As I was reading through Galatians, I spent some time reading commentaries on the following verse:
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. [KJV was used because the commentary uses it.]
Below, are two commentaries on the above verse, the two that provided most insight to me. [I used E-sword commentaries, but these are available at Bible Hub dot com.]
From, John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible [I broke the writing into blocks to make reading a bit easier; but I did not change punctuation]:
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit,…. By “flesh” is meant, not the carnal or literal sense of the Scripture, which is Origen’s gloss, as militating against the spiritual sense of it; nor the sensual part of man rebelling against his rational powers; but the corruption of nature, which still is in regenerate persons: and is so called because it is propagated by carnal generation; has for its object carnal things; its lusts and works are fleshly; and though it has its seat in the heart, it shows itself in the flesh or members of the body, which are yielded as instruments of unrighteousness; and it makes and denominates men carnal, even believers themselves so far as it prevails:
by “the Spirit” is meant the internal principle of grace in a regenerate man, and is so called from the author of it, the Spirit of God, whose name it bears, because it is his workmanship; and from the seat and subject of it, the soul or spirit of man; and from the nature of it, it is spiritual, a new heart and a new Spirit; its objects are spiritual, and it minds, savours, and delights in spiritual things: and the meaning of the lusting of the one against the other, for it is reciprocal, hence it follows,
and the Spirit against the flesh, is that the one wills, chooses, desires, and affects what is contrary to the other; so the flesh, or the old man, the carnal I, in regenerate persons, wills, chooses, desires, and loves carnal things, which are contrary to the Spirit or principle of grace in the soul; and on the other hand, the Spirit or the new man, the spiritual I, wills, chooses, desire, approves, and loves spiritual things, such as are contrary to corrupt nature; and this sense is strengthened by the Oriental versions.
The Syriac version reads, “for the flesh desires that” דנכא, “which hurts”, or is contrary to “the Spirit”; and “the Spirit desires that which hurts”, or is contrary to the “flesh”; and much in the same way
the Arabic version renders it, “for the flesh desires that which militates against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires that which militates against the flesh”; to which the
Ethiopic version agrees, reading it thus, “for the flesh desires what the Spirit would not, and the Spirit desires what the flesh would not”; the reason whereof is suggested in the next clause:
and these are contrary the one to the other; as light and darkness, fire and water, or any two opposites can be thought to be; they are contrary in their nature, actings, and effects; there is not only a repugnancy to each other, but a continued war, conflict, and combat, is maintained between them;
the flesh is the law in the members or force of sin, which wars against the spirit, the law in the mind, or the force and power of the principle of grace; these are the company of two armies, to be seen in the Shulamite, fighting one against the other. So the Jews say (w) of the good imagination, and of the evil one, by which they mean the same as here, that they are like Abraham and Lot; and that
“though they are brethren, joined in one body, זה לזה הם אויבים, “they are enemies to one another”;” hence it follows,
so that ye cannot do the good that ye would
which may be understood both of evil things and of good things.
The former seems to be chiefly the apostle’s sense; since the whole of this text is a reason given why those who walk spiritually shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh, because they have a powerful governing principle in them, the Spirit, or grace; which though the flesh lusts against, and opposes itself unto, yet that also rises up against the flesh, and often hinders it from doing the works and lusts of it.
There is in regenerate men a propensity and inclination to sin, a carnal I, that wills and desires sin, and wishes for an opportunity to do it, which when it offers, the flesh strongly solicits to it;
but the Spirit, or the internal principle of grace, opposes the motion; and like another Joseph says, how can I commit this great wickedness and sin against a God of so much love and grace? it is a voice behind and even in a believer, which, when he is tempted to turn to the right hand or the left, says, this is the way, walk in it, and will not suffer him to go into crooked paths with the workers of iniquity; and so sin cannot have the dominion over him, because he is under grace as a reigning principle; and the old man cannot do the evil things he would, being under the restraints of mighty grace.
This is the apostle’s principal sense, and best suits with his reasoning in the context; but inasmuch as the lusting and opposition of these two principles are mutual and reciprocal, the other sense may also be taken in; as that oftentimes, by reason of the prevalence of corrupt nature, and power of indwelling sin, a regenerate man does the evil he would not, and cannot do the good he would; for he would always do good and nothing else, and even as the angels do it in heaven; but he cannot, because of this opposite principle, the flesh.
(w) Tzeror, Hammor, fol. 15. 3.
From Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments:
I say then — He now explains what he proposed Gal_5:13; [For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.]
Walk in, or by, the Spirit — Namely, the Spirit of God: follow his guidance, exercise his graces, and bring forth his fruits: at all times endeavour to conduct yourselves as under his influence, and in a way agreeable to the new nature he hath given you.
We walk by the Spirit, when we are led, that is, directed and governed by him as a Spirit of truth and grace, of wisdom and holiness. And we walk in the Spirit when, being united to him, or, rather, inhabited by him, we walk in faith, hope, and love, and in the other graces, mentioned Gal_5:22. And ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh — Ye will not gratify any sinful appetite or passion, any corrupt principle of your nature or disposition, which may yet have place in you; such as envy, malice, anger, or revenge.
For the flesh lusteth — Επιθυμει, desireth; against the Spirit — Your corrupt nature, as far as it remains corrupt, and is unrenewed, has inclinations and affections which are contrary to, and oppose the operations and graces of the Spirit of God: and the Spirit against the flesh — The Holy Spirit, on his part, opposes your evil nature, and all your corrupt inclinations and passions.
These — The flesh and the Spirit; are contrary to each other — There can be no agreement between them: so that ye cannot do, &c. — Greek, ινα μη, α αν θηλητε, ταυτα ποιητε, that what things you would, or may desire, or incline to, these you may not do, that is, connecting it with the clause immediately preceding, “though the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, yet the Spirit desireth against and opposes the flesh;
that, being thus strengthened by the Spirit, ye may not do the things ye would do if the Spirit did not thus assist you.”
This seems to be the genuine sense of the passage. But if ye be led by the Spirit — Of liberty and love, into all holiness; ye are not under the curse or bondage of the law — Not under the guilt or power of sin.
STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS:
A friend recently gave me a copy of a short book that provides much specific help on this warfare; I posted on it a while back, but it seems appropriate to mention it in this post:
Killing Sin Habits, Conquering Sin with Radical Faith, by Stuart Scott with Zondra Scott.
If you are fighting this battle, then you will certainly benefit from reading this 75-page book a few times and practicing it.
It is $10.95 at Amazon: