Walking in the Spirit

Pentecost A.D. 2026

This sermon was preached at King’s Cross Church Downtown in Moscow, Idaho on May 24, A.D. 2026.

Text: Galatians 5:16–26

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Introduction

Today is Pentecost Sunday, where we remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the church in Acts Chapter 2. This significant event in salvation history takes place after Christ’s exaltation at the right hand of His Father in heaven, which we celebrated last week as Ascension Day, and the sending of the Spirit is one of the main promises given in the Old Testament.

Often, when we think of Old Testament prophecy, we think primarily of the Messianic prophecies, those foretelling the coming of Christ. But alongside these prophecies concerning the New Covenant is the promise of the Holy Spirit.

As the Lord spoke through the prophet Ezekiel, “I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes…” (Ezk. 36:26–27a). Likewise, as the Apostle Peter quoted Joel, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh…” (Joel 2:28a). Jesus also repeated this promise to His disciples, saying, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth…” and “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Jn. 14:16–17a, Lk. 24:49, see also Acts 1:4–5). Therefore, to be a Christian is to have the promised Holy Spirit.

In our passage this morning, the Apostle Paul references the Spirit seven times, with nearly all of the references associated with action on your part. He says you are to “walk” in the Spirit. Be “led” by the Spirit. “Live” in the Spirit. “Keep in step” with the Spirit. But what does all of this actually mean? What does it look like in your life? This is one of those Christian phrases that can sound nice, but when it comes down to it, we’re not sure how to actually do it. To make it real and concrete.

Summary of the Text

After exhorting the believers in Galatia to stand in their gospel liberty and in service love one another, the Apostle Paul then exhorts them to “walk in the Spirit,” with the strong promise that if they do so, they will not fulfill the lust of the flesh (v. 16). “Flesh” here does not refer to the body, or at least primarily to the body, but instead is Paul’s word for our sinful desires.

He then explains that in each believer there exist two contrary desires—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit—causing them at times not to do the things they wish (v. 17). It’s important to note here that Paul is accurately describing the life of a genuine believer. While in Christ you have been saved from the eternal penalty due for your sin, and have been given a new heart, there still remains what theologians call “indwelling sin” or a remnant of corruption in you. In this life, our sanctification is imperfect, and a war remains.

Paul then states that those who are led by the Spirit do not find themselves “under the law”—meaning they are not under its condemnation but are rather are justified by faith (v. 18, see Gal. 3:2, Rom. 8:1–14). He then vividly contrasts the works of the flesh, which he says are evident (vv. 19–21), with the fruit of the Spirit (vv. 22–23). And these two lists could not be more different. One is filled with that which gives life, and the other has the aroma of death. In fact, Paul warns that those whose lives are marked by the works of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God—they do not have the Spirit in them, and they will die in their sin (v. 21). But note that those with the Spirit are not merely those who do not practice Paul’s list of sins, but they are a people who exhibit the fruit of righteousness and in union with Christ have crucified their flesh and its sinful desires (v. 24).

Paul then repeats his call to “walk in the Spirit” or “keep in step with the Spirit” as the ESV translates it (v. 25). The Greek word here for “walk” is different than the one in verse 16, and means to follow or fall in line behind the Spirit. And lastly, Paul warns the Galatians against pride and the sins accompanying it (v. 26).

Spirit v. Flesh

Now I want to point out a very important concept for the believer in verses 16–17 that is often not seen or misunderstood.

“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall 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 one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

So here we find a great promise in verse 16: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” In the Greek, the word we simply translate as “shall not” is very emphatic. It is saying if you walk in the Spirit, you will absolutely not or you will in no way gratify the desires of the flesh.

This is really great news. But then, at first glance, it may seem that Paul immediately backtracks in the next verse. For he then notes the inner battle in every Christian between the Spirit—the work of God—and the flesh—our sinful desires, the remaining sin that is in us. They are at absolute odds. And he says that as these desires compete against each other, you are kept from doing the things you want to do. Your efforts are thwarted. And so it may seem as if Paul says 1) if you walk by the Spirit you will certainly not gratify the desires of the flesh AND 2) because of this battle though you will frequently be frustrated with your attempts at obedience. As if it’s always going to be a rollercoaster, up and down, and often upside down, or a long battle in which you are mostly on the losing end, making it seem as if meaningful and lasting victory over particular sins is not possible… at least in this life.

