Two Desires at War — Galatians 5:16–26 | Season 1, Episode 12

Why do you keep doing what you don't really want to do? Why does change feel so inconsistent? And have you ever felt your heart genuinely divided over something?Paul has an answer — and it's not what most people expect.In this episode of the Set Free Stay Free Bible study podcast, host Matt Dawson works through the second half of Galatians 5, where Paul names what every believer quietly knows but rarely talks about: there are two desires constantly at war inside you. The flesh and the Spirit. And they never take a break.This isn't about trying harder. It's about learning to walk in sync with the Holy Spirit — surrendering moment by moment to what He's producing in you rather than feeding what your flesh keeps demanding. The fruit of the Spirit isn't a checklist you complete. It's what grows when you get out of the way.Using the SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer), Matt walks through the works of the flesh versus the fruit of the Spirit — and makes a distinction that changes everything. The flesh list is full of outcomes. The Spirit list is full of desires. One is about feeding yourself. The other is about surrender. And only one leads to the freedom Paul has been fighting for all season long.This Galatians Bible study is for anyone who is tired of trying harder and ready to learn what walking in step with the Spirit actually looks like.In this episode:Why the flesh and the Spirit are constantly fighting — with no days offThe critical difference between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the SpiritWhy the fruit of the Spirit can't be manufactured — only producedThe three-legged race illustration of keeping in step with the SpiritWhat it looks like to crucify the passions of the flesh in real, daily lifeA closing prayer for choosing the Spirit over self in every moment📖 Passage: Galatians 5:16–26 (New Living Translation)🔍 Keywords: Galatians Bible study, Bible study podcast, SOAP method Bible study, Christian Bible study, Scripture-first Bible study, Set Free Stay Free, Matt Dawson, walking through the Bible, Christian discipleship podcast