to overcome that particular struggle). But if we haven’t had a change of heart, any words we mouth while “admitting” our sins to Christ become empty, meaningless, and pointless rituals. They will not result in victory over sin!

Likewise, we can only truly surrender our minds to the Lord if we have had an actual change of heart and vice versa because the heart is where our volition and desires lie. That is why we must calibrate both to God’s truth so that we will not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). If we do this and keep doing so, we will not give in to any temptations. If we sinned, we allowed our flesh to dominate our thinking. If we resisted, we allowed the full measure of spiritual control needed for victory. Galatians 5:16 guarantees the spirit-controlled believer will never falter (even though we aren’t perfect and still fail).

Verse seventeen further emphasizes why the Galatians and all believers in general must walk in the Spirit. Flesh cannot fight flesh because that paradox will always fail (a kingdom cannot stand against itself). If you want to wage war against an enemy, you have to side with the opponent of that foe, not with the opposing force itself (the idea of our passage). Regarding this particular verse, the ESV reads, “To keep you from doing the things you want to do.” The meaning is that if you want to resist temptation, the flesh tries to keep you from doing that, and if you’re going to give into temptation, the Spirit wishes to help prevent that from happening. Whatever the desire, it will agree with one while disagreeing with the other.

Assuming the Spirit is in command (Galatians 5:18), that indicates the person in question lives according to faith in Christ and not in the power of their flesh. The verse applies to both believers and unbelievers. Paul spoke these words to the believing Galatians but was aware that some of them had fallen away from the faith. Those who had done so could not please God (Romans 8:8-9), but those who hadn’t, needed to walk by the Spirit to not succumb to the same fate. Some of Paul’s readers were heading in the wrong direction, so the only way to fix the problem would have been to repent by giving their hearts and minds back to the Lord (the very way one comes under the Spirit’s control). But trying to please God through the flesh is to put oneself under the curse of the Law because of the impossibility of keeping it perfectly. Once a person puts themselves under that yoke of slavery, the vicious cycle never ends.

To clarify, even believers have moments when they try to please God in their own strength (we are all imperfect sinners). But unbelievers who wholeheartedly substitute God’s Law of grace for their own system of works will be “under the Law” in every sense of the phrase (including the curse that brings forth eternal death). But to live in freedom is to live under the Spirit’s power according to the true gospel of faith by grace alone in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Galatians 5:19-21- Works of the Flesh

Paul now delves into some examples to warn the Galatians why they must walk by the Spirit. He did this to alert them against the two extremes of refusing God’s grace (for a works-based gospel the Judaizers offered) and abusing it (using their freedom as a license to sin). So what are some indications of the Spirit-controlled life? What are the differences between walking in the flesh versus living in the power of the Spirit? Verses nineteen through twenty-three contrast the variances. Herein lies the main subject of our study. What are some signs of genuine salvation? True, if we know we are believers, we know we are saved. But what are some signs of that? However, the main and primary question is, how can we discern if we are growing spiritually? How does the application of the truth manifest itself in our lives, and what does that look like (the fruits of the Spirit versus the works of the flesh)? How does it affect our behavior, and how does our lifestyle change? What signifies spiritual growth?

We will first examine the deeds of the flesh (what the Christian life is not supposed to look like). It is necessary to remember that these verses do not present a comprehensive list but give us a great understanding of what constitutes sinful actions. The words “and things like these” clearly demonstrate that Paul didn’t intend to provide an exhaustive catalog of evil actions (mental or physical) but to present the most obvious behaviors that were blatantly wrong. Of course, all sin is sin, but some are worse and more obvious and incompatible with the Christian walk than others.

For example, it should be evident that it is far worse for a believer to go out and kill someone with a gun than to commit lust in their heart. However, that should not encourage any sinful behavior because sin is still sin and should be avoided at all costs. We know what it is! The dangers of apostasy are a tangible reality because of just how antithetical sin is to faith (I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God). Suppose a believer were to give themselves over to sin of any kind (idolatry due to putting sin above one’s relationship with Christ). In that case, they will have (by a free will choice) chosen to stop following and, thus, believing the Lord (believing and following are synonymous). Unbelievers (whether they were so all along or were once believers turned unbelievers) are not saved because only believers are (John 3:16-18).

However, our verses do not suggest that believers cannot struggle with the non-comprehensive list of sins mentioned above because they most certainly can. Struggling is not the same as having wholeheartedly given oneself to something as if one could care less. Many believers may allow chronic sin to dominate their lives for years before finally choosing to overcome it. The real issue with sin is not how much we commit it. The real question is, will we continue in it to a point where we no longer care to serve God (Hebrews 10:26)? The quantity is important but not the deciding factor because it all depends on whether the person in question desires to put their sin above their relationship with Jesus Christ, just as how someone would choose wealth in place of their relationship with the Lord. As is the case with wealth, we cannot serve God and sin simultaneously.

A good example of our principle above is the many apostate churches that justify homosexuality without any regret or remorse. These congregations teach and practice sin, making it impossible for them to follow and, thus, believe (continue to believe) in Christ. Sin is not the direct cause because Christ paid for all our sins, past and present, on the cross (1 John 2:1-2). However, it is a highly contributing factor that harms faith by hardening the heart, forcing said individual to choose either continued allegiance to the Lord or defection to the Devil. It is this free will choice of choosing to serve Satan that causes the breakup and results in loss of salvation. Paul didn’t want that fate for these Galatians and had confidence they would “right their course” because he based his optimism on his past experiences with them.

