Commentary on Galatians, Chapter 5 · Verse extract 18
Verſe. 18. If ye be led by the ſpirite, ye are not vnderunder the lavve.
Paule cannot forget his doctrine of Faith, but ſtill repeateth it & beateth it into their heades: yea euen when he treateth of good works. Here ſome man may obiect: How can it be that we ſhould not be vnderunder the law? and yet thou notwithſtanding, O Paule, teacheſt vsus that we hauehave fleſh which luſteth againſt the ſpirit, & fighteth againſt vsus, tormē teth vsus and bringeth vsus into bondage. And in deede we feele ſinne, and can not be deliuered from the feeling therof, though we would neuer ſo faine. And what is this elſe, but to be vnderunder the law? But, ſayth he: Let this nothing trouble you:To be led by the ſpirite. onelyonly doe your endeuour that ye may be led by the ſpirite, that is to ſay: ſhew your ſelues willing to folow & obey that will which reſiſteth the fleſh, and doth not accompliſh the luſtes thereof (for this is to be led and to be drawne by the ſpirite): then are ye not vnderunder the lawe. So Paule ſpeaketh of himſelfe. Rom. 7. In my minde I ſerue the lavve of God, that is to ſay: In ſpirit I am not ſubiect to any ſinne: but yet in my fleſh I ſerue the law of ſinne. The faithfull then are not vnderunder the lawe, that is to ſay, in ſpirite: for the law can not accuſe them, nor pronounce ſentence of death againſt them, although they feele ſinne, and confeſſe them ſelues to be ſinners: For the power and ſtrength of the lawe is taken from it by Chriſt:Galath. 4.4. vvho vvas made ſubiect to the lavve, that he might redeme them vvhichwhich vvere vnderunder the lavve. Therefore the lawe cannot accuſe that for ſinne in the faithfull, which is ſinne in deede and committed againſt the lawe.
So great then is the power and dominion of the ſpirite, that the lawe cannot accuſe the godly, though they commit that which is ſinne in deede. For Chriſte is our righteouſnes, whom we apprehend by Faith: he is without all ſinne, and therfore the law can not accuſe him. As long as we cleaue faſt vntounto him, we are ledde by the ſpirite, and are free from the lawe. And ſo the Apoſtle,VVhat it is to be led by the ſpirite. euen when he teacheth good workes, forgetteth not his doctrine concerning Iuſtification: but alwayes ſheweth that it is impoſſible for vsus to be iuſtified by workes. For the remnants of ſinne cleaue faſt in our fleſh, and therefore ſo long as our fleſh liueth, it ceaſeth not to luſt contrary to the ſpirite. Notwithſtanding there cometh no daunger vntounto vsus thereby, becauſe we be free from the law, ſo that we walke in the ſpirite.
And with theſe wordes: If ye be ledde by the ſpirite, ye be not vnderunder the lavve, thou maiſt greatly comfort thy ſelfe and others that be greeuouſly tempted. For it oftentimes commeth to paſſe, that a mā is ſo vehemently aſſailed with wrath, hatred, impatiencie, carnall deſire, terrour and anguiſh of ſpirite, or ſome other luſt of the fleſh, that he can not ſhake them of, though he would neuer ſo faine. What ſhould he doe in this caſe? Should he deſpaire? No, God forbid: but let him ſay thus with him ſelfe: Thy fleſh fighteth and rageth againſt the ſpirite. Let it rage as long as it liſteth: onelyonly ſee thou,Hovv a troubled minde is to be comforted. that in any caſe thou conſent not to it, to fulfill the luſts therof, but walke wiſely & folow the leading of the ſpirit. In ſo doing thou art free from the law. It accuſeth and terrifieth thee (I graunt), but altogether in vaine. In this conflict therfore of the fleſh againſt ye ſpirit, there is nothing better, then to hauehave the word of God before thine eyes, and therin to ſeeke the comfort of the ſpirite.
And let not him which ſuffereth this temptation be diſmayed, in that the Deuil can ſo aggrauate ſinne, that during the conflict, he thinketh him ſelfe to be vtterly ouerthrowne, and feeleth nothing elſe but the wrath of God and deſperation. Here in any wiſe let him not folow his owne feeling and the iudgement of reaſon, but lette him take ſure hold of this ſaying of Paule: If ye be led by the ſpirite, that is to wit, if ye raiſe vp and comfort your ſelues through faith in Chriſt, ye be not vnderunder the lawe. So ſhall he hauehave a ſtrong buckler wherewith he may beat backe all the fierie dartes which that wicked feende aſſaileth him withall. How much ſo euer then the fleſh doe boyle and rage, yet can not all her motions and rages hurt & cōdemne him, for as much as he, folowing the guiding of the ſpirite, doth not conſent vntounto the fleſh, nor fulfill the luſtes thereof.Novv the luſts of the flesh muſt be ouercome. Therefore when the motions of the fleſh doe rage, the onelyonly remedie is to take to vsus the ſword of the ſpirite, that is to ſay, the word of ſaluation (which is, that God would not the death of a ſinner, but that he cōuert & liue) and to fight againſt them: Which if we doe, let vsus not doubt but we ſhall obtaine the victorie, although ſo long as the battaile endureth, we feele the plaine contrary. But ſet the word out of ſight, and there is no counſell nor helpe remaining. Of this that I ſay,The great and vehement tentations of Luther. I my ſelfe hauehave good experiēce. I hauehave ſuffered many great paſſions, and the ſame alſo very vehement and great. But ſo ſoone as I laid hold of any place of Scripture, and ſtayed my ſelfe vppon it as vppon my cheefe ankerhold, ſtraight wayes my tentations did vaniſh away: which without the word it had bene vnpoſſible for me to endure any litle ſpace, and much leſſe to ouercome them.
The ſumme or effect therfore of all that which Paule hath taught in this diſputation or diſcourſe cōcerning ye conflict or battell betwene the fleſh and the ſpirite, is this, that the Sainctes and the elect of God can not performe that which the ſpirit deſireth. For the ſpirite would gladly be altogether pure, but the fleſh being ioyned vntounto the ſpirite, will not ſuffer that. Notwithſtanding they be ſaued by the remiſſion of ſinnes, which is in Chriſt Ieſus. Moreouer, becauſe they walke in the ſpirite and are led by the ſpirite,Not to be vnderunder the lavve. they be not vnderunder the lawe, that is to ſay, ye law cānot accuſe or terrifie thē: yea although it goe about neuer ſo much ſo to doe, yet ſhal it neuer be able to driue them to deſperation.