The believer is given the PROMISE - "WALK in the
SPIRIT, and ye shall NOT FULFILL the LUST of the FLESH" (Galatians 5:16):
The FLESH is a reference to the "SIN that dwelleth
IN ME ... that is IN MY FLESH" (Romans 7:17-18) and so there is the NEED of DELIVERANCE, i.e. DELIVERANCE FROM "the
BODY of this DEATH" (Romans 7:24)
It is "THROUGH the SPIRIT" that the BELIEVER
WAITS for "the HOPE of RIGHTEOUSNESS by FAITH" (Galatians 5:5)
It is "THROUGH the SPIRIT" (Galatians 5:5)
that the BELIEVER is able to "QUICKEN (MAKE ALIVE)" the "MORTAL (DEATH)" BODY (Romans 8:11)
and, thus, "MORTIFY (PUT TO DEATH) the DEEDS of the BODY" (Romans 8:13)
The REASON for the BELIEVER'S CONFIDENCE in GOD'S PROMISE
(Galatians 5:16) is that the SPIRIT'S DESIRES (being CONTRARY TO the FLESH'S DESIRES)
will SUPPRESS the FLESH'S DESIRES (Galatians 5:17):
To "WALK in the SPIRIT" (Galatians 5:16)
is to FIRST KNOW what it means to be "BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST" (Romans 6:3) and to THEN TRUST that IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST" (Romans 6:11)
Thus, POSITIONALLY - the BELIEVER (the "OLD MAN")
has been "CRUCIFIED" WITH CHRIST (Romans 6:6) and, therefore, "FREED FROM SIN" (Romans 6:7)
CONSEQUENTLY, WHAT is TRUE OF CHRIST is ALSO TRUE OF the
BELIEVER (Romans 6:8-10) - therefore, "LIKEWISE RECKON (COUNT) ye also ... to be DEAD
INDEED UNTO SIN, BUT ALIVE UNTO GOD THROUGH ... CHRIST" (Romans 6:11)
Thus, "WALKING" (Galatians 5:16) means TRUSTING (Galatians 5:5 cf.Romans 6:11),
so that the SPIRIT is the ONE WHO IS FIGHTING AND WINNING (Galatians 5:17 cf.Romans 6:12)
and, thus, ENABLING the BELIEVER to "YIELD ... UNTO GOD, as ALIVE FROM THE DEAD, and ... MEMBERS as INSTRUMENTS
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO GOD" (Romans 6:13)