View source for Walking in the Spirit

Galatians 5:16-17

Many Christians struggle to overcome their flesh, but God never designed the Christian life to work on the basis of self-effort (Gal.3:1-3; Rom.8:3-4). Self-effort comes from our own flesh, and flesh cannot overcome flesh. So how do we overcome the flesh? By walking in the Spirit! 

===A New Walk===

Romans 8:1-8; Galatians 5:25; 6:8

Just as a space rocket shoots a man out of the law of gravity into a whole new law, so the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the power which "rockets" us out of the law of sin and death into the law of Spirit of life . We are called now not to "walk in the flesh" any more, but to "walk in the Spirit". Once the revelation of Christ's complete work on our behalf is imparted to us by the Holy Spirit, the freedom of choice lies before us. Whereas before we had no choice (Rom.7:15-23), now we have, by the power of the Spirit, the ability to choose to walk in the Spirit (Rom. 8:12-13). 

===How It Works===

Walking in the Flesh 

God created our body with certain basic appetites - appetites for food, sex, power, rest and excitement - and these appetites are good. But when they become the controlling factor in our lives, they become corrupted by sin and destructive. These appetites are fed by the five senses - what we see, hear, touch, taste and smell -the information sources of the flesh. We walk in the flesh when we: 

===Obey our fleshly appetites===

Allow our five senses to be our basis for action 

Struggle to do things in our own strength 

===Walking in the Spirit=== 

The governing factor in our lives is not our body, but the Holy Spirit indwelling us. So we react to temptations and the circumstances we face not according to what we see and hear, but according to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He reminds us of God's Word (John 14:26;16:13-15). Thus, our minds, emotions and will are "fed" by the Spirit. 

We walk in the Spirit when we: 

Obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit 

Make the Word of God our basis for action 

Rely totally on the power of the Holy Spirit 

===An OT Example===

Numbers 13:17-14:11

The Ten Spies: believed what they saw. They fed their minds with it - and the result was unbelief in God's word. They fed their emotions with it - and the result was fear. They fed their wills with it - and the result was they decided to go back to Egypt. 

The Two Spies: believed God's Word despite what they saw. They fed their minds with it - and the result was faith. They fed their emotions with it - and the result was courage. They fed their wills with it - and the result was they were ready to go in to possess the land. 

===Living in the Spirit===

Be aware of the Spirit (Eph.4:30). 

Fellowship with the Spirit (2 Cor.13:14). 

Listen to the voice of the Spirit (1 Thess.5:19) 

Obey the promptings of the Spirit (Rom.8:14) 

Pray in the Spirit (1 Thess.5:17; Jude 20) 

Worship in the Spirit (John 4:23; Heb.13:15) 
[[Category:Christianity]][[Category:Faith]]