{"id":2368,"date":"2026-01-13T00:08:45","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T08:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/?p=2368"},"modified":"2026-01-12T18:17:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T02:17:57","slug":"january-13-walk-in-the-spirit-galatians-516","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/january-13-walk-in-the-spirit-galatians-516\/","title":{"rendered":"January 13\u2014Walk in the Spirit\u2014Galatians 5:16."},"content":{"rendered":"

Walk in the Spirit.
\nThis I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.\u00a0 <\/em>Galatians 5:16.<\/p>\n

What is \u201cthe lust of the flesh\u201d? 1John 2:16 says it is something that comes from the world not from the Father.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Physical Cravings<\/span>
    \nThis can include gluttony, sexual immorality, or substance abuse (Galatians 5:19-21). Though physical appetites themselves are part of human life, they become destructive when pursued outside the boundaries God has established.<\/li>\n
  2. Emotional and Mental Desires<\/span>
    \nJealousy, anger, bitterness, and uncontrolled ambition can also be considered outworkings of the flesh. These attitudes-if left unchecked-lead us to relational conflict and spiritual distance from God.<\/li>\n
  3. Idolatrous Pursuits<\/span>
    \nThe lust of the flesh compels us to make gods out of pleasure, comfort, or self-gratification. Any time we elevate a desire or habit to a position above God, it becomes an idol (Exodus 20:3).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Lust is a strong physical desire to gratify the flesh. \u00a0It can be a physical, emotional, or mental craving that if pursued beyond the boundaries that God sets for us to live a normal, godly life, can be sinful and destructive to our well-being spiritually, physically and mentally.\u00a0 That is why Paul is saying if we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfil the lust of the flesh, because the Holy Spirit will give us the strength, we need to overcome those desires that could become sinful.\u00a0 The Spirit will lead us away from temptations and false teachers that might cause us to stumble into sin.\u00a0 That is why we daily need to walk in the Spirit, so we keep our focus on the things of God and not on the world.<\/p>\n

    Now the practices of the [a]sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.<\/em>\u00a0 Galatians 5:19-21 Amplified Bible.<\/p>\n


    \n<\/em>\u00a92026 SGLY Ministry.
    \nSmile God Loves You Org.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Walk in the Spirit. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.\u00a0 Galatians 5:16. What is \u201cthe lust of the flesh\u201d? 1John 2:16 says it is something that comes from the world not from the Father. Physical Cravings This can include gluttony, sexual immorality, or…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2370,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3312],"tags":[1105,994,3385,1066,3395,3383,3392,3377,3393,942,3380,255,3391,3384,3378,3387,3389,3390,3381,3394,3388,3382,3386,580,3314,3379],"class_list":["post-2368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-walking-with-god","tag-1john-216","tag-anger","tag-bitterness","tag-comfort","tag-cravings","tag-destructive-habits","tag-exodus-203","tag-focus-on-god","tag-galatians-516","tag-galatians-519-21","tag-gluttony","tag-holy-spirit","tag-idols","tag-jealously","tag-lust-of-the-flesh","tag-outworkings-of-the-flesh","tag-pleasure","tag-self-gratification","tag-sexual-immorality","tag-sinful-practices","tag-spiritual-distance-from-god","tag-substance-abuse","tag-uncontrolled-ambition","tag-walk-in-the-spirit","tag-walking-with-god","tag-worldly-temptations"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Walk-in-the-Spirit-Galatians-5.16.jpg?fit=354%2C472&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2341,"url":"https:\/\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/january-5-walk-in-the-spirit-galatians-525\/","url_meta":{"origin":2368,"position":0},"title":"January 5\u2014Walk in the Spirit\u2014Galatians 5:25","author":"SGLY Devotionals","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Walk in the Spirit. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:25. The Apostle Paul is saying here in Galatians chapter 5 that those who have been saved by Christ and who have received His Holy Spirit should be living what they have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Walking With God"","block_context":{"text":"Walking With God","link":"https:\/\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/category\/walking-with-god\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Walk-in-the-Spirit--Galatians-5.25","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Walk-in-the-Spirit-Galatians-5.25.png?fit=354%2C472&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":443,"url":"https:\/\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/july-12-who-am-i-in-christ-filled\/","url_meta":{"origin":2368,"position":1},"title":"July 12–Who Am I in Christ? — Filled","author":"SGLY Devotionals","date":"July 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"In Christ I am: FILLED WITH FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.\u00a0 Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV Believers, in Christ we have been filled with all these wonderful qualities. As the Holy Spirit abides in us, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Who Am I in Christ?"","block_context":{"text":"Who Am I in Christ?","link":"https:\/\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/category\/who-am-i-in-christ\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"FILLED-Galatians-5.22-23","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/FILLED-Galatians-5.22-23.jpg?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":737,"url":"https:\/\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/september-17-ask-seek-knock-pray-against-evil-temptations\/","url_meta":{"origin":2368,"position":2},"title":"SEPTEMBER 17\u2014ASK-SEEK-KNOCK\u2014Pray Against Evil Temptations","author":"SGLY Devotionals","date":"September 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cWatch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.\u201d\u00a0 Mark 14:38 There are many temptations daily that can lead us believers astray. 1John 2:16 says: For all that\u00a0is\u00a0in the world\u2014the\u00a0lust\u00a0of\u00a0the flesh, the\u00a0lust\u00a0of\u00a0the eyes, and the pride\u00a0of\u00a0life\u2014is not\u00a0of\u00a0the Father but is\u00a0of\u00a0the world.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ask-Seek-Knock"","block_context":{"text":"Ask-Seek-Knock","link":"https:\/\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/category\/ask-seek-knock\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/ASK-SEEK-KNOCK-Mark-1438.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2110,"url":"https:\/\/smilegodlovesyou.org\/devotionals\/march-21-spiritual-vitamin-o-overcome\/","url_meta":{"origin":2368,"position":3},"title":"March 21–Spiritual Vitamin O: Overcome","author":"SGLY Devotionals","date":"March 21, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"SPIRITUAL VITAMIN O: OVERCOME \"Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.\" Romans 12:21 NKJV Today's Thought: Overcome means to defeat. 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