Galatians 5:13-26 (NIV)

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Reflection:

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. This is the deep, immovable foundation – God has created us new and made us united with Christ. To “put on” is the fruit of the Spirit and not the result of what we make because we can’t. But our entire being, starting with our hearts, has been regenerated, and therefore we can now obey God, meaning we can now keep in step with the Spirit and put off falsehood.

Response:

Let us walk by the Spirit, believing and trusting that we are fundamentally new creations in Christ. Serving one another humbly in love is who we are and how we are meant to live. Let’s thank God for the gift of His Spirit and in faith embrace the freedom that we have been given to live this way.