The Gospel for the P.O.W.

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Galatians 5:16 ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:17–18 ESV

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Galatians 5:19–20 ESV

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

Galatians 5:21 ESV

envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:24 ESV

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Galatians 5:25 ESV

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Galatians 5:26 ESV

Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

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--- Title Slide

Pray...

Intro:

Prisoner of War

From “War Psychiatry”

The stages of the POW captivity experience are as follows:

capture, imprisonment, confinement, repatriation, and reintegration.

Capture:

Expectations fade of being rescued

A sense of disbelief that it’s actually happening

Imprisonment:

Feelings of longing for freedom, wishes for sympathy,

disconnected from the world are common in this phase.

This is also the period of hyper-vigilance, alertness, orienting to surroundings,

and attending to detail.

Long-Term Confinement:

The third phase of the POW experience, confinement, is characterized by

exploitative interrogations, confessions, isolation, boredom,

demoralization about the uncertainty of the situation,

and the need to make decisions regarding resistance and compliance.

The hypervigilant state (Imprisonment) is replaced by apathy,

unease/dissatisfaction with life,

and gradual movement toward accommodation to the situation.

Temporarily in Bondage

Awaiting Rescue

Ashamed that they were forced to surrender

Easily Lose Hope - “Will I ever get out of this?”

Felt Enslaved/Bondage

Life is Not Worth Living

Hungry/Mistreated/Malnourished

For us as we live out our lives...

many seeking Christ are frustrated, disillusioned and perilously close to despair because they are burdened by habitual sins that “rule over them.” And often these sins are kept hidden because of the fear of judgment and rejection.

First, there is a sincere desire to stop but an inability to do so despite their best efforts. They feel trapped in their behavior. Think about it in terms of addiction: addicts feel powerless to stop the controlling behavior.

Second, the sin and the extent of its destructiveness remain in the dark. Consequently, they experience tremendous shame and guilt. It begins to define their walk with Christ and becomes THE ISSUE of their lives.

Third, there may be a Jekyll and Hyde quality to their lives. When the pattern of behavior kicks in, they become someone else. In addition, they may do really well in achieving victory and then have a sudden slip or relapse, seemingly out of nowhere.

Fourth, the behavior almost always isolates people from true relationships. And both the cause and the solution of the behavior have, at their roots, a relational component. Thus, the solution has to focus on the relational and not just the moral. But more on that later.

Finally, acting out the habitual sin has an idolatrous aspect to it. Whatever they use in seeking to get their needs met is taking the place of God in their lives.

And the list of things that could fit into this category of struggle is long...

Lust / Pornography

Sexual Sin

Alcohol Excess and Abuse

Substances

Over-Indulgence

Gossip

Control

Fear of the Future or Fear of Man

Pride

Envy

Anger

Grumbling and Complaining

Discontentment

Laziness

Greed

Lying

Manipulation

If you need summary categories:

Augustine divided the flesh into two main branches,

pride (self-aggrandizement) and

sensuality (self-indulgence),

Luther - the main root of the flesh behind all other sins was unbelief;

Our Behaviors are the Result of Our Desires

Verse 16 sets the stage...

Galatians 5:16 ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Verse 17 helps us truly understand the true nature of our struggle.

Galatians 5:17 ESV

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

“desires of the flesh” and “desires of the Spirit”

We will return to the fact that they are at odds with each other.

For now, I want us to see how our desires manifest themselves into actions.

In v. 17, “desires of the flesh”

v. 19, “the works of the flesh are evident: (the list of things)”

In v. 17, “desires of the Spirit”

v. 22, “the fruit of the Spirit is … love, joy peace, patience...”

In the case of sin,

“Desire” becomes “works”

In the case of the Spirit,

“Desires” becomes “fruit”

In both cases, desire leads to a more tangible realization of that desire.

We often think of these as attitudes, characteristics, or outward behaviors.

So, the desire to have the same wealth as someone else,

leads to “enmity”, “envy”, maybe even “fits of anger”.

So, if you wishing you had someone else financial status...

and it shows up in you having “fits of anger”...

Then, for you to seek to stop your fits of anger...

is only dealing with the symptom of your real issue.

