In Galatians 5:16-25, the Apostle Paul teaches us a lot about how we are sanctified, how we grow to be more like Jesus. As Paul writes to these churches in Galatia, we learn that we grow as we battle, what the battle looks like, and how we can wage our battle. Our growth is a battle because our still sinful desires are pulling us toward sin while the Spirit is pulling us toward righteousness (v 16-18). But if we “walk by the Spirit, we will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (v 15). The battle is seen clearly when we see Paul contrast the “works of the flesh” with “the fruit of the Spirit” (v 19-23). The works of the flesh are what our sinful desires pull us toward and the fruit of the Spirit is what God produces in us by grace. But how do we wage our battle? There are at least three ways: We walk by the Spirit as we 1) remember we already belong to Jesus, 2) take our sin and sinful desires to the cross, and 3) study the Word of God and respond through prayer.

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