https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gal+5%3A14-26&version=NIVUK

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Galatians 5:18, 26

A state of pride that has no proper grounds… thinking that you can overcome the ‘desire of the flesh’ on your own when you cannot really, but only fall even more into it, just like trying to come out of a mud swamp, but in fact every move you make makes you go down in it even deeper. When you think about it, Mother Sarah was actually like this at first, was she not? She was still ‘under the law’ and ‘born of Hagar’.

The only way out is to walk by the Spirit. He is the one who makes Sarah ‘born of Sarah’—and can even transform Hagar into ‘born of Sarah’, for that matter. He is all about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Nothing could hinder this One from freely coming by and bringing us back to himself.

As evidence, he still comes by us today and strengthens us to remain by him. When he is with us, we are touched by all his goodness. So these are not just the ‘nine fruits’, but a description of the One who is all for us, who has all the proper grounds to be proud of in the way and nature he saves us. He gives birth to us despite the trouble of the birth pains and resistance so that we may be ‘born of the Spirit’ at last.

Lord, we are so ashamed of ourselves for being quick to use others to conceal our weaknesses, quick to become jealous of them, quick to place judgement on them, and quick to hate them. We have no place in our hearts to love others. But you, knowing us so well, still come by us and help us out of our hopelessness and pain. Let us be able to live by you! Let us be free from the law, from our pride, from the pain, which is and should be no longer in force, and be guided by your powerful, transforming grace alone. Let us be able to confront the world around us without being tricked into the things that do not belong to you. And know that we have indeed been transformed. Have mercy on us, Lord, Holy Spirit.