Without the Holy Spirit we cannot please God

        One of the most profound truths in the Christian faith is that pleasing God is not based on human strength or effort alone. It is the Holy Spirit, God’s divine presence within us, who empowers us to live lives that are pleasing to Him. Without the Holy Spirit, even our most sincere efforts fall short. The Bible makes it clear that a life disconnected from the Spirit of God is a life lived in the flesh—and those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8).

1. The Flesh and the Spirit Are Opposed

        Paul wrote in Romans 8:8-9 (KJV) “So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so, be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.”

        This passage distinguishes between living “in the flesh” and living “in the Spirit.” The flesh represents human nature corrupted by sin, while the Spirit represents God's sanctifying and empowering presence in a believer’s life. A person without the Holy Spirit is led by their own desires, impulses, and limited understanding. Such a life, no matter how well-intentioned, is ultimately not aligned with God's will.

2. The Holy Spirit Enables Obedience

        Pleasing God requires obedience to His commands, but no one can obey God consistently without divine help. That’s why God promised in the Old Testament: Ezekiel 36:27 (KJV): “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

        This promise was fulfilled through Christ, who sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within every believer. The Spirit works from the inside out, enabling us to live righteously—not by striving in our flesh but by yielding to His guidance.

3. The Holy Spirit produces God-Pleasing Fruit

        Another way we please God is by reflecting His character through our attitudes and actions. This is impossible to do on our own. The fruit of the Spirit—such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control—are not natural products of human willpower but divine results of a life surrendered to God. Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV):

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…”

        These qualities are pleasing to God and are essential to Christian witness, but they are only cultivated through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

4. The Holy Spirit Enables True Worship and Confession

        We can not even confess Jesus as Lord in a saving way without the help of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:3 (KJV): “No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”

        True worship that pleases God is not based on emotions or traditions but on the Spirit’s revelation of who God is. Jesus said the Father is seeking those who will worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Without the Holy Spirit, our worship becomes mere ritual, not a relationship.

5. The Spirit Identifies Us as Children of God

        Romans 8:14 (KJV): “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

        Being a child of God is not just a label—it is a spiritual reality confirmed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. As children, we are expected to reflect our Father’s heart, and that is only possible when we walk in step with His Spirit.

Prayer Points

         Pray these prayers with all seriously to God.

1. Lord, fill me afresh with Your Holy Spirit so I may live a life that pleases you.

2. Help me to walk in the Spirit and not gratify the desires of the flesh.

3. Produce your fruit in me so that others may see Christ through my life.

4. Give me ears to hear the Spirit and a heart that obeys your voice.

5. Let my worship be guided by the Spirit and rooted in truth.

        A life that pleases God is not built on human morality, talent, or tradition—it is built on surrender to the Holy Spirit. He empowers us to obey, transform our character, and leads us into truth. Without Him, we are left to our flesh, which can not fulfill God's will. But with Him, we are empowered to live victoriously, bear good fruit, and glorify our Heavenly Father in all we do.

        Let us continually seek to be filled, led, and taught by the Holy Spirit, for only then can we truly please God.