Walk in the Spirit
by Ivan Ho 10 Jan 2026
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 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. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
Galatians 5:16-18 KJV
Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to each other.
There is a tug of war between the Holy Spirit and the flesh i.e. the body or carnal nature of a person. The reason there are oftentimes struggles between the Spirit and the flesh is because the flesh isn’t submitted to and being led by the Spirit of God. Herein lies the biggest problem we as followers of Christ face. Our flesh is not crucified and still governed by what our heart desires that is contrary to the Spirit of God.
When a person walks in the flesh, he or she may feel happy and satisfied but it is contrary to the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit never tells us to do anything against the word and the will of God. However, the carnal nature in us thinks otherwise because it isn’t always submitted to the Spirit of God.
To be free from the law doesn’t mean we throw away the laws of God. If we walk in the Spirit, we are not under the law. Why? Because the Spirit of God never tells us to do anything that contradicts the word of God.
Sometimes, the Holy Spirit leads us to decisions that are not written in the word of God, for example, which job to take, who to marry etc. The Spirit of God knows all things and what is in the heart of God. That’s why it is important to be led by the inner voice of the Holy Spirit in us at all times. On the other hand, a man or woman may try to follow the laws of God, but isn’t led by the Spirit of God, thereby walk in the flesh. A person who is led by the flesh is carnal. When you have a carnal person as pastor or leader, he will mislead the people who follow him. When a carnal person is put in charge, all hell breaks loose.
God says: “Jacab I loved, Esau I hated” not because Jacob was more handsome and flawless, but because Jacob was a spiritual person whereas Esau was carnal. A carnal person tries to fulfill the desires of the flesh but will not inherit the kingdom of God. God never says: “I am the God of Abraham Ishmael and Esau”. Instead He says: “I am the God of Abraham Issac and Jacob”. Godly inheritance and generational succession is based on the the Spirit of God, not the carnal nature of man.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.