Galatians 5:16-17 NASB95
But I say, walk in the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Notice what this verse does not say. It does not say, “stop carrying out the desires of the flesh so that you can walk in the Spirit,” yet, sadly, this is what most Christians hear from the pulpit or in Bible studies. They are told that if they will just repent and lay down their sin, then they can start walking in the Spirit. Galatians and the rest of the New Testament are very clear; the only way to stop carrying out the desires of the flesh is to walk in the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit is to one step at a time abide in Christ, looking to him by faith step-by-step to be your victory. You don’t stop sinning so that you can start walking in victory. You walk in victory so that you can stop sinning. Walking in the Spirit is a choice, but it is the choice to trust Jesus to be your overcomer in every temptation. Obviously, to trust Jesus for his gift of victory moment by moment is a choice to appropriate him as your conqueror over the desires of the flesh, but there is a big difference between trying to quit sinning so that you can walk in freedom and appropriating Christ as your freedom so that you can quit sinning.
We have got to stop trying to make people feel guilty over their sin so that they will quit living the lifestyle they are living, and start teaching them about the Jesus who lives in them and is prepared to live through them a victorious life if they will simply trust him to be their victory one step at a time. Beating people over the head with guilt about their sin makes it all about them and their self-effort. Teaching them how to abide in Christ makes all about Him so that He gets all the glory. There is only one person who can live a victorious Christian life, and that is Jesus himself, who lives in us. Again, remember, we live by and from Christ, not for Christ.