Flesh and Spirit
Up to this point in the book of Galatians, the Apostle has been insisting on the absolute freedom of the believer from the law in connection with his relationship to God. Now he shows that it is in no way the rule of the Christian’s practical life and walk. Law has no place with the believer either for justification or for sanctification. This is of very great importance to understand. Many earnest souls are confused and in error here. Quite a few in Christendom would strongly repudiate (and very rightly) the law as a means of justification before God, asserting that faith in Christ and His accomplished work can alone avail. But the same persons, in many cases, quite believe that the Christian should take up the law as a rule of godliness. This is a grave mistake, and its results lower the proper standard of Christianity.
Law was given to men in the flesh to test flesh, but the believer is not in the flesh (though the flesh be in him) but in the Spirit. Heavenly men need a different and higher standard, and this we shall find in the passage now before us.
Liberty
“Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another” (Gal. 5:13-1513For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 15But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. (Galatians 5:13‑15)). The Galatians sought power against the flesh to keep it down, and they had turned to the law for it. But with what success? What was the practical outcome? Such a low and contentious condition that the very law condemned them, for if it did not teach men to serve one another in love as Christ, the law said at least “thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” This the Galatians were evidently not doing, but the opposite; hence the Apostle’s earnest word of warning. As Romans 7 shows, law, instead of subduing flesh, provokes it and draws out all its badness. The law is thus the strength of sin, not of holiness, though in itself holy and just and good (Rom. 7:7-137What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. (Romans 7:7‑13)).
Where then could the Galatians, or where can the Christian now, find power? “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit and ye shall no way fulfill flesh’s lust. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these things are opposite one to the other, that ye should not do those things which ye desire” (Gal. 5:16-1716This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17For 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) JND). Here is the secret of power. The believer now receives from God the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is one of the great characteristic blessings of Christianity, the value and importance of which no one can duly estimate. And having given the Spirit to us, God looks to us to walk in the Spirit. This is to allow Him to dwell in us ungrieved that He may be free to act and carry on His gracious work of conforming us to the image of Christ in glory. If this is true of us, if we not only live in the Spirit but walk in the Spirit, flesh does not act; its lusts are not fulfilled. We do not engage in the works of the flesh, but rather produce the fruit of the Spirit.
The Flesh
It is important to see that the Apostle regards both as existing within the believer. It is quite a mistaken notion that flesh has been removed, though some have been betrayed into this fallacy. It is equally false that it is in any way improved. It is incurably and hopelessly evil, and it abides until the change at the Lord’s return. Its natural tendencies remain unaltered. It desires even to gain power over the believer and to lead him into sin and folly, as the Spirit, on the other hand, desires to lead in the ways of holiness and truth. But faith holds flesh for dead and refuses to give it sanction or to lend an ear to its suggestion, and for this the indwelling Spirit is divine power.
In verse 17, it should read “may not” or “should not,” instead of “cannot.” This mistaken reading in our KJV perverts entirely the meaning of the passage. Many suppose the teaching in this place to be substantially the same as in Romans 7, whereas, in fact, it is the direct opposite. In Romans 7 we have the struggles of a quickened soul who has no knowledge of deliverance, and there “cannot” is quite correct. When good is desired, evil is found to be present and all-powerful. But this is not the teaching of Galatians 5. Here the Apostle is showing the power which the believer really possesses. We have the Holy Spirit of God, and He acts within us in order that we may not do the things that we would.
This removes all necessity for the law as regards those who are in Christ Jesus. “If ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law” (Gal. 5:1818But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. (Galatians 5:18)). It is impossible to be under the power of two principles. We do not need two guides at one time. It is characteristic of the believer that he is led of the Spirit; to such the law has nothing to say. It is thus altogether unintelligent to place believers under law in any shape. Those who do so understand neither what they say nor whereof they affirm. It was not made for the righteous but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane (1 Tim. 1:7-107Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. 8But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; 9Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; (1 Timothy 1:7‑10)). God holds the believer righteous through the death and resurrection of Christ. All such have the Spirit as power, and Christ as life and object.
Bible Treasury, Vol. N1