Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Galatians 5:17

"For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would." — Galatians 5:17 (ASV)

A characteristic of the contrast between sarx and pneuma is that the two principles are in deep and irreconcilable conflict. In the sense in which Paul uses the words, the sinful nature does no good and does not desire good, whereas the spirit does no evil and, indeed, opposes anything that does not please God (see Ro 7 for a fuller discussion of this same principle).

The last clause of this verse probably means that the sinful nature keeps a person from doing the good he or she desires . Some have maintained that there is no conflict within the Christian because the old nature governed by the “flesh” has supposedly been eradicated. But this is not true. Naturally, the sinful nature is to become increasingly subdued as the Christian learns by grace to walk in the Spirit, but it is never eliminated in this life. So the Christian is never released from the necessity of consciously choosing to go in God’s way and to depend on his grace.