Regarding Paul’s list of sinful behaviors (ones which anyone can commit in secret absent the presence of others in public), we will not go past a basic explanation of those since the solution to the problem of sin and the fruits of obedience should be the focus. The first in our list, “sexual immorality,” is the Greek word πορνεία porneía and refers to “sexual fornication” in the form of adultery (mental and physical) and prostitution. The second sin mentioned is impurity, whose Greek word is ἀκαθαρσία akatharsia and refers to “lustful, luxurious, and profligate living,” especially concerning sexual sin. The third sinful behavior Paul mentions is sensuality (ἀσέλγεια aselgeia) and means “shameless licentiousness, wantonness, outrageous conduct, conduct shocking to public decency, wanton violence), lewdness.” The idea is of a person who indulges in sinful activity, especially of the worst sexual kind, which all three of the first behaviors Paul lists have in common (going from bad to worse). One person has sex outside of marriage, while someone else takes it further by engaging in sex parties and or whatever else takes the sin to another level. All three words are listed in their ascending order to demonstrate the increasing degree of severity.

In verse twenty, Paul now moves into a different set of types of sinful behaviors that don’t have sexual sin as their only primary application. One can serve unbiblical sex like they would an idol, so said point still applies. But worshiping any sin in general, as pointed out above, amounts to idolatry. The Greek word for idolatry in Galatians 5:20 is εἰδωλολατρία eidōlolatria and implies the worship of false gods (whatever that may look like in the individuals case). This sin can involve any item of any material (as well as non-material things) we begin to put above our relationship with Jesus Christ (an example could be someone who idolizes their cell phone even if they don’t literally bow down and worship it). Other examples can refer to literal false gods, such as Allah, Buddha, Zeus (in ancient Greek times), etc. In the case of many of the ancient deities worshiped by various pagan nations in biblical times, a significant amount of immoral rituals and practices accompanied the worship of the many satanic personages involved. Therefore, the word “idolatry” in our context has multiple applications.

The Greek word φαρμακεία pharmakeia (translated as sorcery) relates to idolatry that “fosters” it. This is where we get our English word “pharmacy” from. Other Bible versions translate this word as “witchcraft,” but the idea is still the same because the meaning doesn’t change. These types of people involve themselves in demonic activity through the use of “spells,” “incantations,” and “drugs” (especially shamanic ones designed to connect to the demonic realm). We still see so much of this happening today in all parts of the world (it will also increase during the Tribulation).

The next sin mentioned in our list is enmity (the Greek word is ἔχθρα echthra), which means “hostility, hatred, and opposition.” The meaning of this should be obvious enough. Believers should love all people, including their enemies (Matthew 5:43-48) because our love for God depends on how we view others because how we see them will determine how we think, speak, and act towards them. If we don’t love God as we should, then we won’t love others sufficiently, and vice versa.

Our next listed sin, strife (ἔρις eris) is a manifestation of enmity because it involves hostility through one’s speech. People like this are always trying to argue over everything because of the sour disposition of their heart. Unfortunately, much of what they contest includes the truth of God’s Word (Titus 3:9). Those who persist in this behavior demonstrate a dead faith or one very close to being so. In other words, they constantly like to argue from impure motives, demonstrating that they don’t have any interest in the truth to build others up but to tear them down. Our passage below adequately describes these individuals (they can refer to false teachers).

The following listed manifestation of enmity (hatred) is jealousy (ζῆλος zēlos is negative in this context even though the word can have a positive meaning). It involves this desire for someone else not to possess what they have (""an envious and contentious rivalry"). In other words, it demonstrates hatred because the person doesn’t want to see others grow and succeed in whatever area of life. It shows a lack of contentment for what God has given them and wreaks of dissatisfaction. The objects of jealousy can take many forms (qualities, attributes, possessions, etc.) and involve multiple and various things. The passages below show that this hateful behavior opens one up to more sins, showing through the person’s actions and words (it leads to mistreatment of others and all kinds of misconduct). Anger is one of these sins.

Not all jealousy is sinful if the reasons, motives, and objects are within the bounds of godly goals, and purposes. It is good to be jealous of the welfare of others (protective of their mental, physical, and spiritual health or whatever else for their own good), just as Paul was for all his readers (the Corinthians in our passage below).

Naturally, continuous, sinful jealousy leads to “outbursts of anger” (θυμός thymós) that (in the negative sense) involve a person’s temper quickly “boiling up and down” so that they think, speak, and talk aggressively and irrationally toward others. This type of anger is sinful and quenches all righteous behavior in the believer’s life because most people, in most cases, cannot usually continue in said state without it causing them to sin in some way. We can’t always help it when we get angry (not all anger is sinful), but we should seldom allow it to continue because following our emotions will lead to failure if we allow them to take over and dominate for too long.

Anger, like jealousy, can have a positive meaning, such as zeal or strong passion (passion and zeal are synonyms) for something or someone, stemming from proper motives for a good cause. Zeal and anger are not always different and can both be present at the same time, as appears to be the case with Phinehas when he thrust a spear into the stomachs of an Israelite man (Zimri) and a Midianite woman (Kozbi).

