To live by the Spirit means to live not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit: Paul contrasts the desires and thoughts of the flesh and the Spirit and writes that the Spirit of God lives in believers, and by the Spirit they put to death the deeds of the flesh. He calls those who are led by the Spirit of God sons of God; in Galatians 5:25, life by the Spirit is connected with walking by the Spirit.
What the Bible Says About This
- Paul urges believers to walk by the Spirit so that they will not gratify the desires of the flesh; the flesh and the Spirit oppose each other, and those who are led by the Spirit are not under the law (Galatians 5:16–18).
- He instructs those who live by the Spirit also to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25); he identifies love, joy, and peace, among other things, as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23).
- Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the flesh, while those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on spiritual things; the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:4–6).
- Paul writes to believers that they live not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in them; anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him (Romans 8:9–11).
- We are not debtors to the flesh: living according to the flesh leads to death, but putting to death the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit leads to life; all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (Romans 8:12–14).
- Whatever a person sows, that he will also reap: the one who sows to the flesh will reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life (Galatians 6:7–8).
The brief answer was prepared by the editorial team; the Scripture texts are from the Father’s Blessing Bible.
Key Scripture Passages
6 Scripture passages · Father’s Blessing Bible
Galatians 5:16–18
16 I say: walk by the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh, 17 because the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh; they oppose each other, so that you do not do what you would like. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Romans 8:2–14
2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and, concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it. 8 Therefore, those who live according to the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you live not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 But if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who lives in you. 12 So then, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh; 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the flesh, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Galatians 6:7–8
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. Whatever a person sows, he will also reap: 8 the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22–25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such people there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps in our weakness. For we do not know what we ought to pray for or how we should pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
Ephesians 5:18
And do not get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled with the Spirit,
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