Are You Keeping In Step

Text: Galatians 5:13­26, NIV, 13) You my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love. 14) The entire law is summed up in a single command” “Love your neighbor as your self.” 15) If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16) So I say live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17) For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18) But if you are lead by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19) The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20) idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21) and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23) gentleness and self control. Against such things there is no law.

24) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25) Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26) Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Especially verse 25:

Introduction: Today, I'd like to ask this question: As one living in the age of the Christian church, are you keeping in step with the Holy Spirit?

What is He doing in your life?

How can we keep in step with something invisible?

Some think we are to imitate the life of Christ. But keeping in step in the Christian life is not done through mere imitation but by identification. We don't live the Christian life by trying to mimic (copy) the lifestyle of Christ; rather, He lives His resurrected life through us because we have received Him by faith!

How can a believer learn to keep in step with the Savior?

The answer is found in our text in which Paul deals with this subject.
He calls attention to three things.

1. The Conflict: (Gal. 5:16­21). There is a war going on inside the believer. The Greek word for "contrary" means "to be opposite" or "to be in continual opposition." (We found out in the last message that we are in a battle.)

The old you and the new you don't get along at all. The flesh and the Spirit are mortal enemies. Civil War? Yes! Soon after we become Christians and begin to discover the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we make a starling discovery. We find that we have all kinds of opposition. A number of enemies will try to keep us from walking in the Spirit. These enemies will hinder our attempt to live the victorious Christian life!

A. The External Enemy: The World (1 John 2:15). John tells us not to love the world. The Greek word for "world" can mean several things: the earth (Acts 17:24), the human race (John 3:16), and the evil system opposed to God (1 John 2:15). Living the Christian life involves care-fully interacting with the world but not being submerged in it.

Ill. Think about this: Dealing with my trawler, (Boat). When the boat is in the water, there’s no problem, but when the water is in the boat, you’ve got problems. The boat was made to be in the water but sometimes even a slow leak will gradually become a large leak and can be devastating to the well being of the vessel. It can get so full of water, if not dealt with, until it may sink or turn upside down.

In contrast, it is ok for the Christian to be in the world, but it’s not very good for the world to be in the Christian. (Right now, across the Beaufort River, they are having the annual, Water festival. May people come from everywhere to dance and drink and see what’s happening. It is in the world and there is a lot of drinking and the like going on right now. It would be ok for a Christian to be there, but not be very good if that Christian indulged himself or herself with the sinful pleasures of that world.)

B. The Infernal Enemy: The Devil. Peter warns believers that Satan prowls around as a lion seeking to devour someone (1 Pet. 5:8). Satan should not be regarded lightly, for on our own, we are no match for him. Remember that the devil will seek to hinder you in every way possible. He is the prince of this world, the evil world that is, and he will do anything to capture us. He is a liar and a deceiver. He can, if we let him, make our boat start to take on water a little at a time. We may think it is no big deal but in time our life can become so full of corruption until we may go under or burst at the seams, out of control!! He is the “Infernal Enemy”. Watch him!!!

C. The Internal Enemy: The Flesh. (Gal. 5:16­21). The human body is not sinful; it's neutral. If the Holy Spirit controls the body, then we walk in the Spirit; but if the flesh controls the body, we walk in the lusts or desires of the flesh. The flesh stands for that part of man's nature wherein his natural desires have free rein. Sometimes the Bible refers to this flesh nature as the old man or the old nature.

Something wonderful happens when we receive Christ as our Savior; at that moment we receive a new spiritual nature. The Bible refers to this new nature as the new man. Paul explains the contrariness of these (5:17).

2. The Contrast: (Gal. 5:19­23). God wants us to walk in the Spirit (v. 16), but when we attempt this, a contrast occurs between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Paul talks about the negative first, listing sensual sins, superstitious sins, and social sins as works of the flesh. He then explains the fruit of the Spirit. The contrast between "works" and "fruit" is important.

A machine in a factory works and turns out a product, but it can never manufacture fruit. Fruit must grow out of life, and in the case of the believer it is the life of the Spirit.

3. The Conquest; (Gal. 5:24­26). Paul brings us to the point of victory here in this matter of walking in the Spirit!

Is the victorious Christian life possible? Yes!

But there are certain factors we need to take on board.

We must consider the historical aspect, that is, that we died to sin and are now alive in Christ because of His sacrifice and resurrection. The mental aspect must penetrate our minds so that we know we are truly dead to sin (Rom.6:11, In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God, in Jesus Christ).

The sensible aspect must penetrate our lives; we must walk in the Spirit, meaning we must keep in step with the Spirit. This involves the Word, prayer, worship, praise, service, and fellowship with God's people.


Conclusion: The secret to avoiding temptation and living a fruitful life in the will of God is not simple but it can be done: keep in step with His Spirit. Count yourself dead to sin and alive in Christ; don't simply imitate Jesus--die to yourself and allow Him to live through you!

We must work on self-control. It is not easy but it is possible to control our self and not be controlled by the sinful desires of the flesh. I could write a book on the pain that I caused myself and many other people in my life because, for a long time I did not walk in the Spirit but I walked in the ways of the world. I can still remember the self inflicted pain that was suffered.

Life is a Journey and it is my desire to work with God and help someone pass over a life of sin and confusion and live a life that is controlled by the Spirit of God.

Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

Don’t forget, one step to self-control is to do away with the “stinkin thinking”!!!


Robert N. Graves, Sr.
Fisherman for Christ.