While many Christians view the book of Galatians as a profound exposition of justification by faith, Galatians also has many important things to say about the Holy Spirit. According to Paul’s teaching on the Spirit in Galatians, the Holy Spirit can be thought of as God’s powerful presence which brings new spiritual life and empowers believers to live in a new way.

Paul reminds the Galatians that they received the Spirit “by faith,” not works (3:2). Therefore, if the beginning of their salvation was wrought by the Spirit, why would their growth in Christ be empowered by something else? They began their faith by the Spirit and will continue in their faith by the Spirit (3:3, 3:5). According to Paul, there are two ways of attempting to receive salvation. One way is by the powerful work of the Spirit which is apprehended by faith. The other is through works in obedience to the Law. But only the way of the Spirit by faith lays hold of Christ.

Paul goes on and equates the “blessing of Abraham” with the “promise of the Spirit” (3:14). How can this be, since most of the texts speaking of God’s blessing to Abraham do not mention the Spirit? Most likely, Paul has in mind the Abrahamic promises as mediated through the new covenant in Christ. The Old Testament Scriptures draw a connection between the Abrahamic covenant and the new covenant. Using language found in the Abrahamic covenant, when God makes the new covenant, the people will no longer be barren but will once again be “multiplied” (Isa 54:1-2; Jer 33:26). The prophets also foresee a day when the blessing of Abraham will be dispensed to the nations as they become full covenant members through the work of the Suffering Servant (Isa 42:6; 49:5-7).  The Abrahamic covenant, then, finds its fulfillment in the new covenant. Building on the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant, since the Spirit was an explicit promise of the new covenant (Ezekiel 36:27; Joel 2:28), it is reasonable to understand how Paul equates the blessing of Abraham with the Spirit.

Paul teaches the Galatians that the Spirit comes from Jesus and is sent in our hearts (4:6). The Spirit provokes primal dependence in us upon the Father. We can claim God as our Father for God’s people are born “according to the Spirit,” just like the faithful of the Old Testament (4:29). God’s people come about through the spiritual enlivening work of the Holy Spirit. But the Spirit also empowers us for devoted living to God. It is through he Spirit that we “wait” for the coming of Christ, the hope of righteousness (5:5). If we “walk,” or depend, on the Spirit, the Spirit will liberate us from the desires of our sinful nature (5:16). The Spirit will not allow us to make peace with sin (5:17). Furthermore, the Spirit leads us to live in holiness so that we don’t need to rely upon legalistic rules. Instead, the Spirit produces virtues in us as the “fruit” of depending on him (5:22). Since the Spirit makes us spiritually alive, we should continue to live by the dictates of the Spirit (5:25). We should allow the Spirit’s fruit to be manifested in our lives so that even our own “spirit” or temperament is shaped by his leading (6:1). Ultimately, those who live by the Spirit demonstrate that he has come into their lives and mad them alive (6:8).