LIVING AND WALKING IN THE SPIRIT (Part 2)

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“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25 NKJV)

 

When you became born again through faith in the person and finished the work of Jesus, you ceased to be or live in the flesh. The Scripture teaches that a born-again believer is no longer “in the flesh” but “in the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:9).

Therefore, you are not expected to struggle or strive to be or live in the Spirit daily, for you are naturally living in the Spirit daily. However, being in the Spirit or living in the Spirit is different from walking in the Spirit or walking by the Spirit. This is why Paul admonishes, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Gal. 5:25 NKJV).

The power for a victorious Christian living is only activated and appropriated when you walk in or by the Spirit. When you think, imagine, perceive, speak, judge, act, react, or conduct yourself as the unregenerate people in the flesh do, your experiences in life will be the same as theirs (Rom. 8:13).

As a born-again believer, you are constantly and consistently living in the Spirit without any personal effort from you because when you became born again, you were divinely translated from the flesh into the Spirit; however, walking in the Spirit will require your conscious and constant cooperation, obedience, and submission to the Holy Spirit and God’s Word.

Daily victory over the flesh, the world, sin, or Satan is beyond any mortal man’s natural power, effort, wisdom, or strength. Therefore, striving to live a victorious life is useless in your knowledge, might, or strength.

This is why the Lord Jesus has sent you a suitable Helper, the Holy Spirit, to abide in and with you forever, teaching, empowering, and helping you to do the will of God and walk in perpetual victory every day of your life.

The Holy Spirit is not a mere influence, power, or force of God. The Holy Spirit is a living and divine personality. The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead. However, He is in no way inferior to God the Father and God the Son.

God dwells in you by His Spirit to preserve, seal, help, enable, anoint, strengthen, empower, comfort, teach, instruct, transform, direct, guide, and guard you in this life. Before leaving this world, the Lord Jesus introduced the Holy Spirit and His mission to His disciples (John 16:12-15). 

Although you may have the Holy Spirit (the great divine Helper) dwelling in you and abiding with you, you may not enjoy or experience His divine wisdom, help, and power for a victorious Christian living if you choose not to cooperate with Him, submit to Him, listen to Him, obey and follow His instructions, corrections, and promptings which are always consistent with the written Word of God.

The Holy Spirit is not a mere divine power or force to invoke, wield, employ, or use whenever or wherever you wish. He is a Divine Person to fellowship with, honor, listen to, obey, and follow.

You cannot enjoy the Holy Spirit’s divine power, help, or ministry by just having the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit must have you.

What does it imply to walk in the Spirit?

Carefully consider these scriptures (Gal. 5:16, 25) in the following various translations:

Galatians 5:16 – AMP

16 But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

Galatians 5:25 – AMP

25 If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]

Galatians 5:16 – GNT

16 What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature.  

Galatians 5:25 – GNT

25 The Spirit has given us life; he must also control our lives.

Galatians 5:16 – NLT

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.

Galatians 5:25 – NLT

25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

Galatians 5:16 – MNT

16 This is my meaning: Let your steps be guided by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Galatians 5:25 – MNT

25 If we are living by the Spirit, let us also keep step in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:16 – WNT

16 This then is what I mean. Let your lives be guided by the Spirit, and then you will certainly not indulge the cravings of your lower natures.  

Galatians 5:25 – WNT

25 If we are living by the Spirit’s power, let our conduct also be governed by the Spirit’s power.

In summary, looking at these scriptures (Gal. 5:16, 25) in different translations, we can deduce that walking in the Spirit implies the following:

Being responsive to the Holy Spirit.

Being controlled and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Walking in line with the Holy Spirit.

Allowing our conduct to be controlled by the Holy Spirit.

Letting the Holy Spirit control our lives.

Allowing the Holy Spirit to direct our lives.

Letting the Holy Spirit guide our lives.

Following the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Letting the Holy Spirit guide our steps.

Keeping steps with the Holy Spirit.

Allowing the Holy Spirit to govern our conduct.

Beloved, it is not living in the Spirit but walking in the Spirit—being responsive to, controlled, guided, governed, directed, or ruled by the Holy Spirit—that releases to you the supernatural power to live a victorious, overcoming, prosperous, or successful Christian life in this evil world.

Therefore, arise today and begin to walk in the Spirit—allowing the Holy Spirit to direct, guide, govern, or control your life.

 

Prayer:

This New Year, I choose to be controlled, directed, and guided by the Holy Spirit. So, help me, Lord, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

OUR mandate is to preserve the faith of the Apostolic Generation.

Eniyekpemi Fidelis Oyinpreyebi.

AWH, Blogs.

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