“But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you ought to do.” Galatians 5:16-17
Paul points us to the secret weapon for a life of wisdom for Christians.
What is the secret weapon? What is the power source for our walk in wisdom?
It is the Spirit of God.
“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18
When a person entrusts their life to Jesus Christ they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. He is our comforter in our times of need, our divine conscience when we live contrary to the will of God. The Spirit points us to wisdom and prompts us to glorify God.
Why does Paul bring up drunkenness when he is talking about the Holy Spirit? Because drunkenness silences the Spirit of God in our life. It causes us to lower our inhibitions, lose control, walk away from wisdom into a life of folly. We know what happens when someone gets drunk: they lose self-control. Something else gains control of their decisions and actions.
Paul’s example of drunkenness is all about what has authority in your life. He is showing us that a Spirit-filled life walks in God’s wisdom. This indicates an intentional decision to yield control to the Holy Spirit. A life controlled by anything else will lead us away from wisdom. This is bigger than the issue of drunkenness. You can never touch a drop of alcohol yet be controlled by pornography and still silence the Spirit of God in your life. You can completely abstain from wine, beer, mixed drinks, etc. yet be a self-righteous jerk and completely silence the Spirit of God in your life.
To walk in the wisdom of God means you yield control of your life to the Spirit rather than anything else that causes us to lose control. We see this clearly laid out in today’s scripture, Galatians 5:16-17, “But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things you ought to do.”
The Scripture shows us that there is a battle being fought in us. It is a battle between the flesh and the Spirit. The Scripture shows us what this looks like in Galatians 5:19-23, “Now the works of the flesh are evident (or obvious): sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Each of these sins are issues of control that lead us away from the power of God. A true follower of Christ does not oppose God’s wisdom but surrenders to the Spirit and receives wisdom in God’s grace and mercy.
When the flesh has control, sin is lord and master. But when the Spirit has control through the grace of God, Jesus Christ is Lord and Master.
So, do you have the secret weapon of wisdom? What are you allowing to control your life? Does it lead to sin or life? Substances, social media, society, or Christ?
When a life is surrendered to the power of the Holy Spirit, that life points to Jesus as Lord, and its effects will be seen outwardly.
Taken from a sermon by George Wright, Senior Pastor, Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL
DIG DEEPER
Read “Asking God for Wisdom” by Bryant Wright
