(Gal 4:31) The last verse of chapter 4 describes the believer's position—he is free.
This first verse of chapter 5 refers to his practice—he should live as a free man.

Galatians 5:1-26 (CSB)

1 For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Vs1. Galatians 5:1 (CSB) For freedom, Christ set us free.
Stand firm, then, and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery.

1 Corinthians 16:13 (CSB) Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong.

Philippians 1:27 (CSB) Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that
you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel,

Philippians 4:1 (CSB) So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown,
in this manner stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.

1 Thessalonians 3:8 (CSB) For now we live, if you stand firm in the Lord.

2 Thessalonians 2:15 (CSB) So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold to the traditions you were taught, whether by what we said or what we wrote.

Which yoke for you? In the Jerusalem council Peter talks of the unbearable yoke (Acts 15:10)
But the Lord speaks of an easy yoke (Mat 11:29-30)

2 Take note! I, Paul, am telling you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all.

1 Cor 7:18-19

Vs2. (Jack Hunter) In the Galatian situation, circumcision to Paul was not a surgical operation, nor merely a religious observance. It represented a system of salvation by good works. It declared a gospel of human effort apart from divine grace. It was law supplanting grace; Moses supplanting Christ; for to add to Christ was to take from Christ. Christ supplemented was Christ supplanted; Christ is the only Savior—solitary and exclusive. Circumcision would mean excision from Christ.

3 Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law.

(James 2:10)

4 You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace.

5 For we eagerly await through the Spirit, by faith, the hope of righteousness.

(2 Cor. 5:21)

Verse 5: “We” here means “we Christians” and stands in contrast to those in Ga 5:4 who have “fallen from grace.” “Wait” is to “look forward eagerly.” “Hope” is “the thing hoped for,” the realisation of the hope. “The hope of righteousness” looks forward to the time at the coming of the Lord when God will fulfil all His promises, when what we are in Christ (i.e. righteous) will be fully and completely made manifest when we are conformed to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). “Through the Spirit” would mean they are taught and enlightened by the Spirit. “Faith” would show they are on the principle of faith, not of works. Thus they stand in contrast to those who are trusting in circumcision, in a mark in the flesh, and so in the principle of human works. Note the contrast with Ga 5:4. In Ga 5:4 it is “by the law”; here in Ga 5:5 it is “by faith.” The one principle stands opposed to the other.

6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.

20X Faith and love are found in the same verse

7 You were running well. Who prevented you from being persuaded regarding the truth?

(1 Co 9:24, 26; Ga 2:2; Php 2:16; Heb 12:1; 1 Pe 4:4)

1 Corinthians 9:24 (KJV 1900) 24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain

1 Corinthians 9:26 (KJV 1900) 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

Galatians 2:2 (KJV 1900) 2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

Philippians 2:16 (KJV 1900) 16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Philippians 3:13 (ERV) 13 Brethren, I count not myself yet to have apprehended: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, Philippians 3:14 (ERV) 14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1 (KJV 1900) 1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

1 Peter 4:4 (KJV 1900) 4 Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

2 Timothy 2:5 (KJV 1900) 5And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

In Gal 3:1 they were "bewitched" (lead into evil doctrine)
Here they are "hindered" (“Hinder” means “to impede progress by breaking up the road, or placing an obstacle in the path.”)
In both cases the casualty is progress in moving forward on the path of truth

(Gal 1:10, 3:1, 5:7, 5:10; James 3:3) 55X (peitho πείθω, 3982 20X persuaded, 9X trust, 8X confidence, 3X believe)

8 This persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.

(Gal 1:6, 5:8, 5:13)

9 A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough.

(Leaven speaks of evil, here Doctrinal evil, 1 Cor 5:6 Moral evil.
In both cases, left unchallenged, it will spread, See 1Cor 5:7)

10 I myself am persuaded in the Lord you will not accept any other view.
But whoever it is that is confusing you will pay the penalty.

"trouble, confuse" (subverting the souls of believers, by evil doctrine)

11 Now brothers and sisters, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted?
In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished.

(Rom 2:29; Phil 3:2)

Circumcision represented a system of salvation by good works.
It declared a gospel of human effort apart from divine grace.

12 I wish those who are disturbing you might also let themselves be mutilated!

A metaphor for the cutting off of the ability to reproduct the false doctrine

13 For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters;
only don't use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love.

(Rom 13:14 CSB; 2 Sam 11:20 CSB, 2 Sam 11:21 CSB)
(Gal 1:6, Gal 5:8, Gal 5:13)

14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself.

15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.

(James 4:1)

16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Note (Gal 5:5,16,17,18,22,25,6:8)
“Walk in the Spirit”; Ga 5:16
“led of the Spirit”; Ga 5:18
“live in the Spirit” Ga 5:25
“soweth to the Spirit.” Ga 6:8

17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh;
these are opposed to each other, so that you don't do what you want.