Helpfully, Pastor Joe Rigney, in his excellent book More Than a Battle, has taught that one way to get at the true logic in this passage is to swap the order of the verses… while keeping Paul’s logic intact. In our passage, it is written as “A, because B.” But we can flip it—keeping Paul’s meaning—and better understand his argument by stating it as “B, therefore A.” For example, “I eat because I am hungry” can also be stated as “I am hungry, therefore I eat.” With this, we can understand this passage as: “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. [THEREFORE] Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”

The significance is this. When you look at it this way, the problem and destination become clearer. There is a battle raging inside of you between what you know you ought to do by the Spirit, and what your sinful flesh still desires. This is the battle between the old man, the man of the flesh, which you must crucify each and every day, and the new man, who desires the things of God. But thanks be to God—you are told that if you endeavor to “walk by the Spirit”—you will receive the grace to resist your sinful appetites.

By His death and resurrection, Christ has justified you before God. He took on your sin and gave you His righteousness. You have been declared holy in the sight of God. You have been united to Christ and your salvation is all grace. But that grace does not just change your standing before God, or your position before the Lord—but now it is at work in your life, conforming you to Christ. You are holy—and you are being made holy. His Spirit is at work in you. You are no longer under the dominion of sin—its power has been broken. And yet, you know that you still wrestle with some remaining corruption, you still have sinful desires. And the great promise from God in this passage is that there is a way to have victory in these battles—if you walk by the Spirit.

Now, if you are a Christian… you know what this passage is about.

Christians are not people who never sin… but people who, in humility, are convicted of their sin and know what to do with it. They know the forgiveness found in repentance and confession. But many Christians do find themselves lacking the hope Paul describes here, stuck in that very real battle between the Spirit and the flesh.

Some of you—right now—are growing frustrated and tired. You feel defeated. You are caught in a repeated cycle of very real and serious sin, repentance, and then… repeat. Whether it’s the secret sin of lust and pornography. An always simmering pride and anger that gets unleashed on those closest to you. Frequent abuse of alcohol—trying to escape whatever is in front of you with drunkenness. Whatever it is… you may feel bogged down in a mire… stuck in a ditch… and you don’t even know if it’s worth trying anymore. If God can even really help you.

What I want you to hear this morning is this… you don’t have to stay there.

The Apostle Paul acknowledges that battle you have been waging, and while there will always be a fight on this side of eternity, he says that you can find victory. The desires may and will linger in some form—but with the power of the Spirit living in you—remember the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead—those desires can be denied. There is hope for you if you walk by the Spirit.

Walking by the Spirit

Now to return to my initial question though—what does that phrase actually mean How do you wake up tomorrow, get out of bed, and choose to walk in the Spirit?

The first thing I want you to notice that walking is is an action. It is important to understand that the Christian life is not one of sitting back and expecting God to simply change you with no effort of your own. Yes, justification—being made right with God—is what we call monergistic. Meaning that it is the work of God alone and not man. You did nothing to contribute to your salvation, and in fact, before you were given a new heart you did not even have the desire to be saved. As Ephesians 2 teaches, “You were dead in your trespasses and sins… but God, being rich in mercy, made you alive with Christ.” There is no will involved there at the start. Your will is dead. It’s enslaved to sin.

But sanctification—growth in the Christian life, growing in holiness—involves your own will. It takes action. It is something accomplished only by the help of God, and yet you are active in your Spirit-enabled striving.

So “walking in the Spirit” might sound esoteric or mystical or charismatic, but it is actually very practical and real. Walking in the Spirit looks like this: praying to God, confessing your sin, and admitting that you can’t fight it on your own. That you can’t break this sinful habit on your own. That you need Him to help you walk in new patterns of obedience, leaving your old sinful habits behind.

And then…?

You get out of your bed. And you do the things you know you are supposed to do. You walk in obedience with the Spirit’s help. And a lot of this will look very mundane—perhaps even unspiritual—but all of it is spiritual if it’s done in faith. By that I mean—you might need to make real, detailed, specific, concrete plans to overcome a habitual sin. If you are overspending, you sit down and you make a budget. If you are turning to pornography or alcohol, you identify when your temptations come and you order your life in such a way as to make fulfilling those sinful desires as difficult as possible. If you are neglecting your family with overtime and doom scrolling—you need to put the phone down and schedule intentional family time.

This is not just a matter of avoiding sin or trying not to do the wrong thing. In our passage this morning you have those two lists. One of the works of the flesh and one of the fruit of the Spirit. One is a list of sins and desires that you must suffocate and put to death. As verse 24 says, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” So you must seek to mortify your sins, to kill your sinful desires, each and every day.

