Following the Holy Spirit’s lead, we mortify the flesh (v. 16; see Rom. 8:13) and are not “under the law” (Gal. 5:18). Certainly, not being under Torah cannot mean that its ethics are now optional. Otherwise, God denies His own standards, which is impossible (Rom. 7:12; 2 Tim. 2:13). Moreover, Galatians 5:18 in context shows that those not led by the Spirit break the so-called moral laws of the old covenant. The Mosaic law forbids sexual immorality, idolatry (Ex. 20:3, 14), and all the other works