Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in Galatians chapter 2:
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
We have received the greatest of blessings from Our Heavenly Father because Our Lord Jesus Christ first Loved us and gave Himself for each of us individually. Our challenge is to be fully crucified with Christ and live by faith in the fullness of His redemptive work. Paul further wrote in Romans chapter 6:
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
We are no longer slaves to sin thus we should walk accordingly. Our flesh would attempt to challenge this reality but we are no longer subject to the lust of the flesh. If my flesh tries to challenge this Truth, then I will remind it that I am redeemed and my old man no longer rules me. I speak the Word over myself and because of my faith IN HIM, I know this resolves the issue with the flesh. The adversary will come forth with temptations but we should do as Jesus did and quote FATHER’S Word. Ultimately, the temptation will depart.
By faith, we walk in the newness of life. As we build up ourselves in faith we will accept this newness of life as our standard and no longer accept the ways of the old man. We must embrace the death of Jesus and be associated with it by crucifying our flesh just as we have embraced His resurrection and our acceptance of becoming a new man, old things are passed away. Our body of sin must be done away with and we must accept the reality of our newness of life.
In Galatians chapter 5, Paul wrote:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Once we have crucified our flesh, we are able to live in THE SPIRIT and walk in THE SPIRIT. When this occurs, we will produce the fruit of THE SPIRIT which will testify of our true walk. Since Love is the first fruit mentioned, it will surely be a barometer of our dying to the flesh.