Now, stopping “fits of anger” is a good thing.

Yet, it does not solve the real issue.

Typically, our anger reveals what we really value...

And when that gets blocked,

anger shows up.

Do you see how desire for “greater wealth” was

the actual issue in your anger problem?

Diagnostic Question:

Why am I so drawn to doing this?

What is driving me toward this?

App. Apply this to any struggle...

Alcohol dependence or addiction

The substance is rarely your main problem.

It is definitely a problem,

but it is NOT your biggest problem (initially).

It will ultimately become a issue unto itself of addiction,

but as it begins in our lives,

it is the tangible result of something in the desire realm.

For instance, you are stressed out, mind going a million miles-an-hour...

You just need a glass of wine to calm down.

The wine becomes the result of wanting relief from your frantic mind...

And then, you can easily see how that will lead to greater and greater dependency...

B/c it was never about the glass of wine...

Yet, you need more and more of it over time.

So the Apostle Paul gives us a list of things (not exhaustive)...

Galatians 5:19–21 (ESV)

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.

If any of these things is dominating your life,

what desire of the flesh is driving them

and needs God’s power to release you from.

The Spirit and Our Flesh are at War

Galatians 5:17 ESV

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Embedded in this verse is both a Warning and a Promise.

A Warning

Desires of the flesh are AGAINST the Spirit

Desires of the Spirit are AGAINST the flesh

Flesh - Literally, it is referring to the “flesh and bones” of our body.

But applied to a conversation of our spiritual life...

“flesh” - the “passions and desires” that rage against the things of God.

Berkhof - “the pollution and corruption of human nature that results from sin”

Lovelace - “the characteristic bent of the flesh is toward independence from God, his truth and his will,”

Even after salvation/regeneration...

sinfulness still resides within us.

and it battles against the newfound desires of the Spirit.

Some translations, “sinful nature”

“for these are OPPOSED to each other”

“opposed” - hostile towards...

to be an adversary.

So the desires of the flesh “are hostile toward the desires of the Spirit.

They are at war.

So, know that the remaining sinfulness that resides within you...

it is AT WAR with the things of God and the Spirit’s leading.

“to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”

Man, don’t we feel that every day?

Paul says it another way earlier in our passage...

Our freedom in Christ is not a “hall pass” to whatever you want to do.

Galatians 5:13 ESV

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Galatians 5:14 ESV

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

A Promise

(v. 17) “For the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh.”

Now we’re talking...

It kind of discouraging to hear that our flesh battles against the Spirit.

We understand this very well.

We experience it all the time.

Yet, the promise of God is that he stands against the desire that rage in us.

We are not alone.

We are not powerless.

We are not in an unending prison of our sin struggles.

Galatians 5:24 ESV

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

They are present, but they do not have domineering power over us.

If you are in Christ (new creation), you are able to please God.

Able to see the flesh decrease within you...

by the power of the Spirit.

The Promise of the Spirit’s power shows up it...

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Victory Over Sin Comes by Following the Spirit

Often times, when we are dealing with sin struggles,

our attention is focused on the sin side of things.

“Stop it.”

And there is a certain simplistic wisdom to that.

But, if you have tried to battle sin in your life for long at all,

you know that trying to avoid or stop bad behavior seems to work for initially,

but over time, it lacks much real power to change.

That’s why I love this passage...

it is not simply about playing defense.

Galatians 5:16 (ESV)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:18 (ESV)

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Galatians 5:25 (ESV)

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

And you thought all that time as a kid playing “Follow the Leader” was a child’s game....

Yet, that is exactly what Paul says will battle against sexual immorality, jealousy, anger, drunkenness...

“The Spirit” - from the word for “wind”

Jesus spoke in John 3 that the Spirit is like the wind...

John 3:8 ESV

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

App. How am I supposed to follow “wind”?

And to tie this week of Following the Spirit to Todd’s sermon last week (Hermit)...

This is not meant to be a solo act.

Galatians 6:2 ESV

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

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Close in Prayer

Closing Song:

Benediction:

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 (ESV)

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely,

and may your whole spirit and soul and body

be kept blameless

[until] the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He who calls you is faithful;

he will surely do it.

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