Sometimes we have the wrong idea of what it means to live in the Spirit. We may associate spirituality only with extraordinary signs, but Scripture directs us toward something deeper: dying to sinful desires and living in obedience to God. This is why we must learn to mortify the earthly things in us and surrender our lives completely to Christ.
The apostle Paul wrote:
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Galatians 5:24-26
What Does It Mean to Live in the Spirit?
Living in the Spirit does not mean that a Christian will constantly perform extraordinary miracles or experience spectacular manifestations. God certainly has power to do whatever He desires, and the Bible contains many examples of His supernatural works. However, when the apostle Paul speaks about walking in the Spirit, his emphasis is placed on the transformation of the believer’s character and conduct. True spirituality is demonstrated in a life increasingly submitted to God.
A person may speak impressively about spiritual things, possess great biblical knowledge, or be admired by others, yet those things alone do not prove that he is walking in the Spirit. Scripture points us toward love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and self-control. These qualities may appear less spectacular to the human eye, but they reveal something extraordinary: God is transforming the heart.
The Spirit changes the way we respond when we are offended, the way we speak when we are angry, the way we treat people who cannot give us anything in return, and the way we deal with temptation when nobody is watching. Walking in the Spirit reaches into ordinary moments of life. It affects our thoughts, our conversations, our decisions, our relationships, and our priorities.
Those Who Belong to Christ Have Crucified the Flesh
Paul makes a powerful statement in Galatians 5:24: those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Crucifixion was not a comfortable or painless process. By using this language, Paul teaches us that following Jesus involves a decisive rejection of the sinful desires that once ruled our lives.
This does not mean that Christians no longer experience temptation. The believer still faces a real struggle. Sinful desires may arise, old habits may attempt to return, and the world constantly presents opportunities to disobey God. Yet something fundamental has changed: sin is no longer the master of the person who belongs to Christ. The believer now has a new desire to please God and to resist what dishonors Him.
Crucifying the flesh means saying no when our sinful nature demands satisfaction. It means refusing bitterness even when we feel justified in being bitter. It means rejecting lust even when temptation appears attractive. It means turning away from pride when we want recognition, refusing envy when someone else prospers, and controlling our words when anger urges us to wound another person.
This is not accomplished by human strength alone. Christianity is not simply a program of self-improvement. We depend upon the work of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, the believer is called to actively resist sin, pursue holiness, pray, meditate on Scripture, and obey what God has commanded. The Spirit gives us strength to fight the desires that once controlled us.
The Battle Between the Flesh and the Spirit
Earlier in the same chapter, Paul describes this internal conflict:
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Galatians 5:16-17
Every Christian should understand this reality. The existence of a battle does not necessarily mean that something strange has happened to us. In fact, the struggle against sin is part of the Christian life. Before conversion, a person may follow sinful desires without serious concern about offending God. But when God transforms the heart, there is now opposition to those desires.
Therefore, when temptation arrives, we should not immediately surrender as though defeat were inevitable. We can pray, remember God’s promises, remove ourselves from situations that encourage sin, seek wise counsel, and fill our minds with Scripture. We are not commanded to negotiate with sinful desires but to resist them.
Sometimes this struggle can become exhausting. A believer may wonder why certain temptations return repeatedly. Yet spiritual growth normally takes place through continual dependence upon God. Every time we reject sin and choose obedience, we are learning to walk according to the Spirit rather than according to the flesh.
The Fruit of the Spirit Reveals a Changed Life
Immediately before speaking about crucifying the flesh, Paul presents a beautiful description of what the Holy Spirit produces in those who belong to Christ. Understanding the fruit of the Spirit helps us evaluate spirituality according to Scripture rather than according to human expectations.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
Notice how practical these characteristics are. Love affects the way we treat others. Joy gives us reason to rejoice in God even when circumstances are difficult. Peace teaches us to rest in the Lord rather than being dominated by fear. Patience helps us endure difficult situations and difficult people. Gentleness influences our speech and actions. Faithfulness makes us dependable. Meekness restrains pride, and self-control teaches us that our desires do not have the right to rule us.
