Imagine two people facing the same frustrating situation.
Both are criticized unfairly.
One immediately becomes angry, attacks the other person, brings up old offenses, and refuses to listen.
The other also feels hurt and angry—but pauses, prays, controls their words, and responds with patience and gentleness.
The difference is not that one person has emotions and the other does not.
Both experienced pressure.
What changed was what governed their response.
That everyday struggle helps us understand one of the most important contrasts in Galatians 5:
the works of the flesh versus the fruit of the Spirit.
Paul is not simply giving Christians a list of terrible behaviors followed by a list of nice behaviors.
He is describing two very different directions of life.
One is increasingly controlled by sinful human desires.
The other is increasingly shaped by the Holy Spirit.
And the question Galatians 5 brings close to home is not merely:
“Which list can I memorize?”
It is:
“What is shaping the person I am becoming?”
Start With the Whole Passage: Galatians 5:13–26
Before studying only Galatians 5:19–23, read the wider section, Galatians 5:13–26.
Read Galatians 5:13–26 in the NIV on BibleGateway
The surrounding verses are essential.
Paul has been talking about freedom in Christ.
But Christian freedom creates an important question:
If believers are no longer trying to earn acceptance with God through law-keeping, does freedom mean we can simply do whatever we want?
Paul’s answer is no.
Christian freedom is not freedom to become more selfish.
It is freedom to love.
It is freedom to serve.
It is freedom to live under the transforming influence of the Holy Spirit rather than the domination of sinful desires.
That is why Galatians 5 moves from freedom to love, from love to the conflict between flesh and Spirit, and then to the works and fruit each way of living produces.
The passage is therefore about much more than behavior.
It is about what kind of freedom Christ gives and what kind of life that freedom produces.
What Does “Flesh” Mean in Galatians 5?
This is important because the word can easily be misunderstood.
When Paul talks about the flesh, he is not teaching that the physical human body itself is evil.
Eating is physical.
Sleeping is physical.
Working is physical.
Marriage involves physical life.
Jesus Himself took on a real human body.
The problem is not simply having a body.
In this context, flesh describes human life operating according to sinful desires and apart from God’s rule.
Think of it as the part of fallen human nature that says:
“I want what I want, and I want to be the one in control.”
Sometimes the flesh looks obviously immoral.
But sometimes it can look surprisingly respectable.
Pride can wear religious clothing.
Selfish ambition can appear in ministry.
Jealousy can appear between Christians.
Division can happen inside a church.
A person can look religious outwardly while still being driven inwardly by ego, rivalry, resentment, or the need to control others.
That matters because Galatians 5 does not reduce the flesh to sexual temptation.
Many of the behaviors Paul names are deeply relational.
Works of the Flesh vs. Fruit of the Spirit: What Is the Difference?
Paul deliberately places two outcomes beside one another.
Galatians 5:19–21 describes the works of the flesh.
Read Galatians 5:19–21 in the NIV on BibleGateway
Then Galatians 5:22–23 describes the fruit of the Spirit.
Read Galatians 5:22–23 in the NIV on BibleGateway
Here is the basic contrast:
| Works of the Flesh | Fruit of the Spirit |
|---|---|
| Arise from sinful human desires | Produced through the Spirit’s transforming work |
| Often center on self | Increasingly seek God’s will and others’ good |
| Damage relationship with God and people | Build Christlike character and healthy relationships |
| Include uncontrolled desires and reactions | Include Spirit-shaped responses and self-control |
| Often fragment and divide | Produce greater love, peace, patience, and faithfulness |
| Reveal life yielding to sinful desire | Reveal life increasingly yielding to the Holy Spirit |
This does not mean every bad decision proves someone has never known God.
Nor does one kind act prove spiritual maturity.
Paul is describing patterns, directions, and outcomes.
What repeatedly comes from our lives tells us something about what we are feeding and following.
What Do the “Works of the Flesh” Look Like?
Paul gives examples in Galatians 5:19–21.
Rather than merely memorizing the list, it helps to notice several larger patterns.
1. Desires That Reject God’s Boundaries
Some works of the flesh involve sexual immorality and uncontrolled sensual desire.
The problem beneath them is not merely desire itself.
God created human beings with desires.
The issue is desire refusing God’s boundaries and saying:
“What I want matters more than what God says.”
