“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
Revd. Sidney Elijah Adenaike Ph.D
1st September 2023
There are two major forces competing to drive human thoughts. One is the flesh, it is warring against the second, which is the Spirit. Humans must choose between the two driving forces for the determination of their fate in life. It is either you walk in the flesh or in the Spirit of God. When the Spirit is in control, victory reigns and righteousness rules. Spiritually, believers should be operating in the heavenly realm of the Spirit by exercising the God-given authority, rather than in the earthly realm of our flesh. the contrast between these two environments is shown in Hebrews 12. Failure to realize that we are living in the new covenant of grace, will miss out on connection with the Holy Spirit and the gift to be able to walk in the Power of God. Living and operating in the realm of the Spirit allows us to connect with God’s worship, God’s government, and God’s provision. The realm of the Spirit is where God rules over His redeemed people and is forever praised by them.
Operating in the realm of the flesh is the lowest level, a natural world of pollution, hindrances, and chaos. What counts as hindrances - all arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your hindrance is anything that is against God, His Word, and your relationship with Him (read Galatians 5:19-21; Colossians 3: 5-6).
The surest way to get rid of these hindrances is to set our eyes on Jesus; de- emphasize the things of the world, do things pleasing to God and walk in the Spirit. It means that you will submit totally and be led and guided every day by the Holy Spirit, the Power of God, and the greatest Power on earth.
This Power is Jesus, the third Person of the Holy Trinity. He was made manifest for the first time in the Scriptures in the act of creation. It was by His Power the world came into being (Genesis 1:1–2; Job 26:13). He was reported to have led and empowered men and women in the Old Testament to accomplish God’s Will for their lives (read: 1 Samuel 16:13, Exodus 31:2–5, Numbers 27:18, Matthew 4:1-11). In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit did not permanently indwell God’s people as we enjoy Him today, He only worked through them and gave them the Power to succeed in the tasks they would not have been able to accomplish on their own. For example, the Spirit of God came upon Samson many times and he was strengthened beyond measure to do exploits above human comprehension until he decided to walk in the flesh (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14).
On the other hand, if you choose to walk in the flesh, examples are Saul and Samson, you will have to grapple with the “works of the flesh”, you will encounter the unpleasant and evil tendencies of human nature (Galatians 5:19-21).
God wants you to operate in the realm of the Spirit and not in the flesh. To walk in the Spirit, we must maintain a regular communion with God, observe spiritual disciplines that will keep our hearts focused on the Lord, keep us away from sin and deepen our love for Christ.
Walking in the Spirit involves implicit faith and patterning your life after Christ. You must study and meditate on the Word of God every day (Joshua 1:8) and live a Christ- centered life. One of the prerequisites for living a life pleasing to God is to walk in the Spirit and not give in to the desires of the flesh.
The Apostle Paul explained the difference between the sinful nature and the nature of those regenerated by the Spirit in Romans 8:6-8: It is the carnal mind fixed on sinful earthly desires, in contrast to the regenerated mind fixed on heavenly desires of eternal value and guided and controlled by the Spirit of Christ. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)
In the Christian faith, a ‘walk’ is figuratively used to denote a believer’s mode of life, or his or her spiritual character and relationship with God. The Christian life is understood as a journey or pilgrimage, and Christians are to walk it and make a consistent forward progress that eventually leads to God. The ‘walk’ stands for how he or she communes with God every day. The biblical norm for all believers is that they walk in the Spirit.
“That they may walk in My Statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 11:20)
The Bible teaches that walking in the Spirit is pleasing to God because it is a matter of living according to His precepts and commandments as Jesus said in the Gospel of John: “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15).
It requires giving up your will, denying your natural desire for honour and approval from men, having your mind fixed on your daily walk with the Lord and keeping your thoughts pure every moment of the day.
Christians who are being guided by the Holy Spirit will not think of fulfilling the desires of the flesh, because their thoughts are centered on God’s Word and Ways (read Philippians 4:8; Proverbs 4:23-27). Walking in the Spirit is to operate with confidence under the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit and be closer to God.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14).