These fruits cannot be reduced to outward religious activity. Someone may attend many meetings, speak frequently about spiritual matters, or receive public recognition, but if his life is characterized by hatred, uncontrolled anger, envy, pride, deceit, and immorality, there is a serious contradiction between his profession and his conduct.
The Holy Spirit produces visible changes in the lives of God’s people. These changes may develop gradually, but they should be present. The Christian should desire to become more patient, more loving, more faithful, more humble, and more self-controlled as he grows in grace.
Walking in the Spirit Means Loving Others
One of the clearest evidences of spiritual maturity is love. It is much easier to claim that we love God than to demonstrate patience toward a difficult neighbor, forgive someone who has wounded us, help a person in need, or speak kindly when we have been treated unfairly. Yet Scripture repeatedly connects love for God with the way we treat other people.
For this reason, it is important to remember the biblical commands that call us to love our neighbor. Genuine spirituality cannot be separated from genuine love. We cannot claim to walk closely with God while deliberately cultivating hatred, resentment, envy, or cruelty toward others.
Love does not mean approving everything another person does. Biblical love rejoices in truth and sometimes requires correction. Nevertheless, even correction should be motivated by a desire for the good of the other person rather than by pride or revenge. A Spirit-led person seeks truth without abandoning love.
Consider how much spiritual discipline is required to forgive when our flesh wants revenge. Consider the humility required to celebrate another person’s success when envy wants us to become bitter. Consider the patience required to listen carefully when we would rather speak. These ordinary acts may receive little public recognition, but they reveal the transforming work of God.
Walking in the Spirit Requires Daily Surrender
We should not think of walking in the Spirit as a decision we make once and then forget. Walking describes continuous movement. Day after day, believers are called to submit their desires, plans, thoughts, and actions to the Lord. We wake up needing His grace, and we finish the day still depending upon His grace.
Every day provides opportunities to choose between satisfying the flesh and obeying God. Perhaps someone speaks harshly to us. Our first reaction may be to answer with greater harshness. Perhaps we see something that awakens sinful desire. Perhaps pride tells us that we deserve more recognition than another person. Perhaps envy appears when someone receives a blessing we wanted for ourselves.
In those moments, walking in the Spirit becomes very practical. We remember God’s Word. We pray for strength. We refuse to allow our emotions to become our master. We ask what response would honor Christ. Then, by God’s grace, we act according to His truth rather than according to the immediate demand of the flesh.
Spiritual maturity is often revealed by what we refuse to do. We refuse to entertain sinful thoughts. We refuse to participate in dishonest practices. We refuse to return evil for evil. We refuse to make pride the center of our decisions. We refuse to allow anger to control our tongues. These choices form part of the daily crucifixion of the flesh.
Beware of Vain Glory, Provocation, and Envy
Galatians 5 does not end with a general command to walk in the Spirit. Paul becomes extremely specific: “Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” These warnings are important because sinful attitudes can appear even within religious environments.
Vain glory desires recognition. It wants to be admired, praised, and elevated above others. A person may even perform religious activities while secretly seeking human applause. But the Spirit leads us toward humility. We remember that every gift, opportunity, ability, and accomplishment ultimately depends upon God’s grace.
Provoking one another can arise when pride causes us to compete unnecessarily, irritate others, or attempt to prove our superiority. Envy appears from the opposite direction: instead of boasting about what we have, we become angry because someone else possesses what we desire.
Both attitudes reveal an unhealthy focus on ourselves. The gospel directs our eyes toward Christ. When Christ becomes our treasure, we no longer need to build our identity upon being superior to someone else. We can rejoice when others are blessed because their success does not diminish the grace God has given us.
Being Spiritual Is Not About Impressing People
One of the greatest dangers in religious life is confusing appearance with reality. People can learn religious vocabulary, imitate certain behaviors, or develop a public image that appears spiritual. But God sees the heart. He knows our secret motives, hidden desires, private conversations, and thoughts that nobody else can observe.