Dr. Luginbill of Ichthys.com writes on this subject well when he says-

Our next word, rivalries (ἐριθεία eritheía), refers to putting oneself forward in a selfish manner. It means to compete against someone out of a desire to look better and more successful. Like outbursts of anger, it, too, stems from jealousy and hatred. We find an exact parallel of this situation in Philippians 1:15, where Paul calls out some people preaching Christ out of “envy” and “rivalry.”

The word “dissensions” (διχοστασία dichostasia) refers to someone causing “division” in a specific group of people (a church congregation in this case). The word right after that, divisions, often translated as factions (αἵρεσις haíresis) refers to a group of people who form their own set of beliefs and doctrines foreign to biblical truth (Galatians 5:7-12). They don’t receive the sound teaching of Scripture, including the gospel message. The meaning is that of a sect or group that has diverged from the faith. A most applicable example of this would be the Judaizers who were leading some of the Galatians astray!

Next in our list of sins is envy or envying (Galatians 5:21). The Greek word for envying is φθόνος phthónos and means “detraction of someone else.” The person who does this has feelings of “animosity” and “bitterness” toward another person and tries to discredit them through slander and false accusations. They want to harm the person’s reputation by attempting to discredit them somehow (a sin that stems from hate). The people who preached the gospel out of rivalry with Paul also did so to defame him so that more people would follow them instead.

Second to last in our non-comprehensive list of sins is drunkenness (μέθη methē), which is pretty self-explanatory. Drunkenness is when a person is in an intoxicated state because of having consumed too much alcohol through some beverage. This sin is highly destructive to the person themselves and others. The dangers of accidents, violence, foul speech, and all other types of sins increase when under the influence of “strong drink” (Ephesians 5:18- it is not sinful to drink but only to get drunk). Excessive drinking puts oneself and others at risk of physical harm and property damage.

Drunkenness (depending on how much alcohol has been consumed) effects a person’s free will and hinders their judgment so that they often struggle to correctly choose to do what they should. It exposes a person by making them vulnerable to all kinds of reckless behavior, direct and indirect. Alcoholism strips a person’s moral defenses by dulling their conscience. Believers who choose to engage in this activity wish to compromise their spiritual values once the alcohol strips away all their moral and spiritual defenses. The Christian life requires a sober mind to live (1 Peter 1:13, 1 Peter 4:7), so if we do anything to affect that pure mental state, we endanger our spiritual health. It is impossible to produce any fruits of the Spirit living in such a terrible condition!

Our final word is orgies which we will translate as carousing for clarity’s sake. The Greek word for carousing is κῶμος kōmos and involves the meaning of “reveling and carousing (a common pagan activity in ancient times involving the worship or celebration of some false deity). The idea is of someone engaging in a loud, riotous drinking party with a large group of people that disturbs the peace and causes a ruckus. It is not an activity that gives a good witness or sets a positive example to others because it involves all manner of foolish, drunken behavior (especially foul language and sexual sin).

Galatians 5:22-23a- The Fruits of the Spirit

We now turn our attention to the second to last section of our chapter and our main area of interest. The fruits of the Spirit are biblical virtues we allow the Holy Spirit resident in our hearts to produce within us. They do not originate from the flesh but through the Spirit’s power after we have ceded our will to His (walking by the Spirit is not an automatic process because we have to continuously surrender ourselves to Him). These manifestations of the Spirit’s presence and control are the ultimate indicators of spiritual growth through the application of the truth we have stored in our hearts. How these spiritual virtues play out in the believer’s life will vary in many ways because all believers live in different circumstances under various conditions and backgrounds. We must also consider the spiritual maturity levels of every individual because no two people are ever at the exact same place in their walk with the Lord, which means that more advanced believers will naturally apply more of the truth.

On the other hand, we all struggle with different things. Some believers do better with most of the fruits of the Spirit but may have more difficulty with a particular one (though no one applies all of them perfectly). A lot of that will depend on how predisposed certain people are toward certain behaviors (something else that will vary from individual to individual based on their history and personal background). Nevertheless, all believers should strive to constantly apply these truths in their lives so that they are a part of their everyday walk with Christ (even if many of the particulars of their application will vary- see above).

A. Love

We begin our examination with the opening phrase, “But the fruit of the Spirit is.” The word “but” (δέ de) demonstrates to the reader a stark contrasting comparison between the acts of the flesh versus the fruits of the Spirit. Here is how you can tell if you are growing spiritually by living through the Spirit’s power! The Greek word for Spirit is πνεῦμα pneuma and means wind as referring to the invisible yet powerful influence He has in the believer’s life. The word “fruit” is καρπός karpos and refers to the production of something, particularly the fruit of a tree (although it relates to believers in our specific context). It (fruit) is in the singular because all these listed spiritual qualities cannot exist without each other (the verse presents them as a cohesive unit of production all wrapped together for that reason). That is to say, removing just one of these spiritual attributes will affect the rest. The Bible commands all nine of these spiritual qualities because they all flow from love for God and others (hence, love encompasses the two greatest commandments in Scripture (Matthew 22:34-40). This situation is very similar to the game of Jenga, where pulling one wrong block the wrong way results in the rest of the tower collapsing.

