Walking by the Spirit is a walk in victory and progress. There is life, revelation, increase, anointing, direction, positiveness and elevation when we walk in the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit is a walk of faith, because without faith it is impossible for one to please God. On the contrary walking in the flesh is a walk without faith and it produces weakness, lack of direction, negativity and death.
Apart from the Spirit we are mere flesh and Paul said in Romans 7:18, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is , in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good but I cannot carry it out. Apart from the gracious influences of the Holy
Spirit, none of our inclinations or desires is holy or good, "for the mind
of the flesh is hostile to God's law and does not submit to it because it
cannot"( Romans 8:7).Clearly our natural mind is an enemy of God.
Therefore, "walking by the Spirit" is something the Holy Spirit
enables us to do by producing in us strong desires that accord with
God's will. This is what God said he would do in Ezekiel 36:26-27:
"A new heart I will give you and a new spirit I will put within you . . . I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes".
As Spurgeon puts it that -“We
are not justified by the manner of our walk, but by our being in Christ Jesus,”
The
most important question to ask ourselves is, “Am I in Christ?” If the answer is
yes, then “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
To be “filled with the Spirit” is to be under the control of the
Spirit. Every believer has the Holy Spirit. Our main responsibility is to be yielded
to Him.
Another important question for the believer is, Am I
walking according to the flesh? Or, Am I walking in the Spirit? Our response
determines what we produce in our daily lives.
How
do you know the difference? “For those who are living according to the flesh set their
minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are living according to the Spirit,
the things of the Spirit”.
Is
my life conduct under the control of the Spirit? If so, I will produce the
fruit of the Spirit in my life (Galatians 5:22-23). It will be the opposite of
the works of the flesh (vrs. 19-21).How
is your walk? Your walk is determined by your thinking. “As a man thinks in his
heart, so is he -Proverbs 23:7.” If we set your mind on the things of the flesh and allows it to be dominated
by fleshly thoughts, then we will produce the works of the flesh. Let therefore, your
mind be under the control of the Holy Spirit and you will produce the fruit of
the Spirit.
Kenneth
Wuest translates Romans 8:5 as, “For those who are habitually dominated by the
sinful nature put their minds on the things of the sinful nature, but those who
are habitually dominated by the Spirit put their minds on the things of the
Spirit.”
The
only way to avoid walking in the flesh is to change our mind set . This can be done by “Being
transformed by the renewing of the mind” (Romans 12:2). Edgar Goodspeed
translated Romans 8:5b, “People who are controlled by the spiritual think of
what is spiritual.” When we set our minds on the Spirit we produce spiritual
things that are pleasing to God. Kenneth Taylor paraphrased this verse, “Those
who follow after the Holy Spirit find themselves doing those things that please
God.”
The
Amplified Bible reads, “For those who are according to the flesh and
controlled by its unholy desires, set their minds on and pursue those things
which gratify the flesh. But those who are according to the Spirit and
[controlled by the desires] of the Spirit, set their minds on and seek those
things which gratify the (Holy) Spirit.”
Where
do you choose to let your thoughts dwell? You are what you think. Will you not choose to bow your mind to the control of Spirit of God? Let Him control
your thinking. Let the desire of your heart be to depend not upon yourself, but
on Christ alone. That is the work of the Holy Spirit within you. We have
everything we need to live the Christian life in Him and what He chooses to
provide. Our inner resource is God Himself—the Hoy Spirit. Let Him control your
mind, your heart, and your actions will be pleasing to God.
Importance of Walking In The Spirit
A. Control - So as alcohol controls the life of the
drunkard, Pro. 23:29-35,so should the Spirit of God control the
life of the believer. (In their walk, their talk, their thoughts, their
attitudes, their actions, etc.)
B. Completeness - The word "filled"
means "to be full to the top; lacking nothing; nothing short of
complete." If there is room for any other thing in our hearts,
then we are not filled with the Spirit. His will should be our will. His
thoughts should be our thoughts. His desires should be our desires. The Holy
Spirit is to be in absolute domination of our lives.
C. Consistency - This is an "active
tense." This means that it is to be a constant state of being.
Very literally, we are to "go on being filled with the Spirit."
Sadly, this kind of consistent living in missing from many Christians walk with
God.
D. Compliance - This verb is also in the "passive
voice". This means that this filling is something that is done to
us. It is not something we can work up on our own, but we are to be vessels
that God can fill and use for His glory. That means that we are to be clean,
ready and open to the filling of the Spirit of God.
E. Command - It is also worthy of noting that this
verb is in the "imperative mood". This makes it a
command. Paul is not offering us an option for living, but is laying down the
command of God for our lives. When all these things are taken together, it
seems clear to me that it is the Lord's will for every believer to be filled
with the Spirit at all times. When we aren't, then it seems obvious that we are
walking in rebellion and sin before the Lord, James 4:17. Why
is this so serious of a matter? Because when we are not walking in the Spirit
as we should be, we will not be able to hear His voice when He speaks and God
will not be able to use us as He desires to.
Selah !
Bible Study:
Ephesians 5:18-21 (New International Version):Do not get drunk on
wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with
psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to
the Lord, always giving
thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Submit
to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Philippians 2:13 (New International Version) :For it is God who
works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Luke 11:11-13 (New International Version)-"Which of
you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake
instead? Or if he asks
for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to
give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in
heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Prayer
"If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a
father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he
for a fish give him a serpent? Or, if he shall ask an egg, will
he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to
give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your
heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask
him?"--Luke 11:11-13. Therefore ask in prayer everyday that our heavenly father will fill you with the Holy Spirit early in the morning before the day begins.
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