A World Living Contrary to the Will of God

How Modern Culture Fuels the Works of the Flesh and How We Can Cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit

In Galatians 5, the Apostle Paul draws a stark contrast between life led by the flesh and life led by the Holy Spirit. He warns believers about the “acts of the flesh” while encouraging us to live in “fruit of the Spirit.”

In our world today, these words feel more relevant than ever. Our culture often amplifies the very tendencies Paul cautions against, making it easier to drift into division, selfishness, and impulsivity. Yet, the good news is that we don’t have to conform. By God’s grace, we can choose a different path.

The Acts of the Flesh in Today’s World

Paul lists the acts of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 (NLT):

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.

These aren’t just individual sins—they’re mindsets that our culture actively promotes and exacerbates.

• Sexual immorality, impurity, and lustful pleasures: Modern media, from streaming services to social platforms, normalizes casual hookups, pornography, and hyper-sexualized content as “empowerment” or “freedom.” What was once private is now celebrated publicly, desensitizing us to God’s design for sexuality.
• Idolatry: We worship success, celebrities, wealth, and self-image. Social media algorithms feed our obsession with likes, followers, and personal branding, turning ourselves—or our curated lives—into idols.
• Hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, and envy: Look at online discourse. Polarized politics, cancel culture, and echo chambers breed hostility and division. Social media rewards outrage—outbursts of anger get the most engagement. Jealousy thrives as we compare highlight reels. Selfish ambition drives hustle culture, where climbing the ladder often means stepping on others. Division forms around identities, turning differences into unbreakable walls.
• Drunkenness and wild parties: Party culture, binge-drinking trends, and substance normalization (even in “wellness” forms) reflect a pursuit of escape over self-control.

Our culture doesn’t just tolerate these; it markets them! Consumerism promises fulfillment through more stuff, more experiences, more self-indulgence. Instant gratification, same-day delivery, endless scrolling, quick outrage trains us away from patience and toward impulsivity. Division sells: news outlets and platforms profit from keeping us angry and separated.

The result? A society marked by anxiety, loneliness, and conflict.

These “works of the flesh” promise life but deliver destruction, just as Paul warns: “Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

The Fruit of the Spirit: A Counter-Cultural Way

In contrast, Paul describes the singular “fruit of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT):

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Notice it’s “fruit, not ‘fruits.” These qualities grow together as one harvest from a life rooted in the Spirit. They’re not natural to our fallen world; they’re supernatural, produced by God’s presence in us.

In a culture of flesh, living this fruit is radically counter-cultural. Love in a hostile world. Joy amid discontent. Peace in chaos. Patience in instant everything. Kindness when snark wins likes. Goodness over ambition. Faithfulness in a disposable society. Gentleness instead of rage. Self-control against indulgence.

Practical Steps to Cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit

The Fruit of the Spirit is produced only in those who belong to Christ—those who have been born again by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the essential first step is to receive God’s gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ!

• Receive the Gift of Salvation — The Holy Spirit indwells and transforms only those who have been reconciled to God through Jesus.
  • As John 3:16 (NLT) declares: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
  • Romans 10:9-10 (NLT) further explains: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”
  • If you have never done so, repent of your sin, trust in Christ’s death and resurrection as payment for your sins, and surrender your life to Him as Lord! This is the starting point: without new life in Christ, we cannot bear His fruit.
• Abide in Christ Daily. Start with Scripture and prayer. “So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives” (Galatians 5:16, NLT) means staying connected to Jesus. Set aside screen-free time each morning for Bible reading and prayer. This roots us in God’s love, allowing His fruit to grow naturally.
• Limit Cultural Inputs That Feed the Flesh. Be careful of your media intake. Reduce time on platforms that stir jealousy, rage, or envy. Follow accounts that edify rather than outrage. Practice digital fasts to break the cycle of comparison and impulsivity.
• Practice Self-Control in Small Things. Build discipline: delay gratification, say no to excess, choose silence over reactive comments online. Self-control is the foundation that supports the other fruits.
• Choose Love and Kindness Actively: In divisive conversations (online or in person), respond with grace. Listen before speaking. Perform anonymous acts of kindness; pay for someone’s coffee, encourage a stranger. Counter hostility with intentional love.
• Pursue Peace and Patience: When quarreling arises, seek reconciliation. Practice patience in traffic, lines, or family tensions. Forgive quickly, remembering how God forgives us.
• Cultivate Joy and Gratitude: Focus on God’s goodness rather than cultural discontent. Keep a gratitude journal. Celebrate others’ successes to combat envy.
• Commit to Faithfulness and Gentleness: Honor commitments in a flaky world. Speak gently, especially when correcting others. Model humility over selfish ambition.
• Engage in Community: Join a Bible-believing church or small group. The fruit grows best in relationships where we’re accountable and encouraged.
• Rely on the Spirit Moment by Moment — When tempted by the flesh, pray for help. Confess sins quickly and receive God’s grace.

Living the fruit of the Spirit isn’t about perfection; it’s about a daily decision to deny our desires of the flesh, which is temporal, and choose to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which is eternal.

In a world amplifying the works of the flesh, our lives can shine as witnesses to something better: the transforming power of Christ.

As Paul urges in Galatians 5:25 (NLT):

“Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”

Let’s choose that path today. Let the fruit of the Holy Spirit fill your life so your light can shine to a dark and dying world!