There is a war taking place among all believers: while our new nature of the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives, our fleshly desires are constantly fighting against it. We must evaluate the “fruit” of our lives to know what has taken root in our hearts—what’s going on inside will match our outward actions. Producing godly fruit can only be done through the guidance and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture References

Galatians 5:16-26    

All Things New | Brett Yonker
2 Corinthians 5:17 • 2 Corinthians 5:21 • Isaiah 61:3 • Romans 3:25-26

Sing to the Lord | Grace Church Worship
Psalm 96 • Isaiah 49:13 • Revelation 7:12

I Surrender | All Sons and Daughters | iTunes
Romans 12:1 • James 4:10

Be thou My Vision
Deuteronomy 4:28-29, Jeremiah 9:23-24, 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

In Your Presence | Elevation Worship | iTunes
Psalm 16:11 • Deuteronomy 31:6 • Romans 8:31-34 • Psalm 16:7-8

Christ is Enough | iTunes
2 Corinthians 12:9 • Matthew 16:21-27

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1. It’s easy for us to deceive ourselves by trying to portray our image in a certain light on the outside, even though it doesn’t actually match up with our hearts. However, we cannot be mistaken: what’s on the outside is what’s on the inside—we cannot try to sell the idea that something might be on the outside that’s not in our hearts. Has there been a time in your life when you tried to “paste” on godly fruits (actions/results) to your life instead of examining and changing the roots (heart/desires)?

2. When our sinful nature craves worldly desires, we should not overly examine the guilt —we were born with that nature. However, we should be very concerned about the ultimate action of that craving, not the craving itself. When have you experienced guilt over your sinful nature? What is an example from your life when your thoughts were led by the flesh, but you were able to respond with actions of the Spirit?

3. We have to see the list of the fruit of the Spirit as a checklist, not a to-do list. Instead of trying to work on each of them, we have to acknowledge that we work on them indirectly by going to the heart of our sin. If we try and execute them as a to-do list, we will fail. What is a fruit of the Spirit that you often try to “make happen” instead of relying on the Spirit to transform you? What is the motivation for trying to force that fruit?

4. We have to budget time for the Spirit to speak to us through Scripture and we have to listen carefully. This means slowing down and intentionally being more reflective and open to what God is doing in our lives. What are you doing to cultivate the Spirit’s power in your own life? When is the last time He gave you direction and you felt so compelled that you had to go do it? When is the last time that He gave you insight on a situation for yourself or for someone else?

Thoughts to Consider:

– The temptation that Jesus experienced and that Adam originally felt was from the outside, not the inside of their souls. When we are in a situation deciding whether we will be led by the flesh or the Spirit, we do not feel totally free to sin or totally free to rise above it; this is because the war wages inside of our souls instead of coming from the outside.

– With Jesus’ death, part of us is supposed to die with Him. Every one of our sins can be traced back to a desire that we must crucify with Jesus and let go.

– Each personality has different triggers leading to sinful actions. It is critical for us to articulate this struggle aloud; we have to acknowledge that we do not have it all together and that we are all in the process of growth and maturity.

– When we look at the fruit of the Spirit like a to-do list, we measure our faith by our ability to force these fruit into our character. When we fail, we fall into despair. If we pull it off, we become arrogant and prideful. We are just substituting sins. Even though our fruit might temporarily look “good,” our roots have not changed at all.

– If your life reflects the list of sinful desires following the flesh, then you need to spend some time examining your soul because you do not have the assurance of being a Christian. Pray that God would give you a new heart. If you are a Christian following the list of these desires, talk to someone in your community before your heart gets any harder.