Here Paul is telling us that there is a war going on between the flesh and the spirit.
Galatians 5:17
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
The spirit wants to keep Gods commandments but the flesh is telling you to go do something else.
Galatians 5:18
“But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”
Galatians 5:18 is talking about the spirit of Christ. If you are led by the spirit of Christ you are not under the law. Because you are going to be doing the right things already. (your spirit will then tell you to keep the commandments.)
Now Paul will tell us what the works of the flesh are, and we will find out what spirit you are led by.
Galatians 5:19
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,”
Galatians 5:20
“Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,”
Galatians 5:21
“Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
All these come from the law. Paul tells us that if you do any of these, you are not led by the spirit.
Paul is speaking directing these letters to people that have a high intellectual capacity and knowledge regarding the law.
So, God put that stumblingblock there in Galatians 5:18 on purpose and then he gave you a choice at the bottom of it.
he is saying; let me see what these people are gonna pick. Where is their heart really at?
Most people will keep persisting that they are led by the spirit even if that spirit is causing them to do all kinds of wicked things.
And there is many more stumblingblocks in the writings of Paul that you should not be dabbling with if you dont have a clear foundation in the old testament.
1 Timothy 4:4
Romans 3:28
Galatians 2:16
Galatians 3:11
Galatians 3:24-25
Phillipians 3:9
Colossians 2:14
Colossians 2:16
Any many more....