I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. … But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:16-18, 22-26)
The Holy Spirit is working to grow His fruit in our lives. The fruit is opposite of the sinful actions our flesh works out. He wants us to live in the power of His fruit because there is nothing more powerful in the world. Love defeats fear every time. Joy crushes depression every time. Peace blocks worry and anxiety every time. Patience overcomes hot-headedness and irritation every time. The Holy Spirit will work these things into our lives so we can walk as curse breakers. The fruit brings light into a dark world because it is the opposite of the evil we all feel and see around us. Bearing fruit is the main way we defeat the devil day in and day out.
