The frustration of trying to follow Christ through human effort alone leaves many believers feeling like spiritual failures. Drawing from Galatians 5, Dr. Stanley explains the benefits of learning to rely on the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Find peace in knowing that the Christian life isn't about trying harder—it's about trusting more.
Sermon Outline
Trying to live a godly life often feels like an impossible task. This week, Dr. Stanley cuts through the confusion with a freeing truth: It is an impossible task … for us. But God has provided exactly the help we needed in order to be victorious.
Key Passage: Galatians 5:16-26
Supporting Passages: John 8:19; Romans 6:18; Ephesians 2:8-9; Ephesians 4:30
Throughout each day, we must repeatedly make a choice to rely on the Holy Spirit or rely on ourselves.
“We’re not capable of living the Christian life. That’s why the Holy Spirit came.”
Walking by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16) means …
Relying on His indwelling presence to empower us to live obediently before God.
Expressing the life of Jesus Christ in our conduct, conversation, and character.
Making a continual series of decisions—moment by moment, day by day—to depend on Him rather than ourselves.
Accepting that He is necessary for our obedience.
To rely on the Spirit, we must …
Be regenerated—We must be born again because the Holy Spirit indwells every true believer at salvation.
Yield to Him—We cannot rely on the Holy Spirit while living in disobedience (Eph. 4:30).
Trust Him—We are saved by faith and called to live by faith, relying on the Holy Spirit in both spiritual and everyday matters (Eph. 2:8-9).
“When tested, tempted, and tried, we have the privilege of relying on the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.”
The believer’s three spiritual enemies:
The Devil—He is a powerful opponent we can’t defeat in our own strength.
The world—The culture we live in doesn’t know God, and it pressures us to live as if we don’t know Him either (John 8:19).
The flesh—We have a new nature, but residual sinful patterns must be dealt with daily (Gal. 5:17).
There are two natures:
Sin nature—This dominates and governs unbelievers (Gal. 5:19-21).
The believer’s new nature—This desires godliness and enables us to obey (Rom. 6:18).
Walking in the Spirit …
Rejects the deeds of the flesh, such as “immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these” (Gal. 5:19-21).
Produces the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23).
After Watching
Identify an area of life where you’re struggling—a relationship, a habit, a recurring temptation. Often these are things we’ve been quietly carrying on our own. Try writing the issue down and then prayerfully releasing it to God. Tuck the paper into your Bible and return to it when you need comfort.
If you can, recall a time you sensed the Holy Spirit’s presence and met a challenge with strength you knew wasn’t your own. Sit with that memory for a moment. That was the power of God within you at work. Thank Him and ask Him to keep working in and through you.