That principle extends beyond sexuality.
The flesh wants satisfaction without submission.
It wants pleasure without obedience.
It wants desire to become authority.
A Spirit-led life does not pretend desire disappears.
It learns to bring desire under God’s rule.
That is where self-control becomes so important.
2. Worship That Gives God’s Place to Something Else
Paul also identifies idolatrous practices.
Idolatry may sound distant to modern Christians because we often picture someone bowing before a carved statue.
But the underlying spiritual problem is broader:
Something created begins occupying the place that belongs to the Creator.
Money can become ultimate.
Success can become ultimate.
Romantic relationships can become ultimate.
Approval can become ultimate.
Political power can become ultimate.
Comfort can become ultimate.
Even ministry success can become something a person needs in order to feel valuable.
A helpful diagnostic question is:
“What am I most afraid to lose?”
Another is:
“What do I believe I must have in order to be okay?”
Our answers can reveal what has begun competing for God’s place in our hearts.
3. Relational Sins That Tear People Apart
This is one of the most overlooked features of the passage.
A large portion of Paul’s examples involve how people treat one another:
jealousy,
anger,
rivalry,
division,
envy,
hostility,
and factional behavior.
That means the works of the flesh are not only visible in obviously scandalous behavior.
They may appear during a church meeting.
During a disagreement between spouses.
Inside a family.
In workplace competition.
In a ministry team.
In comments online.
In gossip disguised as concern.
In the desire to prove someone else wrong.
This is especially significant because immediately before this section Paul has been talking about loving and serving one another.
The flesh fractures relationships.
The Spirit produces character that makes faithful relationships possible.
Love instead of selfishness.
Peace instead of needless conflict.
Patience instead of explosive frustration.
Kindness instead of cruelty.
Gentleness instead of domination.
Self-control instead of uncontrolled reaction.
4. Appetites That Begin Controlling the Person
Paul also refers to patterns associated with drunkenness and uncontrolled excess.
Again, the deeper issue is mastery.
What controls me?
A desire may begin as something we use.
Eventually it can become something that uses us.
The principle can apply to many areas of modern life.
Alcohol.
Pornography.
Food.
Shopping.
Gaming.
Social media.
Anger.
Attention.
Entertainment.
The issue is not that every enjoyable activity is sinful.
The issue is whether a desire increasingly rules our choices.
A powerful question is:
“Can I say no?”
Self-control is not the absence of desire.
It is the growing ability, through the Spirit’s work, to refuse being mastered by desire.
The Phrase “And the Like” Matters
Paul’s list is not intended to be an exhaustive encyclopedia of every possible sin.
At the end of the list, he includes wording showing that these are representative examples.
That means we should not ask only:
“Is my exact behavior written somewhere in this list?”
A better question is:
“Does this behavior come from the same kind of self-directed life Paul is describing?”
That is far more searching.
A behavior does not need to appear by name in Galatians 5 for its underlying spirit to resemble jealousy, selfish ambition, uncontrolled desire, division, idolatry, or rage.
What Is the Fruit of the Spirit?
Now the passage changes direction.
Paul describes:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
These are not nine spiritual trophies awarded to unusually devoted Christians.
They describe the character the Holy Spirit develops in believers.
Your main 9 Fruits of the Spirit Explained article explores each one individually.
This article is asking a different question:
What does their presence tell us when compared with the works of the flesh?
The answer is transformation.
The fruit shows what begins happening when the governing influence of a person’s life changes.
Someone who once had to win every argument begins learning gentleness.
Someone ruled by impulse begins developing self-control.
Someone consumed by jealousy learns to rejoice in another person’s good.
Someone who retaliated immediately begins learning patience.
Someone whose relationships repeatedly collapsed through selfishness begins learning love.
That is not merely personality improvement.
It is spiritual formation.
Why Does Paul Say “Works” but “Fruit”?
There is a striking difference in Paul’s wording.
He speaks of works of the flesh but fruit of the Spirit.
He also uses the singular idea of fruit when describing the Spirit-produced qualities.
Several commentators have observed the significance of that contrast: the Spirit’s fruit is presented as a unified pattern of character rather than independent virtues Christians simply choose from.
The picture of fruit also communicates something organic.
You cannot tape apples onto a dead tree and make it fruitful.
It might look convincing from a distance.
