Galatians 5: Walk in the Spirit

Pastor Alex Hall | February 8, 2026

Walking in Spirit and Truth: A Call to Supernatural Living

There's an ancient invitation echoed throughout Scripture that resonates powerfully today: "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good." This isn't merely poetic language—it's a call to experience God in a way that transforms everything about how we live.

The promise attached to this invitation is remarkable: those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. If you find yourself in a season of lack, perhaps the real question isn't about what you're missing, but about what you're seeking. When we genuinely seek Him, we discover that everything we've been wanting, desiring, and longing for is found at the feet of Jesus.

The Danger of Missing Knowledge

Scripture warns us plainly: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." This isn't just about intellectual understanding—it's about the life-giving wisdom found in God's Word. When we're getting beaten down by life, attacked from every direction, it often traces back to a deficit of spiritual knowledge.

The enemy loses his foothold when we begin walking in the wisdom of God's Word. Fear, anxiety, worry, and addiction frequently persist in our lives because there are areas we haven't fully submitted to Him. This isn't about earning salvation through perfect obedience—that's impossible. Rather, it's about understanding that genuine love naturally desires to obey.

Consider how parents love their children unconditionally, yet still establish boundaries and discipline. The relationship never changes, but walking in obedience opens the door to blessing. God operates similarly. When we step outside His protective boundaries through disobedience, we remove ourselves from the place where He guards and guides us most effectively.

The Middle Ground: Spirit and Truth

The Christian landscape has often swung between two extremes. On one side, there are churches so focused on doctrinal truth that they've become dry, legalistic, and devoid of the Spirit's power. These communities often practice "white-knuckle Christianity"—desperately trying not to sin through sheer willpower, living in constant fear of condemnation.

On the other extreme are communities so focused on spiritual experiences that feelings trump Scripture. In these environments, "I feel God is telling me" can override clear biblical teaching, leading people into dangerous territory.

The call today is to the middle ground—a place where we walk authentically in both Spirit and truth. This is where supernatural fruit grows. This is where God's presence meets His Word, and transformation happens.

We live in a spiritual world, whether we acknowledge it or not. The unseen realm is more real than what our physical senses perceive. Learning to discern the voice of the Holy Spirit becomes essential, and we do this by filtering everything through God's Word. The Spirit will never contradict Scripture.

Freedom Without License

Galatians 5:1 declares, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." This freedom in Christ is glorious—but it's not a license to indulge the flesh.

The hyper-grace movement made this critical error, preaching that because we're saved by grace, our behavior doesn't matter. But Paul asks pointedly: "You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?"

True freedom isn't the ability to do whatever we want—it's the power to do what we should. We're called to use our freedom not to feed the flesh, but to starve it. The instruction is even more radical: crucify the flesh.

This means actively putting to death the desires and patterns that war against the Spirit. It's not passive. It's not hoping we'll somehow drift into holiness. It requires intentional, daily choices to walk in the Spirit rather than gratify fleshly desires.

The Fruit of Walking in the Spirit

When we walk in the Spirit, specific fruit emerges in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If these qualities seem absent, the solution isn't to try harder to manufacture them. Instead, we need to get deeper into God's Word and more intentional about walking in His Spirit.

As we immerse ourselves in Scripture, something supernatural happens. The desires of our hearts begin to change. What once seemed appealing loses its luster. What once felt like sacrifice becomes joy. This isn't willpower—it's transformation.

For those who feel trapped in cycles of sin, returning again and again to the same failures, there's hope. The key is to keep walking in the Spirit, keep returning to Him, keep learning to discern His voice through His Word.

The Old Man Must Stay Dead

When we give our lives to Christ, the old self dies. Romans 6 makes this clear: we're baptized into Christ's death so we can walk in newness of life. The old man has been crucified with Christ.

But here's the reality: the old man is always looking for resurrection. Like a flatlined heart monitor, it's searching for any sign of life, any opportunity to beat again. When we feel those old desires stirring, when we sense the flesh trying to reassert control, that's the moment to declare: "No. You've been crucified. I walk in the Spirit, not the flesh."

This is daily spiritual warfare. Sin is no longer our master. We're not under law but under grace—which means we have the power to say no to sin and yes to righteousness.

A Prayer for Transformation

Perhaps you recognize that you're not where you need to be spiritually. Maybe you don't even want to change yet. That's okay. Start with this prayer: "Lord, I want to want to change."

God honors that honest cry. He begins to shift the desires of your heart, transforming your taste for worldly things to align with His taste. What once satisfied begins to feel empty. What once seemed restrictive becomes freedom.

The invitation stands: taste and see that the Lord is good. Those who seek Him lack no good thing. Walk in the Spirit today. Crucify the flesh. Experience the supernatural life He's calling you to—a life marked not by striving, but by the beautiful fruit of His Spirit growing naturally as you abide in Him.