If You are Led by the Spirit, You are Not Under the Law

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (Gal 5.18)

In Galatians 5.16-17, Paul has been contrasting the flesh and the Spirit. “Flesh,” meaning relying upon and yielding to the desires of self as comes naturally for us all.

The principle of “the Spirit,” means to be under the control of the Holy Spirit of God.

But now, in verse 18, He instead contrasts the law with the Spirit. Although we know that the law is holy [i], to bring ourselves under its domain will only bring either pride or despair to our flesh. In pride we will convince ourselves that we can meet the law’s demands. In despair we will become demoralized that we cannot.

When we think we can make ourselves right with God apart from grace, it is because this is how the flesh thinks. We may rely upon the law’s demand toward us to fully obey God. The flesh will tell us that we can do this but the law reminds us that we cannot,[ii] The Spirit of God shows us that Jesus has met those demands in our behalf.

This is not only true concerning our justification (becoming righteous in our standing before God), but also our sanctification (becoming holy in our thoughts, actions and ways before God).

The law cannot empower the flesh to be righteous and holy; it can only bring to light our failure. Only the Holy Spirit can empower us to do so. That’s why we must rely on and submit to God’s work of grace in us.

Concerning this passage, Charles Spurgeon wrote.

He who looks at his own character and position from a legal point of view, will not only despair when he comes to the end of his reckoning, but if he is a wise man he will despair at the beginning; for if we are to be judged on the basis of the law, no living flesh shall be justified. How blessed to know that we dwell in the domains of grace and not of law! When thinking of my state before God the question is not, “Am I perfect in myself before the law?” but, “Am I perfect in Christ Jesus?” That is a very different matter.[iii]

Later, he writes:

Ah! believer, it is safer always for you to be led by the Spirit into gospel liberty than to wear legal fetters. Judge yourself by what Christ is rather than by what you are. Satan will try to mar your peace by reminding you of your sinfulness and imperfections: you can only meet his accusations by faithfully adhering to the gospel and refusing to wear the yoke of bondage.[iv]

God’s word teaches us that we cannot live up to the requirements of the Ten Commandments or the many other moral demands of the law. We are so far behind that we can never catch up. So let us hitch a ride with the only person who ever met those demands successfully – the Lord Jesus Christ!

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[i]  Ro 7:12 - Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

[ii] Romans 7.18 - For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

[iii] Morning and Evening – Charles Spurgeon

[iv] Ibid.