The believer who walks by the Spirit’s power will grow unto spiritual maturity (analogous to a tree growing to full size), enabling them to live a godly lifestyle that would not have resulted if they had lived according to their flesh. But unlike a tree that can only produce at certain times and seasons, Christians can live productive and obedient lives at any time during any season, even immediately after their conversion to Christ. However, time and spiritual growth will always produce the best results.

The Greek word for love (a commonly well-known word) is ἀγάπη agape, and it means to demonstrate “affection” and “benevolence” toward others. All of the other fruits of the Spirit stem from this, the greatest of all Christian virtues (1 Corinthians 13:13), because if we hadn’t loved God, we wouldn’t have believed in Him and grown spiritually after that (1 John 4:19). The more we grow in our walk with Christ, the greater our love for Him and all people, resulting in all the fruits of the Spirit. That is why love sums up all the other commands in Scripture because if you genuinely love the Lord, you will do everything it takes to please Him. You could think of an engine in a car- the car won’t move if the engine has problems (love being the heart of the Christian walk). If we fail in any other of our listed virtues, we fail to love as we ought (our passage below demonstrates this beautifully).

All the above means that if we do things from impure motives, they will count for nothing. 1 Corinthians 16:14 is clear when it says, “Let all that you do be done in love.” God is love, and He demonstrated the greatest act of it in dying on the cross to pay for the sins of all people of all time. Without love, we are nothing. Those who walk in the flesh cannot please God, so how can we walk in the Spirit whom we don’t love as we should because we don’t walk in love? If we walk by the Spirit, then we walk by love.

Loving others means thinking, speaking, and acting toward them as the Bible commands and involves a deep concern for their spiritual, physical, and mental welfare. True Christian love means to give our very best for the Lord and to others as well. This includes loving all men, not just our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ but all unbelievers, including our enemies (Matthew 5:43-47). Love is all-encompassing and all-inclusive, regardless of who our neighbor is (Luke 10:25-37)!

True love for God and others means pleasing the Lord and treating others as He would have us without compromising the truth or our behavior. It does not mean doing the wrong thing with good intentions because zeal without knowledge is dangerous (Proverbs 19:2). True Christian love and unity depend on our love for and application of the truth (Jesus said if you love me, you will keep my commandments (John 14:15). This requires all believers to seek out, understand, believe, and apply the truths of Scripture. If we do this, it will show in our everyday lives through how we think, speak, and act regardless of time, location, and circumstances.

B. Joy

The Greek word for joy is χαρά chara and means “cheerfulness” and “gladness” (the opposite of sorrow and depression). This fruit especially links with hope (Romans 12:12- “Rejoice in hope”) because we know that our faith and labor in Christ are not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). We believers have every reason to be joyful because we possess the most incredible gifts and possessions anyone could have; the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit, eternal life, and all the blessings and rewards that come with it. The most significant cause of joy is knowing that we will spend eternity with the Creator of all things, the Savior of the world, the Alpha and the Omega Himself, Jesus Christ.

No matter what happens in this life, we know that as long as we remain faithful to Christ, any difficulties we endure will result in eternal honor, reward, and blessing. How could we not be happy when there is nothing to lose since we know that our endurance through various trials contributes to our spiritual advance and the production of an eternal weight of glory that will put all the hardships of this life in the shade? We know that everything in this transient world is nothing but a bunch of rubbish that will soon pass away but that every legitimate thing we did for Christ will receive a reward (Matthew 10:42). We also know that all pain, hardships, suffering, and death will vanish in eternity. If that is not a cause for rejoicing, what is?

We belong to a Lord and Savior who loves us more than any parent could love their child and wishes to give us everything beyond our imagination. Since such a great cloud of witnesses surrounds us, we would do well to consider what kind of testimony we give to the world when we walk about in sorrow. It is often the case that, just as being around an angry person can contribute to someone else becoming just like them (Proverbs 22:24-25), negative feelings and behaviors can rub off onto others when not kept in check. If we are not right on the inside, chances are that we won’t function on the outside effectively enough to give outsiders the right impression. The inner condition of a man defines who he will be outwardly. This fact is true of all the fruits of the Spirit, so how can the world see the light of our lives when our demeanor continuously hides it? Assuming that is the case, the world will think we have no hope, meaning, or purpose. But we do, and that is why true biblical joy and happiness (true happiness as the Bible defines it) often arouses the curiosity of others when they begin to think, “What is their secret?”

None of the above means that sorrow and grief are always inappropriate because there are times when they are (Jesus wept over Lazarus John 11:35 and Paul wrote and prayed for many of his readers with tears “out of great distress and anguish of heart” 2 Corinthians 2:4). Believers will experience pain, anguish, stress, sorrow, and even depression (they are not always sinful and can have multiple causes and reasons). But problems arise when they affect our outlook on life (as those without hope 1 Thessalonians 4:13) and our behavior toward others. The issue involves the nature, duration and frequency of this mental and spiritual state. In other words, it should not be an ongoing thing that characterizes and dominates our lives because that makes living the Christan life impossible. Nobody likes to be around a continuously melancholy person. Joy is a spiritual virtue and state of mind that allows one to more vigorously drive forward in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

C. Peace

The word peace in our context (εἰρήνη eirēnē) refers to a state of “tranquility and “quietness.” However, for various reasons, believers don’t always experience complete confidence in their salvation. Sin disrupts our fellowship with Christ, alerts our consciences, and disturbs our inner “calmness” because the evil that results is antithetical to the faith and obedience the Lord calls us to pursue. It is not uncommon for many Christians, especially those newer to the faith and in the earlier years of their walk, to suffer from fear of whether their salvation is legitimate. That is a standard spiritual attack the Devil utilizes to trip believers up to get them to compromise with despair and discouragement. So, it isn’t always that said believer is to blame for those types of demonic assaults. However, we are all responsible for how we handle them. There is no excuse for giving up! We cannot afford to allow overreaction to swamp our faith!