But the apples are not coming from the life of the tree.
Likewise, Christians can sometimes imitate outward behavior temporarily.
Smile.
Speak politely.
Suppress anger.
Appear patient.
But biblical transformation goes deeper.
God is concerned with what is becoming true inside us, because eventually what is inside comes out.
At the same time, this does not mean Christians do nothing.
Fruit grows organically, but healthy growth still involves:
remaining close to Christ,
prayer,
Scripture,
obedience,
repentance,
Christian community,
resisting temptation,
and responding when the Spirit convicts us.
Dependence upon the Spirit is not passivity.
The Flesh and the Spirit Produce Different Harvests
Consider several everyday situations.
When Someone Criticizes You
The flesh may say:
Attack. Defend yourself. Embarrass them. Make sure you win.
The Spirit may produce:
self-control,
gentleness,
patience,
and enough humility to ask whether any part of the criticism is true.
You may still need to correct a false accusation.
Gentleness does not mean weakness.
But the manner of your response changes.
When Someone Else Succeeds
The flesh may respond:
Why them? I deserve that.
Envy begins comparing.
It looks for flaws.
It secretly enjoys another person’s failure.
A Spirit-shaped response can rejoice, bless, encourage, and remain faithful to what God has given you.
When You Are Angry
Anger itself can alert us that something is wrong.
But uncontrolled anger can quickly become destructive.
The flesh wants immediate release.
Raise your voice.
Send the message.
Make the comment.
Punish the person.
The Spirit produces self-control and patience that create space between emotion and action.
That pause can prevent enormous damage.
When You Are Tempted
The flesh says:
You want it. Take it.
The Spirit reminds you that desire does not have to become master.
Sometimes Spirit-led obedience looks very practical:
leaving the room,
closing the browser,
calling someone,
removing access,
changing the environment,
or refusing to entertain the thought.
When You Do Not Get Your Way
This may be one of the clearest tests.
How do you behave when you cannot control the outcome?
Do you manipulate?
Withdraw affection?
Become hostile?
Complain?
Create division?
Or are you learning to trust God even when you do not get the result you wanted?
Pressure often reveals whether our character is being governed by self-rule or reshaped by the Spirit.
A Simple Flesh-or-Spirit Diagnostic
Do not use this to judge everyone around you.
Use it first on yourself.
When pressure comes, ask:
What is this situation pulling out of me?
Is it producing:
resentment,
envy,
rage,
selfish ambition,
compromise,
dishonesty,
division,
or uncontrolled desire?
Or is the Spirit increasingly producing:
love,
peace,
patience,
kindness,
faithfulness,
gentleness,
and self-control?
The question is not whether you respond perfectly every time.
The question is:
What direction is becoming more characteristic of your life?
Can Christians Still Struggle With the Works of the Flesh?
Yes.
In fact, Paul describes an active conflict between flesh and Spirit earlier in this same passage.
Read Galatians 5:16–18 in the NIV on BibleGateway
Christians do not become incapable of temptation the moment they believe.
You may still feel jealousy.
Anger can still rise.
Sexual temptation can still occur.
Pride still tries to speak.
Selfishness still pulls.
The presence of temptation is not identical to surrendering to temptation.
And a failure does not mean all spiritual growth has disappeared.
But neither should Christians become comfortable with patterns Scripture calls sinful.
The Christian response is not:
“This is just who I am.”
It is:
“This is something Christ is calling me away from.”
That distinction matters.
What About Paul’s Warning About the Kingdom of God?
Galatians 5:21 contains a serious warning concerning those whose lives are characterized by the kinds of practices Paul has described.
We should not weaken the warning.
But we should also not turn it into:
“I became angry yesterday, therefore I am certainly not saved.”
Paul is addressing a way of life—persistent patterns that reveal allegiance and direction.
His warning should produce sober self-examination.
If someone claims to follow Christ while deliberately building a life around unrepentant sin, Scripture gives no basis for casual spiritual confidence.
At the same time, a Christian who falls, is convicted, repents, seeks God’s help, and continues fighting sin should not confuse the battle against sin with peaceful surrender to it.
A useful distinction is:
Struggling with sin is not the same as making peace with sin.
What Does It Mean That Believers Have “Crucified the Flesh”?
