7 Signs You’re Sowing to the Flesh—and What to Do About It
A Diagnosis of Our Sinful Nature
We all have our favorite parts of the Bible—at least I do. It’s no secret that I deeply admire the writings of the apostle Paul. I love how he blends deep theological truths with passion, cultural awareness, and personal conviction in a way that makes the words leap right off the page and grab you. Maybe you don’t gravitate to Paul’s letters like I do, but I’d still guess that you have a favorite part of Scripture.
Take Galatians 5, for example. Many of us are familiar with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal.5:22–23). In fact, I’d argue that when most people think of Galatians, that list is often the first thing that comes to mind. Here, Paul describes a blessed picture of what the Spirit produces in a surrendered life. But just a few verses earlier, Paul gives us a different kind of list—the works of the flesh.
I don’t think it was ever Paul’s intent that we rush past the works of the flesh just to get to the fruit of the Spirit. Yes, the fruit of the Spirit is worth studying and celebrating, but we’re meant to examine those traits in light of what they stand in contrast to. The truth is, for many of us, the works of the flesh feel far more familiar. That’s because our natural bent, even after salvation, is still marked by the pull of our sinful nature. Learning to walk by the Spirit means learning to deny the flesh. It requires intentional focus, training, and surrender.
To that end, we must recognize that Paul’s words here in Galatians 5 are not just descriptive. They are diagnostic in that he is helping us recognize the patterns of the flesh so that we will not continue to submit to and practice them. We are meant to name these sinful works, resist them, repent of them. Conversely, we do not develop the fruit of the Spirit through performance. The Spirit grows that fruit in us as we walk with him and stay alert to the pull of the flesh. And as we recognize and resist the works of the flesh, we simultaneously trust that the Spirit will form in us what we could never produce on our own.
Finding Freedom in Christ
Portia Collins
This accessible study by Bible teacher Portia Collins leads women in an 8-week exegetical journey through Galatians where they’ll uncover the liberating and transformative power of God’s grace.
So what does sowing to the flesh really look like in everyday life? Here are seven signs you’re sowing to the flesh and what to do about it.
Why Paul Wrote Galatians
Before we jump into Paul’s words in Galatians 5, we need to understand how we even got there.
The Galatians, who had once firmly held to the truth of the gospel, were now trying to add to it by keeping works of the law. In loving correction, Paul writes to them with the hope that they would turn from this distortion and return to the freedom they first received.
In this letter, Paul speaks with deep conviction to remind them—and us—that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Nothing more and nothing less. As he often does in his letters, Paul begins with strong theological teaching. He opens by telling his own story of conversion and defending the authenticity of his apostleship. Paul makes it plain that his calling came not from man but directly from Jesus Christ. He also recounts how his relationship with the other apostles, men he once stood in opposition to, was made possible only by the grace of God.
From there, Paul lays out a compelling and deeply layered case for justification by faith. He calls his audience’s attention to Abraham, the father of faith. He highlights the spiritual reality of being sons and heirs. And he draws from the story of Hagar and Sarah to illustrate the difference between living under the law and living under grace. He leaves no stone unturned in showing that righteousness has always come through faith, not works.
Paul then shifts from theology to application. After explaining what we believe, he moves on to what that belief looks like in practice. Galatians 5 is where Paul begins describing what life looks like for someone who has been set free in Christ. It is as if he is holding up a mirror and inviting us to examine which direction we are moving in. Are we walking according to the flesh or according to the Spirit?
In Galatians 5:16–21, Paul lays out a sobering contrast:
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh . . . . Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.”
Notice that Paul is not giving us a checklist so we can grade ourselves; he is showing us what life looks like when the flesh is in control. These are not just big, shocking sins. Many of them produce subtle patterns that we often excuse or ignore. But Paul lists them plainly not to shame us but to warn us that these are not the marks of a Spirit-led life.
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7 Signs You’re Sowing to the Flesh
So what does it really look like to sow to the flesh? Paul’s list in Galatians 5:19–21 reflects categories of behavior and desires that reveal when the flesh is leading instead of the Spirit. These signs are often elusive and socially acceptable, which makes them all the more dangerous. Below are seven categories that capture the heart of Paul’s warning.
1. Pleasure Becomes Your Master
“. . . sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality . . .”
This first group points to unchecked desires, especially sexual ones. Sowing to the flesh often begins when we give in to the belief that our feelings deserve fulfillment at all costs. It might not look like overt rebellion. It could be what you consume in private, the shows you binge, or the attention you seek online. We also give way to these sins when we indulge in sexual expression apart from God’s design, or pursue pleasure without boundaries. As blood-bought believers, we called to serve one Master: Jesus Christ.
