“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, revelings, 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.”
(Galatians 5:19–21)
The Christian is regenerated, or made a new creature in Christ, at the moment of salvation. Our old sinful nature is crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), and yet it will not be fully eradicated as long as we live in this mortal body. That is to say, the Spirit of God actively dwells within the believer, yet the remnants of the flesh remain.
And so begins the continual battle described throughout Scripture—a war not only between the good and evil that’s in the world, but of that which is also within the believer’s own heart. “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17). This internal conflict is part and parcel to the Christian life.
Paul’s list of the “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5:19-21 is not meant to be exhaustive but rather to illustrate the many manifestations of indwelling sin. These sins, often loud and dominating, stand in opposition to the quiet graces of the Spirit. It is no wonder that believers are more disturbed by their failures than comforted by their victories. The Spirit sensitizes the conscience, and where once sin could be committed without grief, it now provokes mourning. Like a speck in the eye, even the smallest sin grates against the renewed soul.[1]
And yet we should not despise this unrest for God uses the disquiet of a convicted conscience to sanctify His people. This is one of His primary means to move us toward repentance, humility, dependence, and prayer. The conviction of the Spirit within compels the believer to say with David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Psalm 51:10), and to strive with fresh resolve against every sin that still clings so closely.
The Lord Jesus Christ knew no sin, yet bore the full burden of it for His people. His anguish in Gethsemane and agony at Calvary were not for His own iniquities, but for ours. The believer, filled with His Spirit, must now view sin with the gravity and sorrow Christ bore when He suffered for it.
Moreover, we can be thankful that this holy struggle is not without hope. The same Spirit who convicts is the One who empowers. The war within is a sign of spiritual life, and the groans of the regenerate soul are always heard in heaven.
Contemplations:
- The Tender Conscience: When I feel the sharp pang of conviction over sin, I remember it is not a curse but a mercy. The Spirit within me is holy, and He will not permit me to be at peace with sin. That inner sting is a reminder that I am not my own; I belong to God.
- The Overwhelming Presence of Sin: Some days my failures seem to overshadow any progress. But I know that sin shouts while grace whispers, so I must not confuse volume for power. Grace is the work of God, a work which endures. And by His grace, sin shall not have dominion over me.
- Christ’s Turmoil for Our Sins: The weight I feel for my sin is but a shadow of the wrath Christ bore. That He, the Sinless One, would suffer in my place both humbles and strengthens me. It teaches me to despise sin and love holiness.
- The Purpose of Spiritual Disquiet: My sorrow over sin is not pointless. It drives me to prayer and makes me thirst for righteousness. It also strips away my pride. And this restlessness reminds me that I am still in the fight, that I am still in the process of being sanctified.
Prayer (Supplication):
O Lord my God, righteous and holy, I come before You with a heart both heavy and hopeful. I confess the conflict within me. Though You have made me a new creation in Christ, the old nature still wages war against Your Spirit which now lives in me. I see the works of the flesh too plainly in my thoughts, my words, my reactions, and my habits.
Forgive me, Lord, for how easily I turn my eyes from You and give place to that which grieves Your Spirit. How often I fail to crucify the flesh and instead walk in its ways. I see the bitterness of sin, and yet I return to it. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death?
But I thank You Lord for Your Spirit within me—this Holy Guest who will not be silent, who pricks my conscience and stirs my soul. Let His convicting work continue. Let me not become numb to sin nor weary of fighting it. Teach me to hate it, to flee from it, and to put it to death by the power of Your Word.
Strengthen me, Lord, for the daily battle. Let me not walk in the power of the flesh but in the power of Your might. Grant me grace to be vigilant, watchful, prayerful. Let Your Word dwell richly in me. Make me sensitive to the first whisper of temptation and swift to run to You for refuge from it.
Sanctify me through and through. Cleanse my thoughts, direct my affections, guide my speech, and guard my steps. Make me a vessel fit for Your use, holy and acceptable. Let me not be content with a form of godliness that lacks power, but let me walk by the Spirit and bear His fruit.
Above all, let my grief over sin not lead me to despair, but to the cross. There I see my Savior who bore my sins and secured my forgiveness. Let His sacrifice move me to holiness. Conform me more and more to His image, until the war within is ended and I stand faultless before You.
Until then, O Lord, uphold me, deal graciously with me, and finish the good work You have begun in me.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Further References for Galatians 5:19–21:
1 Corinthians 6:9; Matthew 15:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5.
[1] Christopher Love, The Dejected Soules Cure (London: printed for John Rothwell at the Fountain in Cheapside, 1657), 191–195.