Galatians 5:24 connects belonging to Christ with a decisive rejection of the flesh’s rule.
Read Galatians 5:24–26 in the NIV on BibleGateway
This does not mean sinful desires never appear again.
Paul would not immediately tell Christians to continue keeping in step with the Spirit if there were no ongoing choices to make.
Instead, belonging to Christ changes our allegiance.
The flesh is no longer supposed to be treated as rightful king.
Its desires may shout.
But they no longer have unquestioned authority.
That is a profound difference.
From Works of the Flesh to Spirit-Shaped Responses
What do you do when you recognize the flesh operating in your life?
Recognize It Honestly
Do not rename what Scripture calls sin.
Jealousy is not merely “being competitive.”
Gossip is not simply “keeping people informed.”
Rage is not automatically “being passionate.”
Selfish ambition is not always “having high standards.”
Honesty breaks the power of excuses.
Bring It Before God
Confession is agreement with God.
You stop defending the behavior and acknowledge it.
Not:
“Lord, I’m sorry they made me angry.”
But:
“Lord, I responded sinfully in my anger.”
That difference matters.
Repent, Not Merely Regret
Regret says:
“I wish I hadn’t experienced the consequences.”
Repentance says:
“I want to turn away from this.”
That turning may require practical change.
Remove What Feeds the Pattern
Sometimes we repeatedly pray for victory while leaving every source of temptation untouched.
If something consistently feeds sin, ask what needs to change.
Access?
Environment?
Relationship boundaries?
Media?
Schedule?
Privacy?
Money?
Habits?
Practical wisdom is not a lack of faith.
Replace the Fleshly Response
Biblical change is often not merely stopping something.
It involves learning a different response.
Replace rage with controlled speech.
Replace envy with gratitude.
Replace rivalry with encouragement.
Replace selfishness with service.
Replace indulgence with self-control.
Replace division with peacemaking where truth allows.
Keep Walking With the Spirit
A single victory does not finish the process.
A single failure does not finish it either.
Walking implies continued movement.
Day after day.
Decision after decision.
Sometimes the most important spiritual growth happens in choices no one else sees.
Do Not Use Galatians 5 as a Weapon Against Other People
There is an irony worth noticing.
Someone can read a passage about the works of the flesh and immediately begin identifying everyone else’s sins.
“They are jealous.”
“She causes division.”
“He has no self-control.”
But if studying the passage produces pride, hostility, or self-righteousness in us, we may be displaying the very problem we are studying.
Galatians continues into chapter 6 by teaching believers how to respond when someone is caught in sin—with restoration and gentleness while watching themselves carefully.
Read Galatians 6:1–5 in the NIV on BibleGateway
The purpose of biblical discernment is not spiritual superiority.
It is transformation.
Why Relationships Reveal the Flesh So Quickly
You can appear very spiritually mature when no one disagrees with you.
Relationships change that.
People interrupt you.
Misunderstand you.
Disappoint you.
Compete with you.
Need something at an inconvenient time.
Criticize you.
Move slower than you want.
Fail to appreciate you.
Suddenly, what is inside becomes visible.
This is one reason so many works of the flesh in Galatians 5 are relational.
Christian maturity is not tested only by how peaceful you feel while praying alone.
It is revealed by what happens when another imperfect person enters the room.
And this is also where the fruit of the Spirit becomes beautiful.
Love becomes visible because someone needed love.
Patience becomes visible because someone tested patience.
Gentleness becomes visible because you had enough power to be harsh but chose a different way.
Self-control becomes visible because you had an impulse you refused to obey.
Fruit becomes visible in real life.
Works of the Flesh vs. Fruit of the Spirit in One Everyday Example
Imagine someone sends you a message criticizing something you did.
Your first reaction is anger.
Your mind immediately produces five responses.
The flesh says:
Send the harshest one now.
But you stop.
You recognize the anger.
You pray.
You wait.
You reread the message.
You realize one part of the criticism is unfair, but another part may be valid.
Later you answer clearly without attacking the person.
Did the Spirit prevent you from feeling anger?
No.
But your anger did not become master.
Self-control created space.
Gentleness shaped your tone.
Patience slowed the reaction.
Goodness helped you choose what was right rather than what felt satisfying.
That is what makes Galatians 5 intensely practical.
The difference between flesh and Spirit can appear in thirty seconds before you press Send.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the works of the flesh in Galatians 5?
