The Fruit of the Spirit

As the Apostle Paul was writing to the churches of Galatia, he had this to say in chapter 5 verses 22-25: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

The fruit of the Spirit are identifying characteristics of anyone who is a child of God and joint-heir of Christ. And just as fruit on a tree grows as it matures, so, too, should the child of God grow in the fruit of the Spirit.

God in His word has equipped us with all the weapons we need to engage in battle against our enemy and the powers of darkness whereby we can grow in the fruit of the Spirit. We are to be children of the light (Luke 11:34-36; Ephesians 5:8). God has not left us weaponless in our spiritual battle we wage. We are to put on the whole panoply of God. Paul advised the congregation at Rome to “cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Romans 13:12). Included in his epistle to the congregation at Ephesus Paul tells them, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:11-17).

Peter tells us in 1 Peter 1:5-8, “For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We do not do these good works in our battle against Satan and the powers of darkness to earn salvation, we do good works because we are saved through the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9) and we want the world to glorify our Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:16). Therefore, grow in the fruit of the Spirit by putting on the whole armor of God, equipping yourselves with the Christian virtues. As Paul says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)