Galatians 5:14 tells us to: “love your neighbor as yourself”. Then in verse 15 we read: "but if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another". Bite, devour and consume are a very strong combination of words. Have you ever thought about what they all mean?  We are not talking of physical biting etc. but thinking in metaphorical terms. In this sense, these words together mean to completely wound and destroy each other emotionally.

The apostle Paul was directing these words to Christians! Think for a moment what these actions with our mouths would do to people and the unity of the church. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov 18:21).

Fortunately, in verse 16 of Galatians chapter 14, Paul gives us a clue as to how we can prevent what he discusses in verse 15. He says: “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh”. He then goes on to list the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”.

So how do we walk and live in the Spirit? The only way to do this is by spending time in God’s word, in prayer, fellowshipping with the Lord and listening for what the Holy Spirit might want to say to us. We must be ready to act on his promptings and be open to change.   

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