Galatians 5:24–25 (NKJV) — “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
Throughout Galatians 5, Paul teaches believers what it means to live in the freedom Christ has given them. Freedom does not mean that you are free to follow every desire, emotion, or impulse. Instead, you have been set free so that you can live under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Paul acknowledges that there will be an ongoing conflict between the flesh and the Spirit, but he does not leave you without direction. He tells you plainly, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).
By the time Paul reaches verses 24–25, he reminds you of who you belong to: “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Crucifying the flesh means those old desires no longer have the right to govern you simply because they are present. Then Paul immediately says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” In other words, something must replace the leadership the flesh once had. You do not simply empty yourself of old ways; you become increasingly filled with and led by the Holy Spirit.
Walking in the Spirit takes this beyond what happens in church, during prayer, or while reading your Bible. The Holy Spirit desires to lead you in your conversations, reactions, relationships, boundaries, habits, spending, decisions, opportunities, and private choices. He wants to lead you when you are peaceful and when you are frustrated, when you know exactly what to do and when you have no idea what comes next. The question becomes, “Who is leading me here, my flesh or the Spirit of God?” Just know that greater requires a more yielded version of you.
You have made it to Day Five, and everything we have talked about this week has been leading to this moment. This series began with a simple but challenging truth: sometimes it is tough to deny your flesh and what you want. Sometimes you do not even realize your flesh is leading until the Holy Spirit makes you aware of it. But if you want your next three years to be greater than your last three months, you cannot continue allowing yesterday’s habits, impulses, reactions, and undisciplined desires to determine tomorrow’s direction.
Day One reminded you that your flesh does not get the final say. You learned that every desire does not deserve a decision, every feeling does not require an action, and every thought does not deserve agreement. Day Two challenged you to stop feeding what you are trying to crucify, because you cannot continually water something and then wonder why it keeps growing. Day Three reminded you that denying yourself is not denying your destiny; sometimes the no you give your flesh is protecting the yes God has prepared for your future. Day Four brought it into everyday life by reminding you that discipline matters. New territory requires new discipline, and sometimes that discipline includes having difficult conversations, setting necessary boundaries, controlling your responses, and doing what needs to be done even when it is uncomfortable.
Now Day Five brings everything together with one question: Who will lead you from here?
Romans 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” God does not want you to spend the rest of your life simply fighting your flesh. He wants you to become increasingly sensitive to His Spirit. There is a difference between constantly asking, “What am I not allowed to do?” and beginning each day asking, “Holy Spirit, how do You want me to walk today?” That changes everything.
Instead of only asking, “Can I say this?” you begin asking, “Does this honor God?” Instead of asking, “Can I go there?” you ask, “Is God leading me there?” Instead of asking, “Can I afford this?” you may also ask, “Is this wise stewardship?” Instead of asking, “Do I have the right to be angry?” you ask, “How does the Holy Spirit want me to respond to what happened?” Instead of immediately accepting every opportunity, you learn to ask, “Is this an open door, or is it a distraction?” This is spiritual maturity. You stop living only by what is permissible and begin living by what is purposeful.
First Corinthians 10:23 says, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.” Just because you can do something does not mean you should. Just because something is available does not mean it is assigned to you. Just because a door opens does not automatically mean God told you to walk through it. A Spirit-led life requires discernment. And this is especially important when God begins giving you what you have prayed for.
Sometimes you become most dependent upon God when you desperately need an answer. You pray harder because you do not know what to do. You seek Him because you cannot see the way. But what happens when things begin working? What happens when you gain experience, your confidence grows, doors begin opening, and you start believing, “I know how to handle this now”? That is when you must remain careful.
Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Your experience is valuable, but it cannot replace dependence upon God. Your wisdom has grown, but you still need His wisdom. Your anointing may have increased, but you still need His Presence. You may be more anointed today than you were yesterday, but greater anointing requires greater surrender. The goal is not to become so experienced that you no longer need to ask God what to do. The goal is to become so mature that seeking Him becomes your first response even when you think you already know what to do.
