Walking by the Spirit is a concept that comes from Galatians 5:16, which says “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” This verse introduces an important principle for Christian living – that we are to live our lives following the leading and empowerment of the Holy Spirit rather than living according to our own sinful nature.
To understand what it means to “walk by the Spirit”, we first need to understand the contrast Paul is making in Galatians 5 between the flesh and the Spirit. The “flesh” here refers to our fallen human nature that seeks to live independently from God and pursue sinful desires. All human beings have this fleshly nature within them which leads them to selfishness, pride, sexual immorality and other sins. The “Spirit” refers to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who comes to live within every Christian at the moment of salvation (Romans 8:9).
When Paul says to “walk by the Spirit”, he is instructing believers to live each day following the Spirit’s leading and relying on His power to overcome sin. Here are some key aspects of what it means to walk by the Spirit:
1. Allowing the Spirit to guide your daily decisions and actions
As we walk through each day, we are faced with countless choices about how to act, speak, relate to others, use our time and more. Walking by the Spirit means allowing the Spirit to guide those daily decisions and actions rather than just acting according to our old fleshly nature. We need to develop the habit of asking the Spirit to direct us in the choices we make each day.
2. Relying on the Spirit’s power to overcome sin
On our own in the flesh, we do not have the power to overcome the desires and temptations we face each day. But the Spirit within us is greater than the flesh (1 John 4:4) and gives us the power to say no to sin and yes to righteousness (Romans 8:13). Walking by the Spirit means tapping into His power constantly, relying on His strength to fight temptation rather than trying to fight it in our own strength.
3. Pursuing and displaying the fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruit or result of walking by the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” As we follow the Spirit’s leading each day, He develops these virtues in our lives. Walking by the Spirit involves intentionally pursuing these fruits and allowing the Spirit to display His work in us.
4. Being led by the Spirit into righteousness and freedom
In Galatians 5, Paul is writing to correct the false teaching of the Judiazers who wanted to put Christians back under the law. He makes it clear that if we try to earn righteousness by works of the law, we fall from grace (Gal 5:4). But if we walk by the Spirit, we are led into the righteousness that comes by faith, not works. The Spirit also leads us into freedom from sin’s dominion as we rely on His power.
5. Living with a Spirit-focused mindset
Our mindset – how we see life and what we focus our thoughts on each day – plays a big role in whether we walk by the flesh or the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit, we need to develop a mindset focused on Him – His presence within, His Word, His guidance, His glory. We should have a spiritual mindset that sees through the lens of eternity rather than only through earthly perspectives.
6. Being filled with the Holy Spirit
A key part of walking by the Spirit involves being filled continually with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 commands believers, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Being filled with the Spirit means allowing Him to occupy all of our life so that He governs our speech, actions, attitudes and thoughts. It is an ongoing process.
7. Enjoying intimacy and communion with God
Walking by the Spirit brings us into greater intimacy with God. The Holy Spirit’s presence within allows us to experience deep communion with God as we sense His love, walk in His ways and serve Him. Without the Spirit we would have no living connection to God. Walking by the Spirit keeps us in close relationship with Him.
8. Experiencing the Spirit’s power and demonstration
The book of Acts shows that when people were full of the Holy Spirit, they experienced supernatural demonstrations of His power. The Spirit enabled them to be bold witnesses, speak God’s word powerfully, heal the sick, cast out demons and more (Acts 1:8, 4:31, 6:8). Walking by the Spirit means experiencing His supernatural work and power in and through us.
9. Displaying spiritual gifts for ministry
1 Corinthians 12 teaches that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to every believer for ministry purposes. These gifts include things like teaching, generosity, adminstration, evangelism and more. Walking by the Spirit means using these gifts to build up Christ’s body rather than living for ourselves. The Spirit wants to minister supernaturally through us.
In summary, to “walk by the Spirit” means pursuing an intimate relationship with Him as He guides, empowers and bears fruit in every part of our daily lives. It involves relying fully on His inner working rather than living independently and sinfully according to our flesh. Walking by the Spirit is the key to victorious, fruitful Christian living.