Two Ways to Live: Flesh or Spirit
Month 4: Walking in the Spirit · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: Galatians 5:16-18
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Memory Verse
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”— Galatians 5:22-23 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Psalm 7; Psalm 27; Psalm 31; Psalm 34; Psalm 52
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 105 of 365 — David's psalms of trust under pressure.)The Heart of It
Paul tells the Galatians there are really only two ways to live. And a tug-of-war goes on inside every believer. There is the "flesh." That's our old, self-centered nature that wants what it wants right now. And there is the Holy Spirit, who wants to make us like Jesus. "Walk in the Spirit," Paul says, "and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" (). Notice he doesn't say "try harder until the bad wants go away." He says walk. Keep step with Someone. When we let the Spirit lead, the pull of the flesh loses its grip.
This is wonderfully freeing for a family. Being a Christian is not white-knuckle willpower. It's not gritting our teeth to be good. It's a relationship. We're led by a Person who lives in us. The flesh and the Spirit really do "war" against each other (). So kids should not be surprised when they feel the fight inside. That fight is normal. It's even a sign the Spirit is at work. The good news is that we are not left to win it alone. When we depend on the Helper instead of ourselves, He does in us what we could never do on our own.
Around the Table
There are two voices inside us: a selfish "me first" voice, and the Holy Spirit who helps us love. We follow the Helper!
Let's do it: Walk in a line behind Dad like a little train — "We follow the Helper, step by step!"
Paul says to "walk in the Spirit." Walking means going somewhere with someone, one step at a time, not all at once.
Let's talk: What's one thing the flesh wants that you can hand to the Spirit today?
The tug-of-war you feel inside isn't a sign something's wrong. It's the Spirit and the flesh both pulling. Maturity is learning which one to feed.
Let's go deeper: When you sense that inner fight, what would "walking in the Spirit" look like in that exact moment?
💬 Conversation Starter
Sometimes two "wants" pull at you, like sharing the last cookie or keeping it for yourself. How do you usually decide which one wins?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
How do we know the Christian life is more than just being good? Because the Bible says lasting change comes from the inside by the Spirit, not from rule-keeping (). The proof is real people whose hearts genuinely change. Not just their behavior, but the things they love. Always be ready to give that reason gently ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
Galatians is Paul's manifesto of grace. We are not justified by works, and we are not sanctified by works either. The same Spirit who saved your kids is the One who grows them. That matters for how you parent. If you only manage behavior, you'll raise children skilled at the flesh's quietest sin: self-righteousness. Aim instead to point them, again and again, to dependence on the Spirit. Model it out loud: "Daddy needs the Holy Spirit's help to be patient right now." Children learn to walk in the Spirit by watching a father who admits he can't do it without Him.
Draws on: Tony Evans, The Power of the Holy Spirit's Names.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that we don't have to win the fight inside on our own. Holy Spirit, lead us today, step by step, so we follow Jesus and not just ourselves. In Jesus' name, amen."
I don't have to white-knuckle it. I walk in step with the Spirit who lives in me.