Steve Irwin, aka “The Crocodile Hunter,” was a zookeeper and popular television personality that would physically handle venomous snakes, crocodiles and other dangerous animals. With his thick Australian accent he was famous for shouting “Crikey!” as he approached them. Despite being a renowned animal expert, Irwin sustained an injury from a stingray while filming an underwater documentary that led to his death. What makes this particularly shocking is that, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more people die each year from falling out of bed than to stingray “barbings.” In fact, one marine biologist affectionately refers to stingrays as “sea pancakes.”
In one of the most practical passages of Scripture the biblical phrase for how Christians are supposed to live is called “walking in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16-26). In these verses the apostle Paul presents contrasting pictures of those that fail to walk in the Spirit against those that succeed in it. He warns against the temptation to indulge sensual, worldly desires. “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Gal. 5:17). (Note that this warning assumes that you have the desire to please God. That is to say that you have the desire to “walk in the Spirit.”)
The apostle gets very specific when he lists sins that derail Christians from walking in the Spirit. They include “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these.” He warns that “those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal. 5:19-21). Contrary to those are the “fruits of the Spirit” which include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22). After completing each list, Paul tells the reader to “crucify” the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24).
The distinct dissimilarity between the two helps you to conceptualize the consequence of your decisions. They illustrate the results of those lured and enticed by their own desires versus those led by the Spirit. It is important, however, that you do not apply bad logic to the opposing behaviors. If you’re not careful you may look at the list of bad ones, affirm that you are not associated with those offenses and then make the leap that you are producing spiritual fruit. To not practice sorcery, nor be consumed by fits of anger nor indulge in alcohol or drugs is not to say that you are, in fact, kind, gentle or self-controlled.
In the design of the passage it begins with the general observation that one that walks by the Spirit will not “gratify the desires of the flesh.” If you can say with a clear conscience that you do not gratify your flesh in these ways, then praise God! However, the passage adds at the end that you must crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. Similarly, Romans 8:13 reads, “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Walking by the Spirit then is not just a matter of sin avoidance, but of sin mortification. You must exercise violence against sinful temptation. Perhaps that’s obvious when sin looks more like an agitated snake or a widemouthed crocodile, but how do you treat temptation that looks more like a “sea pancake” lying motionless by your feet?
Christians are so saturated by life in a sinful culture that exposure to temptations that are “less likely” to result in harm are ignored. But those that have the desire to please God must be aware at all times. “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it” (Prov. 22:3). Don’t allow your depth of biblical knowledge to lull you into believing you couldn’t be harmed by the barb of a sin pancake. Develop a keen eye for potential danger and a violent attitude toward the temptations within reach.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, in purity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. (Col. 3:5-6)