Walking in the Spirit requires that you become responsive to the control and leadership of the Holy Spirit. When He commands, you obey; you follow His lead, and do whatever He asks you to do. When He speaks, you listen and when He gives warnings, you take note of them. Walking in the Spirit is the opposite of resisting or grieving Him (Ephesians 4:30). The Spirit’s way is a path of surrender and submission which, although appears difficult, leads to fullness of life. The Holy Spirit supplies everything you need to live a godly life, and He produces His amazing fruit in you. The Spirit conveys the Will of God. Therefore, walking in the Spirit is a sure way of discerning the Will of God for your life.
In accordance with John 15, if you abide in Jesus Christ, the Spirit of Christ will be at work in you, feeding you with the sap of life among other things. You will overcome acts of the ‘Flesh’, the ordinary human nature that does not relish the things of God, that derives satisfaction from independence, power, prestige, fame, and worldly pleasures (read: Romans 7:18).
If you are led by the Spirit, you will be bearer of His fruit. The fruit of the Spirit named in Galatians 5:22-23 are love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Their manifestation will make you reflect the Nature and Character of Christ.
The two verses of Romans 12:1-2 are a passionate plea, an invitation to “Brethren” (those who have faith in Jesus Christ) urging them to commit their lives to Jesus. Jesus presented His Body as a living sacrifice to God in order to save us from our sins and grant us redemption. You are to present yourself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. God wants you to offer yourself and your life – your time, talents, treasure, and possessions, as well as your mind, emotions and attitudes to Him in His service. You are asked to lay aside the weights and things of the world. Your goal as a Christian should be to always please God. It is a call to service, to sacrifice of praise and true worship.
Apostle Paul told us that yielding of our bodies to the Lord is our “reasonable service.” Your sacrifice will be a living sacrifice because it means that you have first died to sin and been raised to new life (Zoe) in Jesus Christ. You have been crucified with Christ and He lives in you; you are an instrument of righteousness for God’s use (read Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:12-13). Totally yielding to God amounts to the highest form of worship that you can ever render to Him. You cannot live as you please because you are consecrated to God. In Romans 12:2, all Christians including you are called to a daily transformation and renewal.
“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2; also read Romans 8:26)
Today, one of the most powerful tools at the disposal of a Christian is prayer. It is the most direct way to communicate with God, to present your petitions or show your gratitude to Him. Some prayers are powerful and fervent when offered with passion or intensity by the Power of the Holy Spirit. Fervent prayers truly express your deep faith and trust in God and your total dependence on Him (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Matthew 6:6-8). God is delighted to hear your voice and above all, to have fellowship with you. Your daily prayer helps you to listen to the Spirit’s gentle promptings and to respond to God’s “still small Voice of calm”. It gives you an opportunity to receive divine revelations and grow spiritually (1 Corinthians 14:2). Through prayer, the Spirit gives you the supernatural ability, wisdom, and power to follow Him. Prayer strengthens your spirit and enables you to live above the weakness and temptations of the flesh.
Daily prayer stimulates your ‘walk’ in the Spirit and brings you the knowledge of God and close intimacy with Him. It helps you to throw off all hindrances to your walking in the Spirit. It also helps you to identify every sin, thought or habit that can hold you back from your calling. There is no better way to cultivate a deep and heartfelt relationship with God than through prayer.
No one can be filled with the Spirit or led by Him without prayer. Finally, prayer aligns your will with God’s Will.
One of the surest ways to grow in your relationship with God is to know Him intimately through His Word. When you ‘walk’ in the Spirit, you will be quickened by the in-dwelling Spirit to understand the Word and comply with it. Walking in the Spirit is to ‘walk’ in faith and trust God in all things (Proverbs 3:5-6). While meditating on the Word, the Spirit brings light to your spirit and life to your soul.
The Bible says:
“It is the Spirit Who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The Words that I speak to you are Spirit, and they are Life.” (John 6:63)
Nice to know that there is a direct connection between reading the Word and walking in the Spirit. By reading the Word, you will find God’s instructions there and the Spirit of God will supply the strength and wisdom you need to comply with them. The Words from the Lord are stored in the secret chamber of your heart to guide you in righteous living. David said in one of his psalms: “Your Word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.”
“Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him” (Psalm 128:1).
Obedience keeps your eyes focused on God and determines the level of your submission to Him. As you ‘walk’ in the Spirit, the Lord prepares your mind and grants you an obedient heart. The more you love God, the more your sense of duty and submission to His authority. Obedience to God’s Commands is one of the signs of your walking in the Spirit. It implies aligning your will to God’s Will, doing what God commands, and surrendering to His Authority. The Bible tells us that Christ humbled Himself being obedient even to the point of death (Philippians 2:8). As a follower of Christ, you must keep to His example and be obedient to His Voice.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and the only Guide we can trust wholeheartedly. He knows our past, present, and future. He knows God’s Plan and Purpose for our lives. He knows what is good and bad for us. Therefore, we must trust and obey Him as our daily Guardian. Obedience is a sacrifice that is pleasing to God.
“I am the Vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
In the physical world, there are many connections that are considered very important for progress in household, industries, and places of work, but among the various connections, an electrical connection seems to be indispensable and the most important. Without electricity nearly all other connections may not work satisfactorily. Electrical appliances are indeed powerful devices that can make life a lot easier when applied correctly. The only snag is: No matter how powerful or useful an electric appliance may be, it is totally useless if it is not plugged into the source of power. In the same vein, Christians who are not plugged into Christ, the Source of life, through His Spirit, are as useless as an unplugged electrical appliance.
Jesus is making the point in John 15. While there are many connections in the world, they are nothing compared to our connection to Jesus Christ. To abide in Jesus Christ be connected as the branch is to the vine, three vital stages are implied: connection, dependence, and continuance. Abiding in Jesus is described as a deep connection with Jesus with a view to reflecting His Image and to continue to remain in Him.
The first stage of abiding is connection. (plugging into the Source of power). To “abide” in Christ is to live in Him as the branch lives in the vine. This means to be in union with Jesus, to thirst for Him, and to be in constant living relationship with Him. Abiding in Jesus means to have a life-giving connection to Him and grow spiritually. A branch is mutually connected to the vine, and a vine also mutually connected to the branch. This is what theologians frequently describe as “union with Christ.” This connection or union is mutual. You abide in Him and He abides in you (v. 4). If there is no mutual connection, there is no life for the branch, and no fruit for the tree.
The second stage of abiding is dependency (receiving the current and being charged). Abiding in Christ also implies our dependence on Him. Dependence on Christ unlike connection, is not reciprocal. The branch is dependent on the vine, but the vine is not dependent on the branch. The branch derives its life and power from the vine. Without the vine, the branch is useless, lifeless, and powerless. Sap flows from the vine to the branch, supplying it with water, minerals, and nutrients that make it grow. And believers receive the ‘sap’ of Christ’s grace through their life-giving connection to Him. As a fruitful believer, you are completely dependent upon Jesus for your spiritual fruit (v. 4). Apart from Him, you can do nothing (v. 5).
The third and final stage of abiding is continuance (constant flow of divine power that guarantees life). This indicates that we remain permanently in Jesus. This also simply means that we persevere and continue to depend on Jesus and His teaching. Jesus once said that for anyone to call himself His disciple, he or she must abide in Him, in His love, and in His Word. This means that we go on trusting Him, that we keep on depending on Him and that we never stop believing Him, that we are constant in our faith in Him. Enjoying a fulfilled life is as simple as being and remaining in the Presence of God.
When you walk in the Spirit, you will be transformed into the Image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). The manifestation of the Holy Spirit will be evident in your life as you become increasingly more “Christ – like” in character and actions. You will be led by the Spirit to fulfil the calling of God on your life (Galatians 5:16-18). Your mind will be set on the things of the Spirit, and you will grow in the knowledge of the Word of God.
The first fruit you bear by walking in the Spirit is love. Thus, you will live and operate in love. Having the love of Christ in your heart will enable you to imitate Him in forgiving those who have wronged you.