(Rom 7&8)

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

19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity,

20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions,

21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar.
I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—
that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

(Rom 7:5, 6:6;Eph 4:22; Col3:9)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.

5:22-23 Christian character is not mere moral or legal correctness, but the possession and manifestation of nine graces: love, joy, peace—character as an inward state; longsuffering, gentleness, goodness—character in expression toward man; faith, meekness, temperance—character in expression toward God. Taken together they present a moral portrait of Christ, and may be taken as the apostle's explanation of Gal. 2:20, “Not I, but Christ,” and as a definition of “fruit” in John 15:1-8. This character is possible because of the believer's vital union to Christ (John 15:5; 1 Cor. 12:12,13), and is wholly the fruit of the Spirit in those believers who are yielded to Him (Gal. 5:22, 23).

24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

"Crucified - Frequency per 1,000 words in book - More than any other!"

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

(Amos 3:3)

26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Rom 12:3,16; Heb 10:24;James 3:14,15,16)

As C. H. Mackintosh says, “The law demands strength from one who has none,
and curses him if he cannot display it. The gospel gives strength to one who has none,
and blesses him in the exhibition of it.

Note 5 It is not always easy to determine whether “spirit” should have a capital “S” or a small “s.” The word pneuma occurs 18 times in the epistle and the Authorised Version uses the capital “S” 16 times and small “s” twice. Ga 6:1 6:18 This order is followed by the Revised Version; Revised Standard Version; New Translation; New International Version; Expanded Paraphrase (Bruce). The context would seem to justify this interpretation.

In Ga 5:1-6 he warns them of circumcision, declaring that if they submit to it they will have “fallen from grace.”
Christ will not be the Saviour of any who will not own and rely upon him as their only Saviour
In the Jerusalem council Peter states (Acts 15:10; Mat 11:29,30)

Scofield says: The problem of the Christian life is based on the fact that so long as the Christian lives in this world he is, so to speak, two trees—the old tree of the flesh, and the new tree of the divine nature implanted by the new birth; and the problem itself is, how to keep barren the old tree and to make fruitful the new tree. The problem is solved by walking in the Spirit.

The Spirit in Galatians: The Spirit AND Faith are mentioned together 5X, Chp 3 3X, 5 2X Chp 1 0X, 2 0X, 3 4X, 4 2X, 5 8X [in 6 verses], 6 2X Gal 3:2 - The cause of your reception of the Spirit, Faith! Gal 3:3 - Begun in the Spirit, what can the flesh add?! Gal 3:5 - God gave the Spirit & Miracles because of your faith Gal 3:13-14 - Christ redeems us and we receive justification by faith and the Spirit Gal 4:6 - We are sons so God sent the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying "Abba, Father" Gal 4:29 DARBY - Through the new birth we are "born according to Spirit" Gal 5:5 - Through the Spirit we hope for righteousness Gal 5:16 - Walk in the Spirit to stop the flesh Gal 5:17 - Note the diametrically opposed desires that make mutually exclusive following the flesh or the Spirit. Gal 2:20 Paul is crucified with Christ but Christ lives in him as he lives in the flesh, but by faith Gal 5:24 Christ's people have crucified the flesh affections and lusts Gal 6:14 The world is crucified to Paul (1 Cor 6:12, 10:23, 9:27, Rom 8:10, 7:4, 8:13) Gal 5:18 - We can and should be led by the Spirit Gal 5:22 - We can and should bear fruit of the Spirit Gal 5:25 - We can live and WALK in the Spirit Gal 6:8 - Sow to flesh reap, corruption. Sow to Spirit, reap eternal life

Paul's attitude as to the extent of his liberty: He says in Gal 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ, but Christ lives in me as I lives in the flesh, but live by faith” Rom 6:6 “our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin Gal 5:24 “they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh” Rom 7:4 Paul says “my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ” Gal 6:14 “the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world” 1 Cor 6:12 & 10:23 “All things are lawful for me, but not profitable, not everything builds up, I will not let anything make me its slave” Rom 8:10 “the body is dead because of sin” Rom 9:27 Paul still needs to “wrestle his body into subjection” Rom 8:13 live after the flesh and die, or after the Spirit and live Rom 13:14 Our plans can help, or hinder the desires of the flesh 2 Sam 11:20-21 Why did you get so close to the city?... Why did you get so close to the wall? Mr 10:43-44,45 Rom 1:31, 2 Tim 3:3 "without natural affection" Gal 5:13 "by love serve one another"

Mat 22:39, Le 19:18 The Lord's second "GREATEST" commandment "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" Rom 13:8 "he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law" Rom 13:10 "love is the fulfilling of the law