Galatians 5:16 (ASV)

Passage

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Nearby Context

Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, [even] in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Galatians 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

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 5:18 But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "Spirit", "walk", "shall", "fulfil", "lust", and "flesh". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "Spirit" and "walk", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "But if ye bite and devour one..." into verse 17's "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit...", so "Spirit" and "walk" belong inside that flow. In Galatians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "Spirit" and "walk" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.