This is where your prayer, “God, help me walk the fine line as I pursue the narrow path,” becomes even more important. Matthew 7:14 says, “Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life.” The narrow path requires intentionality. You cannot allow every desire to pull you from side to side. There will be things that look good, feel good, sound good, and may even be good for somebody else, but they may not belong on the path God has assigned to you. The Holy Spirit helps you know the difference.
Isaiah 30:21 says, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.’” Sometimes His direction will require you to move, and sometimes it will require you to wait. Sometimes He will tell you to speak, and sometimes He will tell you to be silent. Sometimes He will tell you to stay and work through something, and sometimes He will tell you it is time to leave. Your responsibility is not to make God agree with what you have already decided. Your responsibility is to remain close enough to hear Him and yielded enough to obey.
And Sunshine, sometimes one of the clearest signs of growth is that you handle familiar situations differently. The situation may look the same, but you are not the same person who encountered it before. Something that once caused you to immediately react now causes you to pray first. A conversation you once avoided, you can now have with maturity. Something that once offended you for days no longer has the same power over you. A temptation that once controlled you may still knock, but now you recognize it before opening the door. That is growth.
Second Corinthians 3:18 says that you are being “transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Transformation does not always happen dramatically. Sometimes it happens quietly through hundreds of decisions nobody else sees. Every time you choose the Spirit instead of the flesh, something is being strengthened in you. Do not become discouraged because you still have areas where you are growing. Galatians 5:17 already told you that the flesh and Spirit are contrary to one another. The presence of a struggle does not mean there has been no growth. Sometimes growth is revealed by who wins the decision now. Your flesh may still speak, but it does not have to lead.
And remember, crucifying your flesh is not about becoming miserable, emotionless, or afraid to enjoy life. God is not trying to remove your personality, creativity, passion, joy, or dreams. He is bringing those things under His leadership so they can serve His purpose instead of controlling you. Galatians 5:22–23 tells you what begins growing when the Spirit leads: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That is what greater should look like too.
If your next three years are going to be greater than your last three months, do not measure greater only by what you acquire. Greater may be that you have more peace. Greater may be that you no longer have to respond to everything. Greater may be that your prayer life is stronger, your boundaries are healthier, your relationships are more mature, your decisions are wiser, your emotions are more disciplined, and your obedience is quicker.
Sometimes greater is who you become before it is what you receive. Philippians 1:6 says, “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” God is still working. These five days were never about becoming perfect by Friday. They were about becoming more aware, more intentional, more disciplined, and more yielded. So, take the lessons with you. When your flesh speaks, remember that it does not get the final say. When something you are trying to overcome keeps growing, check what you are feeding. When obedience requires you to say no to yourself, remember that denying yourself is not denying your destiny. When you do not feel like doing what needs to be done, remember that discipline is preparing you for new territory. And when you are unsure which way to go, do not allow your flesh, emotions, fear, pride, or impatience to lead you. Let the Holy Spirit lead.
You do not have to figure out your next three years today. God is asking you to walk with Him today. Then, if He gives you tomorrow, get up and walk with Him again. One prayer at a time. One decision at a time. One disciplined choice at a time. One difficult conversation at a time. One act of obedience at a time. That is how you walk in the Spirit.
The goal of this series was never merely to teach you how to say no to your flesh. It was to help you develop a greater yes to God. Let your yes become stronger than your appetite, stronger than your feelings, stronger than your need to be right, stronger than your impatience, stronger than your fear, and stronger than your desire to have everything your own way. Your flesh may still have something to say, but it no longer gets to decide where you go. Let the Spirit lead.