Sometimes, habitual sin casts doubtful thoughts in our minds because of the consequences wrought by all the damage it causes. So if something sinful we are doing disturbs our peace, we should cease engaging in that behavior immediately. But even if sin is involved, we know that we are saved as long as we are believers (John 3:16-18) and that we will not continue on that perilous course if we genuinely are determined to remain faithful to Christ. The fact that we care about pleasing our Lord and Master (unbelievers don’t care) heavily signifies that we do belong to the Lord and are still as secure as can be as long as we remain in Him (John 15:1-8).

We have already discussed how all the fruits of the Spirit originate from love (true Christian peace can only express itself through the growth of our love for God). So, if we want it to increase, we had better repent of any erroneous behavior we may have been involved in previously and double down on our spiritual growth. The more we allow the truth to dominate our thoughts, words, and actions, the more peaceful we will be in our daily lives. Fear is the opposite of faith and trust and cannot produce obedience because it is a side-effect of an unstable mind that relies too heavily on the flesh (which includes any of our feelings and emotions not properly calibrated to the Spirit’s control). That is why the more we love God, the more we will pursue spiritual growth, resulting in the Holy Spirit having a stronger influence in our lives. The Spirit enables us to escape the enslavement of sin to live as servants of Christ, a truth that promotes feelings of peace and joy (to be a slave of Christ is liberating and is to live in the best freedom possible Romans 6:15-23). If we walk by the Spirit, He will produce in us, resulting in our ability to utilize all the gifts (peace, joy, hope, etc.) that belong to all of us who have believed in Christ.

Additionally, fear can involve more than just the occasional hysterical dread over the status of one’s eternal destiny (a pervasive struggle for many well-meaning, born-again Christians). The true peace of the Spirit should thrive in all areas, times, and circumstances of our lives, which means that there are many other things other than just irrational concern over our salvation that can “spook” our faith and cause us to act foolishly (often leading to sinful behavior if allowed past a certain point). Time and space do not permit us to get into that many examples, but some obvious ones could be giving into fear when enduring some spiritual test while under great duress or succumbing to some temptation from the Devil out of a lack of confidence in the Lord.

True spiritual peace works hand in glove with faith because it is a knowing that God will work things out and set all other things straight, regardless of the situation(s). It does not result in worry over any of the concerns of life, such as necessities or any general physical, mental, or spiritual need we may have (Philippians 4:6, Matthew 6:25-34), but consistently rests in the hope produced through faith. We believers must strive for peace in all areas of life because we have a hope that knows (not thinks or wishes) that all things will work together for good (assuming our hearts are in the right place Romans 8:28). And, like all the fruits of the Spirit, it will have a tremendous impact on how we behave toward others (Romans 12:18, Matthew 5:9). If peace be present in our walk, then so will all the other virtues the Spirit produces in us since they are all linked.

The passage below gives us a biblical example of what failing to allow the peace of God to “rule in our hearts” looks like (Colossians 3:15) when we allow all the “wind” and “waves” of life to take our eyes off Christ. Despite being among the greatest believers of all time, even Elijah had a major lapse in his faith when he allowed his peace in God to slip away momentarily.

And, of course, not all fear is sinful (we all get a little scared and afraid from time to time), but it can become so if we allow it to continue because dallying with any unrestrained emotion will inevitably lead to failure. Fear, like anger, will suppress our faith and relationship with God (momentarily or long-term) unless we get it under control as quickly as possible.

D. Patience

Patience (μακροθυμία makrothymia) involves exercising “endurance,” “longsuffering,” “perseverance,” and “forbearance.” It would be hard to imagine how someone could love others as they should if their tempers constantly flared up and down (a work of the flesh as the complete opposite of patience). This fruit of the Spirit is often one of those areas that believers struggle with because so many things, people, and circumstances are always putting us to the test. The Christian life involves living by faith in the present day-by-day, moment-by-moment periods we encounter. Spiritual growth, progress, and production all require waiting on the Lord’s timing because it is a journey that involves waiting for various things. If we act impatiently with God, we will also behave so toward others, tearing them down instead of bearing with them in love (Colossians 3:13).

True biblical patience involves orienting our lives through our goldy thoughts, words, and actions. It is a willingness to lovingly endure and put up with various people, things, and circumstances that may tempt us to lash out and sin. It doesn’t mean we compromise the truth or have to like putting up with people and circumstances that may seem presently unfavorable but that we endure what we must, knowing that it is better to suffer for doing right (be patient) than to suffer for doing what is wrong (losing it by giving into sin). We know that nothing lasts forever and that all things eventually end, even if we are dealing with everyday challenges unrelated to any special testing or overly spectacular trial or tribulation.