But the other list is one of fruit, which you must proactively cultivate and grow with the Spirit’s help. They are what your new heart should desire, and what you should be striving for in your lives. And so walking in the Spirit is fighting by faith with the Spirit’s help.

In his epistle to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul teaches a related practice of “putting off” and “putting on.”

In Ephesians 4:17–24 we read, “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”

You can see here again, there is a dual action of putting off, putting away, of killing the deeds of the flesh… and putting on, practicing righteousness and holiness. Paul then lists starting in verse 25 of Ephesians 4 examples of the “off” and “on”: Put away lying—and speak the truth. Put away stealing—and work so hard that you are in a position to be generous. Put away sinful speech—and build up others with your words.

Walking in the Spirit is endeavoring to live in a manner worthy of your calling in Christ. It is to be united to Christ, and by the power of the Spirit, to crucify your sinful desires in favor of righteousness and holiness.

Spirit-Filled Means of Grace

Now, I also believe that God has given His church very specific practices and disciplines that are essential to walking in the Spirit.

So if we go back to Acts 2 and look at the Day of Pentecost—immediately following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Peter’s sermon, and the people’s response of repentance—the new Christians began to walk by the Spirit that they had received in faith.

We read, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:41–47).

We see here that while Spirit-wrought signs and wonders certainly accompanied the Apostles in their ministry, the church as a whole devoted itself to rather ordinary duties—that were yet Spirit-filled. These practices included receiving baptism, receiving the apostles doctrine and teaching—so hearing the Word preached—, fellowshiping with one another, breaking bread together—which many Reformed interpreters understand to specifically be referring to the Lord’s Supper, and prayer.

We call these duties “means of grace” — for they are “instruments” of grace or “mediums” of grace. They are God-ordained means by which we can receive ongoing grace in the Christian life for our encouragement and progress in holiness. And so one very basic and practical way to pursue walking in the Spirit is to receive these disciplines as gifts from God to be used in faith.

This is why if you reach out to your parish elder or meet with a pastor for counsel on a specific sin struggle or issue… you most likely will be asked about your habits in reading the Word, prayer, and fellowshipping with other believers. It is not because we think you just need to take a Bible verse like a pill and everything will become magically better. But rather, we recognize that the Christian life is war—against sin, the flesh, and the devil—and our Lord has given us the weapons to fight that war.

And you need to consider whether those weapons have been neglected or forgotten in your life, or have grown rusty with misuse. So let’s briefly hit each one of these means in Acts 2 and see how the Spirit is at work in each one.

First, consider what Scripture says about the sacrament of baptism.

In Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 he ties the reception of the Spirit directly with receiving baptism, saying, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Baptism is the entrance into new life and fellowship with God and the community of believers. We believe that when we baptize a child or an adult, that God is actually doing something in that ordinance. It’s not merely a ritual or a symbol, but as the Westminster Confession teaches, grace is granted in the waters of baptism. Baptism, of course, only happens once (usually). But the grace you have received from it is ongoing, and every time you witness a baptism in church it stands as a reminder to you of your own.

Second, consider what we are told about the Word of God, the holy Scriptures, and the apostles’ doctrine.

We read in 2 Timothy 3 that all Scripture is breathed out by God—breath there being a reference to the Spirit—and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete and equipped for every good work.” Likewise, the Apostle Paul teaches in Ephesians 6 that the word of God is the sword of the Spirit—it is the very weapon and a tool that the Spirit works through. When you are thinking wrongly and its causing stress or anxiety in your life, it is always helpful to speak with a friend because they are able to interupt those thoughts and correct them with the truth. And that is what the Spirit is able to do through the Word. Jesus said He would lead us into all truth, and the word is our primary source of that truth which we need.

Mentioned third, is fellowship.

We don’t often think of this as a means of grace. Isn’t it just a term for hanging out with people? Am I saying that potlucks are a means of grace? Well, yes… We are all different members of one Body, united in Christ who is our Head. And when we come together, the Spirit works through our presence and words to build one another up in the faith. As we read in Hebrews 10… “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Elsewhere in Hebrews, we are told to “Exhort one another daily” so that we are not hardened by sin. As John Piper memorably put it, “Perseverance is a community project.” Walking in the Spirit is a community project. There is no lone-ranger Christianity, and God has given the church to you as a help.

Fourth, we have the Lord’s Supper.

