"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law" (Galatians 5:16-18).  

I've talked to some people who misinterpret Christianity as a bunch of do's and don'ts—organized religion with a long list of rules to follow. As believers, we know it's not that at all. It's a battle between the old nature and the new, between the flesh and the Spirit—living under the New Testament.

Walking in the Spirit is totally different. When you have a relationship of love with God and you are directed by the Holy Spirit, when He tells you to do something, you say, "I'd love to."

Now, you can think about what not to do, but that's never the solution to overcoming the flesh. The solution is a relationship with God. Think of the benefits of being in the Spirit. If the things of the Spirit occupy your mind, you won't be worrying about what you can't do.

The books of Galatians and Romans teach that the law can't fix you or cleanse you. Only Jesus can cleanse you, and the Spirit can direct you. That's the problem with the law—it only deals with the outside, not the inside. The law can only keep you from doing certain things—then you feel like you've done your religious duty.

Galatians 5:19-21 lists seventeen "works of the flesh," warning that "those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (v. 21). Now, that sounds hopeless because who hasn't done these at one time or another? But the key word here is practice, not fall into, not struggle with, but practice.

Christians may struggle with something for a period, but the response will be one of repentance. Our new nature must still fight our old nature. We do not always walk in the Spirit, but God's forgiveness and restoration will always be available to us.

Think of it this way—a Christian is someone to whom sin clings. An unbeliever is someone who clings to sin—huge difference. We face a battle, but even if we fall into sin, we can still get up, like David, by returning to the Lord. "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10).

Step one, confess it. Second, claim forgiveness. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Lastly, cut off opportunities to continue sinning. Walk away from it and move on with your life.

It's not a set of rules. It's a relationship. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us, enabling us to do what we can't do on our own.

We don't have to worry about all the don’ts because we're busy doing the do's.