One example could be the need to be patient with a new employee who is still “learning the ropes” of the job or a young child who has yet to outgrow certain behaviors. It is not wrong or sinful to put one’s foot down through authoritative action and discipline (a parent over a child or a boss, manager, or supervisor over a lower-ranking employee) when needed (it depends on the circumstances and what and who is involved). That type of treatment helps to train and temper the behavior of others in ways that build them up, just as God’s discipline does for us (Hebrews 12:11). There will be various times and places (outside of the two examples given) where believers will need to be more strict and firm in their treatment of others (including in the use of our spiritual gifts through the ministries we are all called to) but not in ways involving foul mistreatment of them. We cannot allow ourselves to be exploited or taken advantage of because godly patience does not include failure to stand up for ourselves (except in some cases-see point below on physical force and resistance) and be assertive when appropriate (it does not involve compromise). Instead, it is HOW we do those things that matter. Our speech needs to be “seasoned with grace” (Colossians 4:6), our behavior characterized through forbearance (Ephesians 4:2, Colossians 3:12-13, 1 Corinthians 13:6-7, Philippians 2:3), and our thoughts pure (Philippians 2:3-5).

The passage above mentions rebuking and reprimanding someone when they need it. Make no mistake, there will be times when we must call people out for multiple and various reasons. But, again, it must all be done with patience.

Regarding the use of physical force and disciplinary behavior (as a separate, somewhat unrelated point to the ones above), there are times when we must not and cannot do that (an example is when Peter and company willingly and patiently endured a beating for the gospel’s sake without throwing away their faith in the truth (Acts 5:40-42). They did not physically resist the beatings but persevered as they underwent them and even spoke the truth boldly to those present.

There is then the issue of resisting the urge to hit someone back after they “laid one on us” (Matthew 5:39). However, that does not mean there isn’t a time for physical force and self-defense. The point is that there are variables, so we need not delve further into that area for common sense reasons.

Below are just some examples in a far from comprehensive list of where patience is needed in the Christian life.

Patience through tests, trials, and tribulations…

Most applicable is the believer’s willingness to wait for the Lord’s second coming, which will involve enduring the tribulation for some (a time when physical resistance will be most inappropriate).

Patience with others…

Patience in receiving things needed and asked for… (asking and seeking don’t always mean receiving immediately because we may have to wait a while).

Patience for all things in all areas of life in general…

E. Kindness

The word “kindness” is χρηστότης chrēstotēs and means “goodness and morally excellent behavior in character and demeanor.” It is an manifestation of love that often expresses itself through goodness (goodness involves the act of carrying out one’s kind disposition toward others) and refers to generosity by giving one’s time, resources, energy, and possessions (1 John 3:17) to help others (physically, mentally, and spiritually, including our enemies Matthew 5:43-48). Kindness is an attitude that leads to doing good deeds toward others. It is a spiritual virtue that stems from pure motives and a correct disposition of heart toward God, not some fake outward show meant to impress people, such as what we saw with the Pharisees throughout the Gospels. It is not just about the act but the attitude behind it. Kindness is a sign that (since they are all linked) all the other fruits of the Spirit are operating in the believer’s life (something that was not true in the case of Israel’s religious leaders). In other words, it will not stand alone by itself. Kindness only counts as such if produced through the Spirit’s power, not through the strength of our flesh (which amounts to religious do-goodism). If we walk by the Spirit, our hearts will naturally manifest this spiritual virtue from a pure heart and mind that is right with God. It involves far more than just giving to others (there are times when giving is not always the wisest thing to do because of lies and scams) but includes how we think, speak, and act toward people in general. It involves both our attitude and actions.

Like love, a kind person will forgive others of wrongs and bear with them (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). It does not act expecting something in return because it is not selfish but considers others “more important” than oneself (it is humble- Philippians 2:3).

Christ Himself is patient and kind, so we too must emulate this behavior toward others, even our adversaries, because we were once enemies of Christ.

F. Goodness

The Greek word for “goodness” is ἀγαθωσύνη agathōsynē and means to show “goodness” and “kindness” to others. It is the act of helping others (stemming from a kind heart) and includes the results of those actions (the outcome of an action or the benefits reaped from said behavior done out of love and care for another). The opposite of goodness is evil, which is the result of sin. Good things (mental, physical, spiritual, and miscellaneous) inevitably result from thinking, speaking, and acting well toward others. The passage below demonstrates this quite adequately.

A prominent example of our principle above is the love (the motivation) that God had for us in sending His one and only Son to die on the cross (the action of goodness) to pay for our sins (John 3:16, 1 John 3:1). The result was the empowerment of eternal life to all who believe. Another example is the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), who helped an injured Jew along the road. Love was the motivation, while goodness was the act of carrying out that love (assisting the man). 1 Thessalonians 1:3 rightly mentions “Labor prompted by Love” because that should always be the driving force behind everything we do!

G. Faithfulness

Faithfulness (πίστις pistis) in our context refers to someone with a character that can be relied on (they are dependable both spiritually and generally Luke 16:10-12 in most or all areas of life). This individual is faithful in producing good deeds of kindness from an increasing love for God. A faithful believer consistently takes in and applies the truth, resulting in all the Spirit’s manifestations. Faithfulness is a virtue that covers every area of the Christian life, including spiritual growth (seeking out, understanding, believing, and applying the truth), progress (passing the challenging tests meant to further strengthen and refine the believer’s faith) and production (using the spiritual gifts in the ministries God calls all believers to). Faithful Christians think, speak, and act consistently per God’s commands in His Word. It also includes staying faithful in one’s confession of Christ till death (including a willingness to give up one’s life for the Lord) instead of committing apostasy.