At the beginning of our worship service, we have what is known as the Sursum Corda… where I say “Lift up your hearts,” and you respond, “We lift them up to the Lord.” The reason I mention this is that historically, that liturgical element was placed at the beginning of the Lord’s Supper… this is where Calvin had it in his liturgy. And the reason had to do with what we believe is happening when we partake of this sacrament. We believe that the Spirit lifts our hearts and our souls up to Christ, that we may spiritually, yet truly, partake of Him and receive nourishment and grace for our walk with the Lord. One reason that B.B. Warfield called John Calvin the “theologian of the Holy Spirit” is because of the emphasis he put on the Spirit’s work in the Lord’s Supper, but also in the whole of the Christian life. And so when you come to this Table, don’t just do it as a routine, but do it expectantly, and do it in faith.

And lastly, we come to prayer… an often overlooked or neglected means of grace.

For it’s in prayer that you can confess your sin and need for the Lord, and it’s in prayer where we are told that the Spirit specifically aids us. As we read in Romans 8, “The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Think about how amazing it is that you can talk directly to the living God. That You can approach Him in the name of Jesus, knowing that He hears you. And then understand that even when you don’t pray as you should, when you’re unsure what to say or are too weak to even speak, the Spirit Himself is at work, making known your needs to the Lord.

And so what I want you to see this morning is that walking in the Spirit is not a mystery or just a nice Christian phrase. The Lord has given you specific practices to pursue that He has ordained to be a benefit to you in your faith. That He has promised to work through for your good.

But you do need to understand one more thing about all of this…

There is a faithful way to practice Bible reading, and worship, and prayer… and there is a faithless way to practice them. By this I mean that there really is a way to be a very religious hypocrite. To be someone who just is going through the motions, but your mind and your heart is far from God. Maybe all of this is simply what your family does, or how you grew up, or for whatever reason, it’s the path of least resistance in your life… at least for now. What I mean is that you can diligently attend to the means of grace without faith. And one way to know if you are attending to these things with or without earnest faith is to examine your lives.

Do you actually desire to grow in holiness? Or are you actually fairly content with your sin? Do you love or hate your sin? Are they your beloved secret sins, or are they what you abhor? Are you growing in holiness? Are you putting up a fight and seeing any progress? Are you becoming more loving or more patient with those around you Or are you known as a bitter person, a liar, a manipulator, and someone quick to anger? Are you getting better at practicing self-control? Or do you feel yourself slipping each day?

On the surface—two people can look pretty similiar. They are both Christians and church-going people. They confess the same faith, they read the same Bible, they live in the same church community… And yet one can be filled by the Spirit with light and life, while the other is rotting on the inside.

But these things always become evident eventually. As our Lord Jesus taught, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man” (Mk. 7:20–23).

In our passage this morning are those two lists. Which list better characterizes your life? Which list do you truly long to belong to? The sinful deeds of the flesh… or the life marked by keeping in step with the Spirit—even imperfectly?

Conclusion

In conclusion, I want to highlight that one thing the Spirit grants believers is the gift of assurance—of the assurance of salvation.

As we read in Romans 8, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” To walk by the Spirit is to walk in the grace of God, which you have already received.

At the beginning of this sermon, I referenced the promise of the Spirit from Ezekiel. “I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes…” (Ezk. 36:26–27a). Here we see that the Spirit Himself gives you new life and He will cause you to faithfully walk in the Lord’s commandments.

So all of this we are considering this morning is done from a position of absolute rest and reliance on the finished work of Christ, which has been applied to us by the Spirit. There is real rest—you are not earning your salvation or favor from God. And yet, there is work to do. Sanctification involves your own will and effort.

Some days and weeks, you will feel like you are just gritting your teeth and forcing your way through whatever trial or temptation you are facing. You will find it is all very difficult—and you might be tempted to wonder if that means something has gone wrong or if you are even a child of God.

If this is you… Do not despair.

God has purposed to make you holy, and He will accomplish this in you through many tests and trials. This takes effort, but it is a kind of effort that comes from and works through the Spirit in you. As Philippians 2 reads, you are to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

The Christian life is one of striving and pushing forward, but it all grace, all the way down. You will need to fight. You will need to plan, and strategize, and get help, and fall down and get back up. But you will be able to look back, and you will see the Lord’s hand on every moment of it. You will be able to see that all of it was done with the Spirit’s help.

Therefore, do not lose heart. Do the next thing. Keep in step with the Spirit. And labor in the Lord, as He labors in you.