Understanding Apostle Paul’s Inspired Writing in Galatians 5:1, 13–26

In verse one Paul wrote this:

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

In this verse Paul tells us to “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” We received this liberty when we believed upon Jesus, and he saved our souls, and we were born again into the family of God.

Paul continues with verse one: “and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” The yoke of bondage is the sin that was removed off of us when we gave our hearts to Jesus. To not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage means, we have to live clean holy lives before the Lord; we must hate sin, stay clear of it, and treat it as a horrible disease. Amen!

In verse thirteen, Paul wrote this:

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.”

In this verse, Paul reminds us we have been called unto liberty, and he goes on to say, “only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another”.

This means we are not to use the liberty we have in Jesus Christ our Lord to satisfy the lusts that come against our flesh. We must resist lust, temptations, and all sin-full thoughts that the enemy temps us with. We are required to strive for holiness. In keeping ourselves clean, Paul said, “but by love serve one another.” If we do this we will be confirming our love for the brethren.

In verse fourteen, Paul tells us this:

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

This is the second greatest commandment given to us by Jesus Christ our Lord. In Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus gave the two greatest commandments and said,

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

“This is the first and great commandment.”

If we love our neighbor as ourself, we will treat them well, and their needs will be just as important to us as our own needs. To satisfy this commandment we must look upon our neighbors with eyes of love, compassion, care, and a mindset for swift action; being ready to help our neighbors in time of need. I myself must do better at loving my neighbor as myself.

In verse fifteen, Paul tells us this:

“But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.”

In Paul’s warning in verse fifteen, if we get caught up in biting and devouring one of another, there is danger, because the devil has taken control, and with the devil in control, his desire is for us to consume one of another.

Jesus tells us in John 10:10:

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

To stop the devil from gaining this situation over us, we must walk in love, let things go, pray and give it to God. Amen!

In verse sixteen, Paul tells us this:

“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

To walk in the Spirit we must spend time with God, in prayer, in his Word, and we must meditate on all the good things of God constantly. By doing this, the desire for lustful things will dissipate, and if the enemy further temps us, we must rebuke it, and reject it.

In James 4:7 James tells us this:

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

If we are walking in the Spirit of the Lord, then we are submitted to him, so when temptation comes, we have authority and power to rebuke and resist the devil’s temptation, and by the authority that the Lord has given unto us, when we rebuke and resist the devil, he has to flee. Amen!

In verse seventeen Paul tells us this:

“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.”

This verse describes the continuous war going on between our flesh and the Spirit. Our flesh fights against the Spirit, and the Spirit fights back against the flesh. With this battle between the two, which one wins is determined by which one gets most of our attention, and which one we are feeding the most. If we fill our vessels with the things of the flesh, then the things of the Spirit just pour right off of us, and this gives our flesh authority in our lives. If we fill our vessels with the things of the Spirit, then the things of the flesh just pour right off of us, and this gives the Spirit authority in our lives. The choice is in our own hands to pick which one reins in our lives, the flesh or the Spirit.

In verse eighteen, Paul tells us this:

“But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”

This tells us that if we are walking daily with the Lord in his anointing, we are being led of the Spirit; this means we are in sync with the Spirit of the Lord. The law of sin which works through our flesh has no power over us, because we have put it under subjection, by walking in the Spirit of the Lord. Amen!

In verses Nineteen thru twenty-one, Paul tells us this:

“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.”

This is a list of evil things that the devil uses and attempts to manifest through our flesh. If we allowed the devil to manifest these evil things through our flesh, we would not be in right standing with God, and if we died in that condition, we would not go to heaven.

In verses twenty-two & twenty-three, Paul tells us this:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

This is the list of the Fruits of God’s Spirit. If we are walking daily with the Lord, in the Spirit of the Lord, these nine Fruits of the Lord’s Spirit are operating in our lives. If we died in this condition, we would definitely go to heaven. Glory Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus!

In verse twenty-four, Paul tells us this:

“And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.”

In this verse we learn that they who belong to Christ, they have crucified their flesh and have put their flesh under subjection. This is to deny the flesh the right to indulge in sinfulness.

To belong to Christ, this is mandatory; we have to keep our flesh in check. Amen!

In verse twenty-five, Paul tells us this:

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

This verse means, if we are a born again Christian, we are living in the Spirit. So, as we are born-again Christians living in the Spirit, we must also walk in the Spirit. We must let our born-again man thrive, and keep the old man, (the flesh) under subjection. Amen!

In verse twenty-six, Paul tells us this:

“Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”

This verse tells us not to desire things that will make for trouble, and things that lead to a down fall. These things lead to a break in unity among one another. Therefore, these vain glory things bring forth bad fruit, and are not of God’s Spirit, but are of the devil, and are unrighteousness manifested through the flesh. Amen!

(Photo Represents Apostle Paul)