Once again, this fruit, like the rest in our list, is all-encompassing and covers every area of the Christian life wherever and whenever required (all times). It demands a willingness to endure various difficulties to achieve a better end goal and purpose and includes the idea of being trustworthy in thought, word, and deed. If you are a faithful believer, you will consistently walk in the Spirit and allow Him to transform you inwardly, resulting in outward change that manifests through the fruits of the Spirit. Consistency is critical, so an increasing zeal for godly pursuits should continuously characterize our walk. The passage below shows this need for constant increase in our love for God. However, the virtues and qualities in those three verses, like the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, all need to be in motion simultaneously instead of taking each one at a time in a specific order. These things must always be occurring and increasing (a sign of our faithful pursuit and application of the truth)! The Lord is faithful to us, so should we not also be so toward Him (Matthew 25:21)?

H. Gentleness

We now move into verse twenty-three of Galatians 5. The Greek word for gentleness is πραΰτης prautēs and means to have a “mildness” or “gentleness” of spirit, including one’s behavior toward all people and circumstances (it has various, all-encompassing applications for every area of life) from a proper disposition of heart, including “meekness” and “humility.” Like all the others, this fruit stems from love (it also requires a lot of patience). It means being gentle or “moderate” in our behavior and tone of voice toward others (Proverbs 15:1), which requires us to throw away pride. We don’t treat them harshly, physically, or vocally (as opposed to breaking out in fits of rage). It involves a humble attitude that puts the desires of others before our own, even if we may feel like reacting to them in our own selfish ways. We don’t yell and scream at people if they bother or displease us, nor do we respond with physical violence. It means to have a gentle, loving, and concerned heart and mind toward other people that demonstrates itself outwardly in our treatment of them. Are there times to be more firm when appropriate? There most certainly are, but it should not be a common theme throughout our lives. Gentleness expresses itself in how we behave toward others and how we react to how they treat us. Are we meek in our treatment of them, and are we humble enough to accept help from others? Are we willing to submit to Christ and do things His way?

H. Self-Control

Finally, in our list of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control (ἐγκράτεια egkrateia), which is a “virtue of one who masters his desires and passion, especially his sensual appetites.” Self-control involves obeying God’s commands (John 14:15) by abstaining from all sinful behavior (anything we think, say, or do that displeases God). It is the exercising of our free will faith to respond to the Spirit’s prodding to refrain from giving into the lusts of the flesh (resulting in all the various works of the sinful nature Galatians 5:19-21). Like the rest of the spiritual virtues in our passage, love will lead to obeying the Spirit’s guidance and convictions so that, by living in His power, we may live a holy life, pleasing to God. But this crucial spiritual fruit, like the rest, is impossible without the desire to please God (involving prior repentance, which is a change of mind that results in a change of action). Perseverance is necessary to live the Spirit-filled life because consistency is the expected requirement for every believer.

Self-control, or willpower, is not enough to resist the flesh because we must cede our will over to the Spirit to rely on His strength to help us overcome temptations and spiritual obstacles (2 Corinthians 10:1-6). Self-control is a decision to say no to something by foregoing a sinful decision in exchange for a good one (a godly choice according to what the Lord would have us do). It involves mentally, physically, and spiritually refraining from all that is wrong and sinful while obeying everything that constitutes righteousness. We know what sin is, so there should be no need to explain that further. The point is that we should begin to see less sin but more obedience (confirmed by the spiritual manifestations of the fruits of the Spirit).

A lack of self-control (obedience) will hinder Spiritual growth. How can we help others if we haven’t learned to help ourselves? We cannot just have simple head knowledge of what to do but also “hands-on experience” to properly aid those who may be going through something we once did. And the more we allow sin to reign in our lives, the greater the damage our faith sustains. Therefore, we must flee all evil (resist the flesh and the Devil James 4:7) by clinging to everything good (2 Timothy 2:22-24).

Galatians 5:23b-26

Against genuine belief in Jesus Christ that results in the fruits of the Spirit, the Law has no binding effect on the believer because they live by grace through faith alone in the power of the Spirit apart from their own strength. The Law’s purpose was to expose an individual’s inner sinfulness to get them to see the futility of trying to earn salvation through good works. This truth was intended to force people to see their need for a Savior and get them to throw themselves on the grace and mercy of God because all humanity would stand condemned over one sin absent the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The fruits of the Spirit (especially love) sum up the Law (Matthew 22:38-40) and do not oppose or go against it in any way. To live by the Spirit’s power is to fulfill the Law’s purpose (to stop relying on self and start depending on Christ by walking in the Spirit). Therefore, those who stop trusting in the Law are no longer under its curse because those who rely on it are just the opposite (Galatians 3:10-12- there is no Law to enslave, accuse, and condemn believers because living and producing by the Spirit are good and commendable things). They have fulfilled the purpose of the Law by following and obeying what it pointed to all along (faith in Jesus Christ alone).