Jesus continually confronted religious hypocrisy because some people were more concerned about appearing righteous before men than actually pleasing God. True spirituality does not ask, “How can I make people think I am spiritual?” Instead, it asks, “How can my life honor Christ?”
The person walking in the Spirit desires obedience even when nobody is watching. He prays privately, fights temptation privately, repents sincerely, serves without needing applause, and seeks God’s approval above human recognition. That hidden faithfulness is precious before the Lord.
This should also encourage Christians who do not possess a public ministry or spectacular testimony. You do not need a platform to live a Spirit-filled life. A father patiently teaching his children the Word of God, a mother faithfully praying for her family, a worker refusing dishonesty, a believer forgiving an enemy, or a Christian quietly helping someone in need can all display the beautiful work of the Holy Spirit.
A New Life Produces New Desires
Walking in the Spirit is closely connected with the new life God gives His people. A Christian is not simply a person who adopted a religious label. Scripture describes a profound transformation. This is why examining the evidence of being born again can help us understand why genuine faith produces a growing desire for holiness.
The believer may still struggle with sin, but he cannot comfortably make peace with it. When he falls, he is called to repent and return to God. He does not defend what Scripture condemns. Instead, he acknowledges his weakness and seeks the mercy and strength of the Lord.
This difference is crucial. The question is not whether a Christian has ever struggled, but whether he is surrendering to sin or fighting against it. The presence of temptation is not permission to abandon the battle. We continue fighting because we belong to Christ.
As God works in us, our desires begin to change. We increasingly want what pleases Him. Things that once attracted us may lose their power, while prayer, Scripture, fellowship, worship, holiness, and service become increasingly precious. This growth is not always immediate or perfectly consistent, but God continues shaping His people.
Ask God to Help You Walk in the Spirit
Do you recognize desires in your heart that continually attempt to dominate you? Bring them before God. Do not hide them, excuse them, or pretend they do not exist. Ask the Lord to expose what must change and to give you strength to obey Him. Confess your sins and trust in His mercy.
There may be pride that needs to be crucified, anger that must be surrendered, an inappropriate relationship that must end, bitterness that must be abandoned, envy that must be confessed, or a secret habit that must be brought into the light. Whatever the struggle may be, do not make peace with what separates your heart from obedience to God.
At the same time, do not believe that victory depends entirely upon your own strength. If it did, none of us could stand. We need God’s grace every day. Pray for wisdom. Fill your mind with His Word. Avoid situations that unnecessarily feed temptation. Seek fellowship with mature believers. Remember the gospel and keep your eyes fixed upon Christ.
Let Us Live According to the Spirit
The Christian life is much deeper than seeking extraordinary experiences. The greatest evidence of spiritual maturity may sometimes appear in very ordinary situations: controlling our tongue, forgiving someone, rejecting temptation, serving quietly, loving our neighbor, remaining faithful during suffering, and continuing to trust God when our plans are interrupted.
This is the kind of life Paul describes in Galatians. If we live in the Spirit, we must also walk in the Spirit. Our profession of faith should influence our conduct. Our words about Christ should agree with the way we treat others. Our worship on one day of the week should be accompanied by obedience throughout the rest of the week.
Therefore, let us examine ourselves continually. Are we becoming more loving? Are we learning patience? Are we resisting sinful desires? Are we growing in humility? Are we more willing to forgive? Are we increasingly governed by God’s Word rather than by our emotions?
We will not reach perfection in this life, but we should desire growth. When we fail, we return to the Lord in repentance. When temptation appears, we depend upon His strength. When pride rises, we remember His grace. When we become weak, we remember that our help comes from God.
To walk in the Spirit is to belong to Christ and increasingly live under His rule. It is to crucify the sinful desires that compete for our hearts and to pursue the things that please God. May the Lord help us reject vain glory, envy, pride, bitterness, impurity, and every other work of the flesh. And may He produce in us love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control, so that our lives may testify that Jesus Christ truly reigns within us.