Walking in the Spirit, you will have the joy of the Lord in your heart. You will live and walk in joy and be motivated to appreciate what God has done for you in the past, what He is doing presently and what He will still do for you in future. Your joy will radiate in the Body of Christ.
If there is one thing missing in our world today, it is the Peace of God. There are fears and unrest everywhere in the world, and one might want to conclude that the moral and ethical foundation of the world is crumbling. Many of us wrongly assume that peace is the absence of chaos. This is not true because the Peace of the Lord is the presence of calm amid chaos. Despite the ugly and dehumanizing condition of life in the world, the Bible says:
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one Body you were called to peace.” (Colossians 3:15)
Believers need the Spirit of God to take control of their minds and keep them in perfect Peace (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12). They are being justified by faith through our Lord Jesus and shall live and walk in peace. (Romans 5:1; Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 9:6) They have been reconciled to God through Jesus’ death and resurrection, so they are to share His peace with their fellowmen.
We must ‘walk’ in the Spirit for mind to be fixed on God. The Bible says:
“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)
Patience is another fruit the Spirit produces in you when you allow the Word of God to renew your mind. Being patient is an act of faith that enables you to run your Christian race with perseverance (Hebrews 12:1). Through your walking in patience, you can maintain good and cordial relationship with other brethren (2 Peter 3:9).
Kindness is said to be the most attractive quality of a Christian. We do not require much imagination to realize how much most people in this ailing world need kindness. It is an understatement to say that today’s world is a mixed grill of crime, fear, hatred, malice, envy, aggression, and conflicts.
When you ‘walk’ in Spirit, you ‘walk’ in kindness. You are walking with Jesus and invite Him to work in and through you as you respond to His kindness to you. The Spirit prepares your heart to show kindness and concern for the welfare and needs of others. Kindness should be a constant readiness and disposition to show God’s grace to the people around you (Ephesians 2:7; Titus 2:3-4). Kindness does not come on its own, it is a virtue that the Lord generates in and through us as a fruit; therefore, you must surrender your will to God, and ask Him to give you the disposition of kindness. You must show kindness in the household of God, your place of work and your community through your godly actions – giving to those in need, taking care of the sick and aged, praying for people and blessing them. The Bible says:
“And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
When you ‘walk’ in the Spirit, you ‘walk’ in goodness. Matthew 7:17-18 tells us that a good tree bears good fruit. You must understand that God’s goodness within you is what causes you to be good to others (Psalm 23:6). God’s goodness in you produces kindness as one of its outlets.
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with Power, Who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38)
When you ‘walk’ in goodness, you imitate Jesus on earth and will be influenced to go about doing good. You have been grafted into the good tree of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and because you abide in Him and He is in you, you are “full of goodness” (Romans 15:14). Your goodness must touch others, transform, and give them light and life to serve the Lord.
When you ‘walk’ in Spirit, you ‘walk’ in faithfulness, that is remaining steadfast and committed to God and His Ways. You demonstrate your reverence to Him, your loyalty and trust in His Promises, even in times of adversity or temptation (read Psalm 26:3). It is the Spirit of God Who enables your steadfastness.
When you ‘walk’ in the Spirit, you ‘walk’ in gentleness, an attractive virtue, that is characterized by humility, grace, and thankfulness to God. Jesus said that He was gentle; therefore, walking with Him is a honourable step in humility Matthew 11:28-29). A gentle soul is meek, persuasive, understanding and it communicates love to people around by the Power of the Holy Spirit which you receive when you surrender your life to Jesus.
When you ‘walk’ in Spirit, you ‘walk’ in self-control. The Spirit guides your emotions and grants you the ability to exercise moderation and restraint as you struggle with the flesh (Romans 6:11–14).
Heavenly Father, we thank You that at the point of our salvation, we were made alive in the Spirit and became one with Christ Jesus. We pray that we may live the rest of our lives walking in the Spirit and in Truth. This we ask in Jesus’ Name.
Amen!
N.B
The views expressed here are solely mine. I believe they reflect the teachings of the Bible, but I am a fallible human and subject to misunderstanding. I thank you for your feedback.