The fruits of the Spirit prove that a person has given themselves over to Christ (verse 24) in faith by acknowledging their need for Him. They have come to realize they cannot save themselves or please God after salvation (all good works the believer produces come from the Spirit who gets all the credit- Ephesians 2:10). Sinless perfection is impossible (1 John 1:8-10) because trying to be perfect in one’s application of the truth is, like trying to keep the Law perfectly, impossible. The blood of Jesus Christ cleansed us (believers) of all our sins, past, present, and future so that we don’t need to fear the Law condemning us over any sins we commit (however many they may be) because Christ’s sacrifice on the cross demolished the power it once held in our lives. The Law cannot accuse us when we fail because we have an advocate with the Father through Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1-2). It is for this reason that verse twenty-four says, “Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Sin, like the Law, has no power over us because Christ paid for all of it and enabled us to overcome it through the power of the Spirit He has given us. The Spirit then manifests the proof that we belong to the Lord through the fruits He produces in us as evidence of our cleansing (here is how we know we are enslaved to Christ and not sin wrought by the curse of the Law Romans 7:8-9).

The word for the phrase “ have crucified” (past tense as something that has already occurred) in verse twenty-four is σταυρόω stauroō and figuratively means to have extinguished or subdued one’s passions and desires. The literal translation involves the act of crucifixion through impalement to a wooden cross. The word for the phrase “its passions” (πάθημα pathēma) refers to the desires of the sinful nature, while the word “desires” (ἐπιθυμία epithymia) means to lust (lusting after something).

Therefore (verse twenty-five), since we have received the Spirit as a pledge or token of our salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22) to enable us to live righteously, the believer needs to take advantage of this great gift they have living inside of them (the meaning of the sentence, “If we live by the Spirit, let’s also keep in step with the Spirit” Romans 8:9) since He was the force behind our regeneration (and the empowerment of Christ’s resurrection Romans 8:11, 1 Peter 3:18-20). God gave us His Holy Spirit for our salvation and spiritual growth, so why wouldn’t we “utilize” Him for that purpose? With those two reasons in mind, we need to “keep in step with the Spirit,” which is synonymous with walking in the Spirit to grow spiritually and manifest a changed life. This principle stands in direct contrast to living by the flesh, which can reveal itself through empty, conceited boastfulness, provocative challenges, and envious behavior, things that some of the believing Galatians struggled with as a result of false teaching (some began to boast about their adherence to the Mosaic Law and the circumcision required by it). Galatians 6:3-5 reads, “3 For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing (a spiritually immature and misguided baby believer), he deceives himself. 4 But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. 5 For each will have to bear his own load.

Summary- A Brief Survey of Chapter Six

The narrative continues and ends in chapter six, where Paul commands the Galatians to reap from the Spirit and not fall into (empty) boastful and provocative behavior (all boasting should be in Christ and not according to the flesh). Those who acted that way were unqualified to help others, thinking they were the solution to a problem when they had issues themselves (you can’t help someone when you need it yourself). The only way to please the Lord and minister to His church is to live by the Spirit and not through human effort. The legalists (and even some of the wayward Galatians) caused divisions by “reveling” (conceited boasting) in their flesh to get others to walk according to the Mosaic Law. However, even though they thought they were helping others, they were hindering them by encouraging them to live the Christian life through their own strength. The church can only fulfill the “law of Christ” by doing good deeds toward others. Acts done in the Spirit stem from the truth and produce genuine fruit, while those carried out in the flesh result in nothing. A carnal walk would not allow one brother or sister to help another effectively (Galatians 6:1) or to share good with their pastor-teachers (Galatians 6:6).

Paul then finishes the book by reminding his readers that they were saved by grace through faith alone and not by any work of the flesh (Galatians 6:11-15). So why pay heed to those who continued to boast about something that meant nothing? The apostle clarified that the motives behind this false gospel were impure and should be ignored. Therefore, the Galatians needed to stop letting these misguided hypocrites dictate their lives. The born-again believer has true freedom in Christ apart from the Law and a peaceful state of mind, knowing that the Lord’s grace is sufficient for them (Ephesians 2:8-9).

To conclude, let’s strive to walk in the freedom that comes with the true gospel by faith and grace without relying on good works. Let’s put God’s truth before the opinions of others without wavering in our faith by succumbing to false teaching, remembering that as long as we continue to believe, nothing can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:31-39). Let’s resolve to hate sin and allow God’s grace to continuously lead us away from the law of sin and death to the law of the freedom of life in the Spirit (Romans 8:2). To do that, we must remember to walk by the Spirit, not to fight flesh with flesh. Let’s strive to put off the deeds of the sinful nature and walk in the fruits of the Spirit, which is the only way to lovingly serve God and His church and tell whether we are saved and growing spiritually.

References and Recommendations

All Greek words and definitions were taken from Blue Letter Bible in the ESV version of Galatians 5, which utilized Strong’s Greek Concordance, Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, and Larry Pierce’s “Outline of Biblical Usage” (please see the link below).

“Galatians 5 (ESV) - For freedom Christ has set.” Blue Letter Bible. Web. 15 Jan, 2024. https://www.blueletterbible.org/esv/gal/5/1/s_1096001.

I would also like to recommend Curtis Omo’s Bible Academy and his verse by verse teaching series on Galatians (see link below).

[Bible Academy - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@bibleacademy380/search?query=Galatians lesson 1)

Galatians 1: 1-4a Lesson 1 (youtube.com)

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