They are sinful behaviors and patterns Paul identifies in Galatians 5:19–21 as examples of life governed by fallen human desires rather than the Holy Spirit. They include sins involving sexuality, false worship, destructive relationships, uncontrolled anger, rivalry, envy, and excess.
What is the main difference between works of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit?
The works of the flesh reveal sinful human desire operating outside God’s rule. The fruit of the Spirit describes Christlike character produced as the Holy Spirit works in believers.
Why does Paul say “fruit” instead of “fruits”?
Paul uses the singular expression fruit of the Spirit. This presents love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control together as a unified picture of Spirit-shaped character rather than unrelated qualities.
Does having a sinful thought mean I am walking in the flesh?
Not every temptation or unwanted thought means you have surrendered to the flesh.
Temptation creates a decision point.
What matters is what you entertain, choose, feed, and obey.
Can a Christian show both fleshly behavior and spiritual fruit?
Christians can still sin and experience the conflict between flesh and Spirit. Spiritual maturity is therefore not sinless perfection. However, believers should increasingly resist fleshly patterns and show growing evidence of Spirit-produced character.
How can I stop walking according to the flesh?
Begin with dependence upon Christ and the Holy Spirit. Recognize sinful patterns honestly, confess and repent, remove what feeds temptation where possible, renew your thinking through Scripture, practice obedient alternatives, remain connected to Christian community, and continue walking with the Spirit.
Are the works of the flesh only serious outward sins?
No.
Many items in Paul’s list involve attitudes and relationships, including jealousy, rivalry, anger, envy, and division.
This means apparently respectable people can still display flesh-directed patterns.
Is self-control something I produce or something the Spirit produces?
Galatians identifies self-control as part of the Spirit’s fruit.
Yet Christians are repeatedly called to exercise discipline and obedience.
The biblical picture is not either/or: we actively obey while depending upon God’s transforming power rather than believing willpower alone can change the heart.
A Prayer for a Spirit-Shaped Life
Father,
Thank You for showing me the truth about my heart.
I do not want to examine Galatians 5 merely to identify sin in other people.
Help me begin with myself.
Show me where selfish desire, pride, envy, anger, uncontrolled appetites, rivalry, or division still influence my choices.
Give me humility to confess what needs to be confessed.
Give me courage to turn from what needs to change.
Help me not excuse the works of the flesh simply because they have become familiar.
Teach me to walk with Your Spirit.
Grow love where selfishness has ruled.
Grow peace where conflict has ruled.
Grow patience where frustration has ruled.
Grow kindness where harshness has ruled.
Grow goodness where compromise has ruled.
Grow faithfulness where inconsistency has ruled.
Grow gentleness where pride has ruled.
Grow self-control where desire has ruled.
And let the character of Christ become increasingly visible in the way I think, speak, respond, choose, forgive, serve, and love.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Final Reflection: What Is Your Life Producing?
Galatians 5 gives us two very different pictures.
The works of the flesh reveal what happens when sinful desires become governors.
The fruit of the Spirit reveals what begins growing when the Holy Spirit reshapes a life.
The point is not to stare anxiously at yourself every hour asking whether you have produced enough fruit.
Nor is it to dismiss sin by saying:
“Nobody is perfect.”
The better response is honest dependence.
Ask:
What am I feeding?
What am I following?
What repeatedly comes out of me under pressure?
Where is God asking me to repent?
Where can I already see His transforming work?
Then take the next faithful step.
Do not try to manufacture spiritual fruit.
Remain close to Christ.
Listen to God’s Word.
Respond to conviction.
Turn from sin.
Walk with the Spirit.
And allow the Holy Spirit to keep changing what your life produces.
Because eventually, every life produces a harvest.
The question is:
What is growing in yours?
Continue Growing
Continue with The 9 Fruits of the Spirit Explained for a deeper study of each of the nine qualities.
Use Fruit of the Spirit Bible Study: Questions, Reflection & Practical Application if you want guided personal or group reflection on Galatians 5:16–26.
Read What Does It Mean to Walk in the Spirit? to explore Paul’s instruction about Spirit-led living more deeply.
Then continue with How to Walk in the Holy Spirit Daily for practical application in ordinary decisions, temptations, relationships, prayer, and daily life.
