Do you live a spirit-led and spirit-fed life? To do so, the Holy Spirit must live in you! Otherwise, it is not possible.

Spirit Led, Spirit Fed: That Old Sinful Life is Now Dead

STM Bible Lesson

Lesson focus: Galatians 5:25. Bible lesson background Galatians 5:16-26: As born-again believers (new people) we must learn to walk by the Spirit. This portion of the letter to the believers in Galatia covers the 3-step process to Our Spiritual Growth (5:16-26)

1. The new person and Holy Spirit, and the war between the flesh [sin nature] and the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18).

2. Ways or works of the sinful life must be mindful of the old sinful life (Galatians 5:19-21).

3. The benefits or fruit of the Spirit-led Spirit-fed life and learning to live victoriously over the old sinful desires (Galatians 5:22-26).

Galatians 5:25 [read Galatians 5:16-25 (25)]

If the Holy Spirit is living in us, let us be led by Him in all things. (NLV)

KJV: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Live a Spirit-led life

Galatians 5:24-26 [read Galatians 5:16-25 (24-26)]

We belong to Christ. As a result, we no longer obey our wrong human thoughts. We stop doing the bad things that our thoughts want us to do. It is like we have killed those thoughts on the cross. 25 Now it is God’s Spirit that gives us life. So we must let God’s Spirit lead us in how we live. 26 We must not become proud. We must not be jealous of each other, so that we cause trouble to one another. (EASY)

KJV: And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Do you live a spirit-led and spirit-fed life? In other words, a life led by the Holy Spirit in all things. As well as nourished by the spiritual food, God’s Word. A life like Jesus Christ, the perfect example. You do realize that you must have the Holy Spirit living in you! Otherwise, it is not possible.

How do you benefit from this changed life?

1. It will be possible to change from doing what your sinful self wants to doing what God wants (Galatians 5:16-17).
2. You are freed from the Law of Moses. Which includes but is not limited to the Ten Commandments (Galatians 5:18).
3. If you live holy, you will have eternal life (Romans 8:13).

Live to please God

We must not live to satisfy our desires.

Romans 8:13-14 [read Romans 8:12-17 (13-14)]

If you do, you will die. But you will live, if by the help of God’s Spirit you say “No” to your desires. 14 Only those people who are led by God’s Spirit are his children. (CEV)

KJV: For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Did you know Jesus, like the Children of Israel (COI), had a wilderness experience*. He spent 40 days in the wilderness led by the Holy Spirit. Their wilderness experience lasted 40 years**.

Footnotes: * Jesus in the wilderness: Luke 4:1-13 (1 and 4) [compare: Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12,13] ♦ || ♦ ** COI wilderness experience: Exodus 12:37-18:27.

Be Spirit-fed

For this reason, It is the task of spirit-led ministers to feed and look after God’s children. Jesus told Peter to “feed my lambs and sheep” [read John 21:15-19 (15-17)].

Paul speaks to the elders from Ephesus

Acts 20:28 [read Acts 20:17-38 (28)]

So, pay close attention to your [own] lives, and to all [members] of the flock [i.e., the congregation] of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [i.e., elders, shepherds or pastors]. Provide [spiritual] food for the church of the Lord which He purchased by [shedding] His own blood. (AUV)

KJV: Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Congregation leaders are to shepherd

Peter later tells the elders (bishops or overseers) to “Feed the flock of God which is among you”. It is important to realize this is about spiritual feeding, not physical. A good example can be found in Acts 6:1-7 (1-4).

1 Peter 5:2-3 [read 1 Peter 5:1-4 (2-3)]

Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over it, not because you must but because you want to, and not greedily [for money or profit] but eagerly, as God desires. 3 Do not lord it over the people entrusted to you, but be examples to the flock. (ISV)

KJV: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

Know when to give tasks to others

Acts 6:1-2 [read Acts 6:1-7 (1-2)]

At that time, a lot of people believed in Jesus and started to follow him. Some of them talked in the Greek language, and some of them talked in the Jewish language, called Hebrew. The Christians that talked Greek complained about the Christians that talked Hebrew. They said that the people that looked after the widows didn’t give enough food or money to the widows that talked Greek. 2 So Jesus’s 12 special workers called all the other Christians to a meeting.
They said, “We 12 men have been giving out the money and food, but now that job is too big for us. We haven’t got the time to do that job and then teach people God’s word properly. We have to keep on teaching people God’s word, so somebody else has to give out the money and food. (PEV)

KJV: And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

So you might ask, “With what were they to feed the children of God?” The simple answer is the word of God, your spiritual food. In fact, Jesus made this point clear in His response to the devil in the wilderness.

The devil tempts Jesus

Luke 4:3-4 [read Luke 4:1-13 (3-4)]

At that point, the devil came to Him.
Devil: Since You’re the Son of God, You don’t need to be hungry. Just tell this stone to transform itself into bread.
Jesus: 4 It is written in the Hebrew Scriptures, “People need more than bread to live.” (VOICE)

KJV: And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread. 4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

Born-again believers live two lives at the same time, a spiritual and physical life. So, the spiritual part of you needs food as well as the physical part. If you want to have eternal life, you need spiritual food, the word of God; spirit-fed. A final point, Jesus said:

“The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit“

Life Application Bible Commentary – This statement also applies to the correct mode of interpretation: A fleshly interpretation of his words would yield nothing; one must apply a spiritual interpretation to Spirit-inspired words.

John 6:63 [read John 6:60-71 (63)]

It is the Spirit Who gives life [He is the Life-giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit [food for your spiritual nutrition] and life [providing eternal life]. (AMPC)

KJV: It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

The Old Sinful Life is Now Dead

Romans 6:6-7 [read Romans 6:1-14 (6-7)]

We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. (NLT)

KJV: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Follow Christ’s example

1 Peter 4:1-2 [read 1 Peter 4:1-6 (1-2)]

Christ suffered while he was in his body. So you should strengthen yourselves with the same kind of thinking Christ had. The one who accepts suffering in this life has clearly decided to stop sinning. 2 Strengthen yourselves so that you will live your lives here on earth doing what God wants, not the evil things that people want to do. (ERV)

KJV: Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2 That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

Finally, if you have the Holy Spirit living in you. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you. Feed on God’s word for proper spiritual development. Then you can be dead to that old sinful life and sinful ways. So, be Spirit-led my friends in all things!

Thank you for taking the time to read this Bible lesson. I urge you to make full use of it. Blessings to you and your loved ones—♥ Tim. ☺

Related studies, lessons, and snacks for further spiritual growth:

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Law to Grace; How Did Jesus Make It Change? – an estimated 21-minute read.

Worship God In Spirit And Truth; That Pleases Him! – an estimated 13-minute read.

Control; Learn How To Handle Yourself In Better Ways! – an estimated 7-minute read.

Judge Sinful Living, It’s Helpful For Protecting God’s Children – an estimated 12-minute read.

See what is the latest on the Sound Truth Ministry website.

I look forward to your feedback via comment at the bottom of the page or by emailing tim@stministry.com. Have a fantabulous day!