In Galatians 5:16-26 the Apostle Paul is teaching us what it means to walk in the Spirit. In verse 1 he writes, “But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh (ESV).” Paul is contrasting in this passage what a life lived by the Spirit looks like with what a life lived by the flesh looks like. He is confident that a person who lives by the Spirit cannot live by the flesh, and he will show us why in the verses that follow.
The second place where Paul makes his purpose clear for this passage is in verse 25. He writes, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” The first part of this if then clause refers back to what Paul wrote earlier in his letter. He says, “I Have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (v. 2:20).” Then he writes, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh (v. 3:3)?” It seems that in these two statements Paul is implying that both Christ and the Spirit participated in bringing life to the dead hearts of the Galatians. It is the work of Christ on the cross, applied to our hearts by the Spirit, that gives new life. So, Paul can then say “If we live by the Spirit (v. 5:25a).” Paul asserts that an implication of living by the Spirit is that we will also walk by the Spirit. These two verses serve as bookmarks around this passage, drawing the readers to Paul’s point. Between these bookmarks he explains what a life lived by the flesh looks like, and contrasts that with a life lived by the Spirit. The next two post in this series will examine each of these sections, seeking to draw out implications for your lives.