So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
Summary: Walking by the Spirit is easier than it sounds. We just need to make sure we are hanging onto God’s hand.
Paul told us that we should not indulge the flesh. Now, he tells us how we can avoid indulging in the flesh. The question he presents us with is this, “How do we walk by the spirit?”
The first thing we need if we are going to walk with the Spirit is to have the Spirit in us. The second thing we need is to listen to the Spirit. Scripture says the Word of God is “active and alive” (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God is not a static thing you put on the shelf. When we engage with the Spirit of God, we are holding the hand of our Creator.
To walk with the Spirit, then, is to walk holding the hand of God.
Imagine that you’re walking with a small child. Holding their hand is the ultimate in nonverbal communication. When the child starts to wander off, you know right away. When you squeeze their hand in response, they know immediately to stay close.
So why do you hold their hand? One reason is to keep the child from running off. Children don’t understand the dangers around them. Whether in a parking lot or on the road, they are likely to dart off into traffic. So, we hang on to their little hands to keep them out of danger.
A second reason is that when we walk with the child, we want to ensure the child ends up where are going. If you don’t hang onto their hand, they might end up somewhere else entirely. Holding a child’s hand is for their protection and guidance.
Walking with the Spirit is like that. The Spirit holds our spiritual hand. When the Spirit leads, we might just feel a gentle tug. If we wander off, we feel a gentle squeeze. God hangs on to us to make sure we end up with him at the end of the day.
Application: Hang on tight!
Food for Thought: How can we be sure it is God’s Spirit who has our hand?
The Holy Spirit will not lead us into anything that contradicts God’s word. So one way to tell that we are walking in the Spirit is to put things through the grid of Scripture. Similarly walking with the Spirit will bear the right fruit (in larger context of this passage – the good fruit being Galatians 5: 22 – 23). Finally the Spirit will tell us the truth about who Jesus is. So if we are thinking rightly or biblically about Jesus, that would be a good sign (1 John 4: 1 – 6).
I’m sure that God did more than just hold my hand. It was more like dragging me along while I was kicking and screaming. I’m glad that God has a great grip and never let me go.
Oh I forgot 1 John 4:1
Great verse Tim!
“test the spirits to see whether they are from God…”
— 1 John 4:1
LOL!
Thanks Tim!
God did the same for me, and he still does! 🙂
Brother Rich,
Great points! I think I would add that it is the Spirit that makes understanding the “grid of Scripture” possible and encourages us to read and memorize God’s Word.
Thank you!
How can we be sure it is God’s Spirit who has our hand?
Thank You R & T !
As Rich says, two of the most important ways in which we can see God’s hand move in our lives are through His Word and His Spirit. God’s Word applied by God’s Spirit is the source of our faith, regeneration, and growth in grace.
Romans 10:17; John 3:8; 2 Timothy 3:16–17.
It is by His Word and Spirit that we are called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and will one day be glorified.
Romans 8:15; Romans 8:30; 1 Corinthians 6:11
The preaching of the gospel and the power of the Spirit that God moves most powerfully in our lives to save us.
Romans 1:16
God’s hand is also at work in the trials, temptations, and hardships of our lives.
James 1:2–4
He uses difficulties as a refiner of gold uses a furnace, to remove impurities. In love, God disciplines His children in order to bring about their holiness. God afflicts us so that we will learn His ways and learn to depend on Him, our ultimate good.
1 Peter 1:6–7, Hebrews 12:6–11, Psalm 119:67
Thank you, Ron!
You write, “God’s hand is also at work in the trials, temptations, and hardships of our lives.”
I agree. This has been a theme that has been in my mind lately. It is especially amazing to look back over a long life and see how things that happened decades ago were necessary to help shape the people we are today. God is faithful … always!
Exactly, This morning my wife and I were talking about how God will being trials into our lives for our growth, how He stays with us, strengthens us and in fact carries us through every step, so we are prepared for the next.
Great Timing!
Ron
🙂