Let’s Pray:
Father, in the name of Jesus, thank You for bringing me through another week and for every truth You have revealed along the way. Thank You for loving me enough to confront the things that could hinder my growth while giving me grace to become who You are calling me to be. I do not receive Your correction as condemnation; I receive it as evidence that You are still working in me. Holy Spirit, I give You permission to lead every area of my life. Lead my thoughts before they become words, my emotions before they become reactions, my desires before they become decisions, and my decisions before they become consequences. Lead me in my relationships, conversations, finances, responsibilities, opportunities, habits, boundaries, ministry, family, and private choices. I do not want to invite You into only the areas where I am confused. Teach me to seek You even when I think I know what to do. Father, help me recognize when my flesh is trying to take control. When pride speaks, teach me humility. When impatience speaks, teach me to wait. When anger speaks, give me self-control. When fear speaks, remind me of Your faithfulness. When offense speaks, help me choose forgiveness. When comfort tells me to procrastinate, strengthen me to be disciplined. When my flesh wants to avoid a necessary conversation, give me courage to speak truth in love, and when my flesh wants to say too much, give me wisdom to be quiet. Help me stop feeding what You are asking me to crucify. Show me where I continue giving attention, access, time, or energy to something that is working against the person You are developing me to become. Give me courage to close doors that need to close and wisdom to establish boundaries that protect what You are building in me. Father, when denying myself feels like I am losing something, remind me that surrender to You is never wasted. If You say no, help me trust You. If You say wait, help me remain faithful. If You redirect me, help me follow without constantly looking backward. I would rather have Your will than something I forced because I was unwilling to wait for You. Develop discipline in me for the new territory You are preparing me to steward. Help me do what needs to be done even when I do not feel like doing it. Teach me to honor small acts of obedience and not despise small beginnings. Make me consistent in prayer, faithful in Your Word, disciplined with my time, careful with my words, wise with my resources, and responsible with what You have already placed in my hands. Father, I want my next three years to be greater than my last three months, but today I understand greater differently. I do not only want more opportunities; I want more wisdom. I do not only want greater influence; I want greater humility. I do not only want greater territory; I want greater discipline. I do not only want greater anointing; I want greater surrender. As You increase the anointing upon my life, increase my dependence upon You. Do not allow familiarity, experience, success, or confidence to make me believe I can navigate new territory without Your Presence. Keep me close enough to hear Your voice and humble enough to obey it. God, help me walk the fine line as I pursue the narrow path. Guard me from distractions disguised as opportunities. Teach me that every open door is not necessarily my door and everything good is not necessarily my assignment. Give me discernment to know what You have chosen for me and courage to leave alone what You have not.
Holy Spirit, produce Your fruit in me. Let love govern how I treat people, joy remain when circumstances change, peace guard my heart, patience steady me while I wait, kindness and goodness shape my interactions, faithfulness keep me consistent, gentleness govern my strength, and self-control help me say no when my flesh demands yes. Thank You that You are not finished with me. When I stumble, help me rise. When I miss it, correct me. When I become distracted, refocus me. When I become tired, strengthen me. When I become uncertain, remind me that I do not need to know the entire road as long as I remain close to the One who does. So today I choose to walk in the Spirit. My flesh does not get the final say. My emotions do not get the final say. My past does not get the final say. Fear does not get the final say. Pride does not get the final say. You do, Lord. Father, lead me one day, one decision, one conversation, one boundary, one act of discipline, and one yes at a time. Continue the good work You have begun in me and prepare me for everything You have prepared for me. God my prayer is no longer simply, “God, give me greater.” My prayer is, “God, make me ready for greater, and when greater comes, keep me close to You.” In Jesus Christ Name, Amen.
Nugget ~ Your flesh may still speak, but it no longer has to lead. Greater is not only about what God places in your hands; it is about who you become while carrying it. Let the Holy Spirit lead, let discipline protect what God is developing, and let your yes to God become stronger than your yes to yourself.
Blessings…
Love, Dr. Jean…
Have A Blessed Weekend…
Discover more from Transformed at the WELL Devotional Ministry
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
