Though we have been born again, we are still clothed in a physical body. That means we still have desires in our flesh that aim to please our fleshly desires and not God. So, what’s a Christian to do? In Paul’s letter to the church at Galatia he writes, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust [desires] of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16, KJV).
This verse acknowledges that Christians have desires of the flesh. But also, according to this verse, when those desires are wrong; we don’t have to carry them out. Instead, we can choose to walk in the Spirit.
Since the key to success is to “walk in the Spirit,” let’s talk about what that means. It’s one of the Christian clichés we often use. We say to others, you need to walk in the Spirit. Well, that’s true because the Bible instructs us to do so, but what does that mean?
In Christianity, we have our own lingo. We tend to throw terms out there without explaining what they mean.
So, to understand what it means to walk in the Spirit, first let’s consider the words found in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance….” Note the wording above. It’s not “the fruits of the Spirit are” (plural), but “the fruit of the Spirit is” (singular). And nine attributes of the fruit of the Holy Spirit are mentioned.
Whenever we are walking in the Spirit, we will display one or some of these attributes because they reflect the fruit of walking in the Spirit. The works of the flesh are diametrically opposed to these attributes.
An Example of How to Walk in the Spirit
For an example of walking in the Spirit, let’s focus on one of the listed attributes of the Spirit– longsuffering. It denotes our ability to remain unrattled even when someone is provoking us or trying to push our buttons. This kind of provocation triggers an internal struggle within us. Paul the apostle puts it this way:
“For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”
Galatians 5:17, NASB
That means we have to choose how we will respond to the provocation. We can choose to react in a bad way or go into anger mode. Responding that way constitutes walking in the flesh. The goal, however, is to condition ourselves to stay cool, calm and collected even when someone is trying us. Only then can we respond in a way that pleases the Lord. That’s what it means to walk in the Spirit.
That is just a quick example. But I believe you get the point on how we can use each of the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit to learn how to walk in the Spirit in the various areas in our life. The bottom line is that in order to walk in the Spirit, your words and deeds must reflect the attributes of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Behavior contrary thereto reflects the works of the flesh.
Please understand that your flesh is never going to be on board with pleasing the Lord. If you allow your flesh or natural or worldly thinking to govern your life; though you may be born again, you will live as though you are not. Walking in the Spirit is not incidental to becoming a Christian. It is a life you must choose to live: “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust [desires] of the flesh.”
Copyright © 2023 by Frank King. All rights reserved.