Galatians 5:16-18
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Tag: Walk in the Spirit
Before you read the above set of verses it is important to state we are justified by grace through faith AND we are sanctified by grace through faith. It is a key to remember that. With both the bent man has to perform, the terms used by the writers of the Scriptures (walk is an action, you do, verb), and the false teaching that is not based upon grace through faith, it is easy to think that our justification might be by faith, but to “keep” ourselves saved, we must do something. Once we are saved (justification) we begin being made holy in our daily lives (sanctification) by the Spirit. God is in the process of making us holy. But, He uses terms that include our involvement, even though the “power” behind it is ALL the Holy Spirit. There are three things to learn from the above set of verses:
1. We are “Walk” in the Spirit. That implies progress and steps toward something. The fact that he uses the term “walk” should not imply “work”, but rather movement, direction and progress. It is “in the Spirit” - remember that Paul is writing AGAINST the legalism of the day. There were those in the church that wanted the believers to “fulfill” the requirements of the Law. Since Paul is writing “against” man’s efforts to make himself holy it would be wise to avoid turning his argument against that mindset into support for our own efforts. Later Paul will tell us how that it is the SPIRIT that produces fruit in our lives. We don’t produce it. The term “walk” mean that those who live by faith and submit to the Spirit’s leading will produce fruit and be “walking in the Spirit.”
2. It is a “War” when we are in the Spirit. Notice that it says that the Spirit and the Flesh (our natural desires) are “opposed” to one another. That means they have different agendas and different hungers. We have to understand we are in a war. Our “weapons” are not, however, flesh weapon. You DON’T fight a spiritual war with flesh weapons. Notice what Paul said to the Corinthian believers:
2 Corinthians 10:4
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
And to the Ephesians:
Ephesians 6:10-12
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
We are in a war and we better not try to fight it with flesh oriented behaviors. That is what gets us into the war as losers.
3. It is a “Way” of life when we walk in the Spirit. Notice what John MacArthur says about this portion of Paul’s teaching:
“The fact that peripateĊ (walk) is used here in the present tense indicates that Paul is speaking of continuous, regular action, in other words, a habitual way of life. And the fact that the verb is also in the imperative mood indicates he is not giving believers an option but a command.”
The tense of the verb “walk” indicates that what Paul is looking for is a way of life. We have to take a look at our lives. If our “way” of life reflects the “fleshly’ impulses of the past, we might want to check our true belief in Christ. Those who truly “walk” in the Spirit, should be able to look at their past and see a path. A path indicates a way of life. This is to be a “way” of life for us.
Paul is telling us that a Justified life WILL BE a Sanctified life. That happens when we yield to the Spirit’s leading and walk by His power and submit to His teaching in our lives.
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