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 . . .  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16-18, 25 NKJV

The lust of the flesh is nothing more than an intense desire to carry out a work of the flesh, as enumerated in Galatians 5:19-21; it is a natural, sensual impulse whereby you set your heart upon carrying out the desires of the flesh.

But please understand that there are two conflicting forces within believers: the Holy Spirit and the sinful nature of the flesh. To rise above the lust of the flesh and to avoid fulfilling its desires, you must walk in the Spirit. When the Spirit of God dwells in you and rule your heart, the sinful fleshy nature will be destroyed. To walk in the Spirit is to live by the Spirit, i.e., to be influenced and impacted in your conduct and decision-making by the Spirit of God.

In John 15: 4-8, Jesus uses a farming analogy of the “Vine and the branches” to teach that walking in the Spirit produces fruit if you abide in the Vine (Christ and His Word). To “abide” in Christ is to dwell in Him, to be present with Him, remain, and continue with Him daily, regardless of your respective circumstances or situation. Fruit is the product of plant growth. So, when you abide in Christ, the Spirit causes certain graces to grow in your life, i.e., the fruit of the Spirit. Like fruit in the natural, spiritual fruit can be under-developed, fully developed; unripe and ripe. But the more you abide in the Vine, the more you grow if you continue to be yielded to the Spirit.

The fruit of the Spirit influences the spiritual atmosphere, attitude, and altitude of your life, impacting your surroundings and environment; your emotional mental state and feelings; and your spiritual elevation and stature in God. The fruit of the Spirit is Love and eight other attributes, as outlined in Galatians 5:22-23), that you should embrace for your life. God is Love and God is a Spirit. So, if you live in the Spirit, you should also allow the Spirit to influence and impact your life by walking in the Spirit!