As previously noted, here we are looking at Galatians 5, more specifically the contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit, which is followed by Paul’s exhortation to walk in the Spirit. Here we will also examine the role of repentance. Our background is that in Romans 6 we were instructed to consider ourselves dead to sin, as a recognition of what our baptism symbolized, and then to present ourselves, our whole being, to God as ‘being alive from the dead.’ We were called to live out our new life in Christ. Galatians 5 lists the types of things we are to consider ourselves dead to and what we are to be alive to, in two lists.

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:19–26 (NKJV)

These two contrasting lists are illustrative, and come across as comprehensive. I think we can find any sin we are aware of or have committed falling in or subsumed somewhere in Paul’s list of the ‘works of the flesh.’ In a similar way, what more needs to be seen in our lives to reflect Jesus beyond the list we have of the ‘fruit of the Spirit?’  

Now while it is easy to say that we are to consider ourselves as dead to sin and alive to God, in practice it doesn’t seem to be that easy. This is where repentance comes in. The gateway to salvation is repentance. We may have heard or been told that repent means ‘to turn and go the other way.’ Yet that isn’t actually what John and Jesus were preaching.

⁴ John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Mark 1:4 (NKJV)

¹⁴ Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14–15 (NKJV)

The word in Greek means to change our mind not our behaviour. A change in behaviour is the fruit of repentance. John and Jesus were both after a change in behaviour but as the outcome of a changed mind and heart.          

Understanding this brings us full circle back to Romans 6. When we change our mind about how we view and understand what happened at our conversion and the implications, we engage in a corresponding change in behaviour. We need to see the works of the flesh in Galatians 5 as something we no longer are, nor need to participate in. Then as we consider ourselves alive to God our behaviour undergoes a corresponding change and the fruit of the Spirt grows in our lives.

Now, back to repentance. Imagine you are walking East, you realize you are going in the wrong direction and should be headed West. You stop and change direction. Your repentance was the realization that you were going the wrong way and needed to change direction. Changing direction is the fruit of repentance. Now there is an important qualifier. If we change direction from East to West but continue looking back East, longingly or otherwise, we will find ourselves continually being tripped up because we cannot see where we are going. We will apply this more practically.

Imagine that you struggle with bitterness toward someone over a wrong they have committed against you. You realize that it is constantly intruding on your thought life, and that you want to let go of it. So, you get alone with the Lord and repent of holding onto bitterness and pray for the individual as Jesus instructs us (Matthew 5:43-48). However, the negative thoughts keep returning, here is where we need to choose to consider ourselves dead to bitterness and alive to Jesus in this scenario. This is where our feelings begin to change. We begin to feel His peace in our lives, and we may begin to feel love toward the individual who wronged us.     

Now, I am not suggesting this is an easy process. It may be very emotionally painful and it may take a protracted period of time. We may find ourselves looking back and tripping at times. However, the important element is choosing to engage in the process to walk in spiritual victory in our lives. That has been my goal in these posts on spiritual victory, the practical application of scripture to our daily lives. I trust they have been helpful.

In my last post I highlighted the reality of spiritual warfare and using the example of discouragement pointed out that spiritual victory was found in obeying the scriptural injunction to give thanks in all things to change our feeling state and perspective. Here we will look at a key passage related to spiritual victory.

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:12–14 (NKJV)

Here in Romans 6 Paul directs us to not allow sin to reign in our lives, which assumes we are able to live this out. To facilitate our understanding we look at one more passage which is regularly looked at in relation to spiritual victory.

⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, ⁵ casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:4–5 (NKJV)

We begin connecting the dots by looking at a key Greek word.

ὅπλον hoplon; a prim. word; a tool, implement, weapon:—armor(1), instruments(2), weapons(3).^[1]

The word ‘weapons’ in 2 Corinthians 10:4 is hoplon, it is also the word used twice in Romans 6:13 and translated as ‘instruments.’ An instrument is a tool we can use. A translators note in my bible at Romans 6:13 points out that ‘instruments’ could also be translated as ‘weapons.’ So Paul could have just as easily written ‘instruments’ in 2 Corinthians 10. Now we can bring some things together.

Let me begin with a crude analogy. A hammer is an instrument that can be used to build a house or be handled as a tool to tear things down or a weapon used to harm. The use is determined by the user. In our case we need to see our bodies as both instruments and weapons of righteousness. This encompasses our thoughts, actions and attitudes.

In Romans 6 Paul’s primary point is that we break the dominion of sin over our lives by presenting our bodies to God is ‘instruments of righteousness.’ This echoes the well-known Romans 12:1-2, which Paul comes to later. However, the injunction in 6:13 also follows on the heels of Paul’s teaching on baptism. We need to see the precedent to achieve the outcome.

Paul focuses on the importance and impact of baptism in Romans 6. After explaining how going into the water is like going into the grave and rising to a new life Paul tells us that in Christ, we are called to consider our old life a thing of the past and leave it in the past. He states it this way.

¹¹ Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:11 (NKJV)

We are to let of the old and focus on the new. We are to see our body as in ‘instrument of righteousness’ set apart for His purposes. This obviously is to impact how we live.

We walk in spiritual victory over temptation and darkness by how we view what He has accomplished in our lives and our identification with His death and resurrection. Over two decades the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “Become who you are.” This meant I needed to find my identify in Jesus as a new creation. However, the qualifier is that to live out a new creation identity I need to let go of my identity as an old creation. That is the point of baptism in Romans 6. I leave my old identity, habits and views in the grave and rise to walk in newness of life keeping in step with the Spirit and renew my mind based on His word. We may at times revert to our old identity but our call is to reckon the past as dead and gone and focus on our new life in Christ. This is the path to spiritual victory. As Paul put it elsewhere, particularly in verse 6.

⁴ I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, ⁵ hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, ⁶ that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Philemon 4–6 (NKJV)

Next week we will look at how to apply this in relation to Galatians 5 and the role of repentance.

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^[1] Robert L. Thomas, New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition (Anaheim: Foundation Publications, Inc., 1998).