"Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.... The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." (Galatians 5:16& 22) We desperately need these fruits, but how do we walk in the Spirit to get them?  Now Romans 8:5,6 will tell us.

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

(Vs 5.) We walk in the Spirit by minding the things of the Spirit, by thinking God’s way instead of the self-centered human way of the flesh. Study God’s word, learn what He values. Then value and think about those things. (Col 1:9-11; Rom 12:2,3; Phil 1:9-11 & 2:2-5 & 4:8,9; Eph 4:20-24) Notice that these verses stress understanding, knowing and thinking - not feeling!

(Vs 6.) When we mind carnal (flesh) things we are functionally dead. (Phil 3:18,19; I Tim 5:6; Eph 4:14) We look and act just like the unsaved, spiritually dead people around us.(Eph 2:1-3 & 4:17-20) When we choose to think on our own, instead of depending on God’s word, we separate ourselves from His thinking. (Remember death is separation.) Then you are on your own, no help from God!

"But to be spiritually minded is life and peace." What is life? Life is the opposite of being separated from God, of being spiritually dead. Life is being in fellowship with God. Peace? Every believer has permanent peace with God (Rom 5:1), but having the peace of God moment by moment, depends on how we think. (Is 26:3; Phil 4:6-9)

(Vs 7.) Enmity means hostility and to be in opposition. Human viewpoint, "the carnal mind", is in opposition to God. Human nature will not admit that God is right and submit to Him. (Rom 1:20-32; I Cor 3:18-20)

(Vs 8.) Therefore everything motivated by the human nature is in opposition to God, even man’s "good" deeds. So there is no way that a natural human being can please God. He is God’s enemy. (Col 1:21; Rom 5:10) All his good deeds are done from the self-centered desire to prove himself good, independent of God, and in opposition to what God says about him.(Rom 3:10-12,23; Gen 6:5)

(Vs 9.) "But ye are not in the flesh (the natural human state), but in the Spirit." We don’t have to think like that now because we have chosen to believe God. Now we can think with His Spirit "..if so be that the Spirit of Christ dwell in you". How and when did we get God’s Spirit? Read Eph 1:13 Does everybody have the Spirit of God? Is everybody a child of God? No! (John 8:41-47; Eph 2:3) "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his". These are great verses to show man’s separation from God and his inability to save himself.

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

(Vs 10.) "And if Christ be in you,.." How can Christ be in you? His Spirit, His way of thinking, is in you because you have chosen to believe Him instead of human viewpoint.

"...the body is dead because of sin;" How can this be when we are still living in our bodies? Remember from Romans 6:3-6 how the body of sin has been destroyed (made powerless). It has been cut off (circumcised) from us (Col 2:11), and is therefore dead (separated from us). We do not have to think the way of sin anymore. We can explore the Spirit’s viewpoint now, which is really living! This new life, this close mental relationship with God, is "because of righteousness", that righteous standing that God gave us when we trusted Christ’s payment for our sin. (Rom 3:22-25; 4:22-25; 5:1,19; II Cor 5:21)

Notice how this verse answers the question in Romans 7:24.

(Vs 11.) "Quicken" is an old English word meaning to give life. "Mortal bodies" are our present bodies that are going to die. To "dwell" means to settle in and be at home. If the Spirit of God the Father, who raised Christ from the dead, dwells in us, what happens? God gives life to (propels, energizes) our mortal bodies (II Cor 4:7) by His Spirit motivating our lives with His word. (I Thes 2:13; Phil 1:20,21& 2:13) When we first believe God’s word, we are sealed by the Spirit unto the day of redemption (Eph 1:13&4:30), but as we allow His word to dwell in our thinking process, (Col 3:15-17) His thinking will propel us, resulting in His life being lived out through us, right now while we are still in mortal bodies with sin natures. (II Cor 4:10-13; Gal 2:20) This is the power that Paul wants us to know in Eph 1:18-20 & Phil 3:10,11. This is not speaking of our future resurrection, but of how we can live now in mortal bodies, just as though we were already resurrected and free of the sin in them.

(Vs 12 & 13.) We do not owe the flesh anything. That way of thinking just leads to functional death, separation from what God is doing. But through God’s Spirit, thinking with Him, we can really live! That is the close and intimate fellowship with God that Paul valued above all else in Phil 3:8-11. As we take on God’s values, we "mortify the deeds of the body". (Col 3:1-10) "Mortify" means to put to death. In other words, when we understand what is really important and exciting, we choose to spend our thinking, time and energy on those eternal things (II Cor 4:18) instead of the works of the flesh.(Gal 5:19-21) This is how we "reap life everlasting"(Gal 6:8) and enjoy those fruits of love, joy, peace... (Gal 5:22-26) "The gift of God is eternal life (an eternal relationship with Him) through Jesus Christ." (Rom 6:23) Let’s live it - right here and now!