2. Worship Is Misplaced
“. . . idolatry, sorcery . . .”
Worship doesn’t just occur in church on Sunday mornings, it happens every second of the day, 24/7, 365. True worship happens when we center our hope, identity, and comfort on the triune God. False worship happens when we do this with someone or something other than God. That’s idolatry. Whether its approval, control, productivity, or even family, we all face temptations to elevate people and things to a place that only God should hold.
In the biblical context, sorcery refers to seeking spiritual power or insight outside of the Spirit of God. In today’s culture, it might look like trusting in crystals, sage, horoscopes, tarot cards, manifestation practices, or anything else that promises spiritual results apart from Christ. Being led by the flesh will always result in false worship because it directs our devotion away from the God who made us and toward things that cannot ultimately satisfy.
3. Conflict Is Your Pattern
“. . . enmity, strife, jealousy . . .”
Enmity, strife, and jealousy reveal a heart at odds with others. Whether it’s ongoing tension in your relationships, silent resentment, or constant comparison, these patterns are rooted in pride and insecurity. These sins can also be hidden in sarcasm, coldness, or passive aggression, but underneath these behaviors is a life sowing to the flesh, not the Spirit.
Repentance isn’t a one-time event. It is a rhythm of the Christian life.
4. You Can’t Control Your Emotions
“. . . fits of anger . . .”
Let me be clear: it is not a sin to feel anger. Even Jesus experienced this emotion. But when your anger becomes explosive, chronic, manipulative, or expressed abusively (whether physically or emotionally), it is no longer righteous; it is flesh. Sowing to the flesh shows up when we allow our emotions to dominate our actions. It’s a lack of self-control. Whether it’s shouting, bitterness, or complaining, unrestrained anger leads us far from the Spirit.
5. Competitiveness Is Your Posture
“. . . rivalries, dissensions, divisions . . .”
Like anger, competition isn’t inherently sinful. In fact, Scripture honors athletic discipline and good sportsmanship (1 Cor. 9:24–27). But when a desire to win becomes a desire to dominate, or when we measure our worth by being better than someone else, we’ve crossed into flesh territory. Ungodly competitiveness is born from rivalries, dissensions, and divisions. And yet God created us for community and mutual upbuilding (Rom. 12:4–5). A flesh-led heart sees others as threats rather than as fellow image-bearers. When we secretly want to outshine others, divide people into camps, or stir up disunity, we are sowing to the flesh.
6. You Refuse to Celebrate Others
“. . . envy . . .”
Envy is more than wanting what someone else has; it’s resenting them for having it. This kind of sin often hides beneath false humility or pious language, but it exposes a heart that doubts God’s goodness and his ability to give each of his children good things. When we envy, we aren’t just dissatisfied with our own life, we’re questioning why God would give someone else what we think we deserve.
7. Escapism Is a Way of Life
“. . . drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.”
This final group points to escapism which is the practice of using substances, experiences, or excess to numb ourselves. While “orgies” here refers to wild, indulgent partying, the broader point is clear. A flesh-led life seeks escape, distraction, and overindulgence rather than rest in God. This might show up through overuse of alcohol, food, sex, scrolling, shopping, gaming, or anything else we turn to when life feels too heavy.
Recognize, Resist, Repent, Rest
If you’ve read through this list and felt a twinge of conviction or even discomfort, you’re not alone. Paul didn’t write these words to crush us; he wrote them to wake us up, to help us recognize where we’re drifting and to point us back to the freedom we’ve been given in Christ.
The call here isn’t to clean ourselves up or try harder to be better Christians. The invitation is to walk by the Spirit. That begins with honestly recognizing where the works of the flesh are showing up in our lives. Not excusing them. Not dressing them up in religious language. Just naming them for what they are.
Then, by God’s grace, we resist. Not in our own strength, but in his. We choose to turn away from patterns that feed the flesh and instead pursue the things that stir our affections for Christ. We may not get it right every time, but by the Spirit, we are no longer enslaved to sin.
We repent. Not just once, but continually. Repentance isn’t a one-time event. It is a rhythm of the Christian life. It is how we keep short accounts with God and with others. And it is always met with mercy.
And finally, we rest. We rest in the truth that we do not produce the fruit of the Spirit through performance. The Spirit does the work in us as we stay near to Jesus. The more we walk with him, the more we begin to look like him.
This is the essence of a Spirit-led life. Not perfection. Not striving. Just ongoing surrender. And from that surrender comes real fruit that lasts.
Portia Collins is the author of Finding Freedom in Christ: An 8-Week Study of Galatians.
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