Galatians 5:19–21

"Now the works of the flesh are evident" — there was no difficulty in recognising them. So you have human corruption and human violence. You have idolatry and sorcery brought in, and on the other hand dissensions and divisions, which refer to the party-spirit that might be at work even among people who profess to be Christians. A child of God might slip into any of these evil things for a time. But Paul pronounces a solemn sentence on them: "those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

These verses (Gal. 5:19-21) give us a very dark catalogue of the works of the flesh, which are evident. Other workings of the flesh are not open and obvious, and only the spiritual can discern them. There is the mind of the flesh (Col. 2:18); and the flesh in its religious form, in which Paul could put no confidence (Phil. 3:3-4). But even among the evident works of the flesh, some offend us morally and others do not. They all offend God: "for what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15).

In the remaining verses of the chapter the Apostle contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit. It seems that he sums up the works of the flesh under seven heads. First comes the lusts of the flesh: "sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality." Then the superstition of the flesh: "idolatry" and "sorcery." Then the malice of the flesh, "enmity," leading to "strife"…

Who but the Spirit of God would have given the unholy list in this way? Who but He would have put fits of anger, strife and the like in the same category as offences everyone knows are vile — sexual immorality, murder and drunkenness? Man would have sorted them, putting first the ones that looked worst to him… But not so the Holy Spirit. He traces all to the one root. Whether it is murder or strife, sect-making (that is what "divisions" means here), or rivalries — which may even happen among believers — all of it comes from the flesh. And the flesh is incurably evil, in the saint as much as in the unconverted sinner.

The lust of the flesh brings forth its works as evil opportunity allows. Paul now lists them in their main varieties, as things the spiritual mind should fear and hate. They describe the evil activities of our fallen and marred humanity… A few deserve special notice: those which offend the natural conscience less, and for that very reason are more dangerous to the unwatchful believer.

There is a remarkable point in chapter 5, if we pay attention to it. It shows the character of this power that works in us. In verses 19 and 22 we see the contrast between "the works of the flesh" and "the fruit of the Spirit." Why are the words different? "Works" imply effort; the natural man understands this; it expresses his life in the world. But there is no effort connected with the thought of "fruit." No amount of trying would ever get fruit from a tree.

The law and the flesh go together, and applying the law provokes the flesh. As Paul wrote elsewhere, "if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'" That is why bringing the law back among the Galatians came with such a vigorous display of the works of the flesh.

Who but the Spirit of God would have given the unholy list in this way? Who but He would have put wrath and quarrelling in the same class as notoriously vile offences like fornication, murder, and drunkenness? Man would have sorted them, putting them in the order that seemed serious to him… But not so the Holy Spirit. He traces all to the one root. Whether it is murder or strife, sect-making (that is what "heresies" means), or rivalry — which may even happen among believers — all of it comes from the flesh. The flesh is incurably evil.

We may make other idols than the ones we see around us in China. My house may become my idol, or my books, or my study, or even my child. Anything that takes the place that God alone should have is an idol… And how many people are what we call "superstitious"! There are many things they will not do, because they say it will bring them "bad luck." This all comes under the heading of "witchcraft."

Revelation uses another word for sorceries, pharmakeia. It refers to drugs, "to stupefy with drugs," and then to any system of sorcery by spells… Sorcery belongs with the worst of sins, and Revelation uses the word for the professing church too, pictured as Babylon. The same word is translated "witchcraft" in Galatians 5:20.

How easy it is to have a spirit of enmity against a brother. He may have wronged us, and we do not forgive; after the enmities comes quarrelling. The enmities we may have kept in our heart, but very soon it comes out in an open quarrel. The fault, we think, is all on his side. But when we quarrelled as children, my mother always told us: "It takes two to make a quarrel." We can be certain that if we are mixed up in a quarrel, it is because we have yielded to the flesh… Then comes jealousy, one of the most common things in the heart of man. Then come outbursts of anger. We call it "quick-tempered" or "short-tempered," but it is one of the works of the flesh.

Rivalry is the work of the flesh. It is the principle behind most of our education. But in its spirit it is the exact opposite of the Spirit of Him "who did not quarrel or cry aloud, nor make His voice heard in the streets."

The apostle uses "heresy" for a party of self-will, a faction that cuts itself off from the assembly… A split inside soon becomes a split outside. False teaching, by contrast, looks for shelter inside, hoping to spread through the whole like yeast.

What terrible company the sect-maker is put in here… Scattering and dividing the saints of God is plainly a fleshly and devilish work.

You have here human corruption and human violence. You have idolatry and witchcraft brought in. On the other hand there are divisions and sects, which point to the party-spirit that might be at work even among people who claim to be Christians. A child of God might slip into any of these evil things for a time. But the sentence on them is solemn: "I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Who but the Spirit of God would have given the unholy list in this way? Who but He would have put wrath, quarrelling and the like in the same class as such notoriously vile offences as fornication, murders and drunkenness? Man would have sorted them by how serious they looked in his own eyes… But not so the Holy Spirit. He traces all to the one root. Murder or strife, sect-making (that is what "heresies" means), or rivalry, which can even appear among believers — all of it comes from the flesh. And the flesh is evil beyond cure, in the believer as much as in the unconverted sinner.

"Drunkenness" and "revellings" usually harm the person who indulges in them more than they harm anyone else, so ordinary moralists judge them leniently. Revellings, under slightly changed names, count among the accepted social customs of a society that calls itself Christian. Fashion, not the love and fear of God, decides how far this license may go, whether personal or social… But against these things the Spirit has perpetual war.

The apostle closes his list of things that are "obvious" with the sweeping phrase "and things like these." Hidden in it lies an ambush of countless other "passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." The Spirit of grace urges God's children, as strangers and exiles, to keep away from them. They all share one character, because they all contradict the will of God and go against the leading of the Spirit. The varieties of self-pleasing are as endless as the differences of face and form among people… Only those who are born of God can inherit the kingdom of God, and so they not only rejoice in His goodness but also, in spite of their natural selves, watch His ways and copy them.

Here the apostle disowns those who persist in an evil course… The truest believer may fall into the gravest sins when he stops watching himself. But you could not say he lives in them; they do not mark out his life. The Spirit of God works on the believer's conscience, so he owns and confesses his sin, and he receives forgiveness and cleansing. Such statements are not meant to stir up doubts in the hearts of saints. They are meant to test and sift what people claim to be.

Unbelievers practise such things: it is their life, their character. What a shame, then, if even a little of a believer's conduct looks like the conduct of someone bound for eternal punishment! Paul is not threatening the believer with this. He is showing him how wretchedly inconsistent it is to act as the world acts, when his own character and destiny are so far from the world's.

The remedy for the working of the flesh is not in trying to regulate it by law. It is in freedom from the flesh, by walking in the Spirit.