How to Walk in the Spirit and Not the Flesh
Learning
how to walk in the spirit and not the flesh reminds me of a sarcophagus. On
many of these coffins, the exterior shell has a carved image of the deceased
person. The real person is inside.
Until
a Christian walks in the spirit, everyone sees your old self. That’s because
you lock away your spirit (dare I say in a sarcophagus) when you don’t subdue
your flesh.
The
flesh and spirit are significantly different. Your body drops to the floor upon
death but your spirit lives on.
2
Corinthians 5:1-2, 4-7
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a
building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For
in this tent we groan and long for our heavenly dwelling. While we
are in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish to be further
clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who
prepares us for this very thing is God, who gives us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So
we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the
body we are away from the Lord - for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Controlling
this earthly tent is a constant battle! I’m miserable when I let my flesh
control everything ALL DAY LONG. For example, hunger leads me to the kitchen.
On the way there, I peek in the mirror to see what my face needs. Then, my
flesh convinces me a day off from God is a good idea. Before I know it, God
isn’t important. Instead, I’m knee-deep in emails, social media accounts or
to-do lists.
Our
flesh demands attention and wants instant gratification. It loves independence,
power, and pleasures offered by the world. In contrast, the Spirit of God who
lives inside waits for us to respond to Him. So, what do you do? How do
you make a habit of living and walking in the holy spirit?
10
Ways on How to Walk in the Spirit
- Decide what
hinders you. What’s
your biggest fleshly battle? Sin entangles a person quickly (see Hebrews
12:1-2); therefore, know your hindrances and look to Jesus for help. Is it
sexual impurity, anger, profanity, hatred, alcohol, or something else? Be
aware of what your flesh likes - that’s what keeps you from walking in the
spirit.
- Reap life. Devote your
time to what everyone else does in the world and reap death. You sow to
the spirit every time you read scripture, meditate, or pray. By doing so,
God gets larger inside you and what the world does no longer matters.
- Obey God quickly. Like
anything else, it takes practice to do what God says. Deciding to train
your flesh or your spirit takes considerable time, either way.
- Be selective. The wrong
friends, TV shows, and activities pull you away from God. Your spirit
knows when that happens. You have a feeling that God isn’t pleased and He
has a better plan.
- Pray in the
Spirit. The
strongest desire usually wins out. If a besetting sin tries to overcome
you, pray in God’s heavenly language to resist. You may even sense the
Holy Spirit cleansing your heart while filling you with new desires.
- Listen for the
Holy Spirit. He
may prompt you to stop smoking or abandon entertainment shows that feed
your flesh. Remember, the benefits of walking in the spirit outweigh the
temporary inconvenience of changing a mindset or lifestyle. Everything God
tells you is important especially when you don’t want to hear what He
says. People tune out God throughout the day and then wonder why they
can’t hear Him in a crisis. He knows things you can never come up with on
your own.
- Decide daily to
walk in the Spirit. You choose whether you walk in the spirit or
not. Christians don’t stumble upon God. They make up their minds that He’s
the only priority worth chasing.
- See yourself dead
to sin.
How you see yourself in Christ becomes your reality. You can be led by the
spirit because you are a son or daughter of God.
Romans 8:12-14
So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh - for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. - Allow fruit to
grow. As
you walk in the spirit, spiritual fruit starts to develop. You become
more patient, loving, peaceful, or kind. This doesn’t happen
overnight but the more you walk in the spirit spiritual changes become
evident to you and others.
- Thank God often. Without God
at the helm, a Christian does nothing in the spirit. Every time you allow
the Holy Spirit to work through you be thankful because you’re making
progress.
More
Ideas About How to Walk in the Spirit
Supernatural
living occurs every day when Christians walk in the spirit. That’s because you
don’t follow your natural inclinations when living your life. You follow God.
Your flesh isn’t your governing authority that routinely opposes God.
Nope.
God’s laws are written on your heart, not on tablets of stone like the Ten
Commandments. When you allow Him, the Holy Spirit works inside you to keep your
heart pliable (soft) and teachable. Christians with hardened hearts allow their
flesh to rule non-stop. They’re unable to hear God thereby exalting themselves.
If
you aren’t walking in the power of the holy spirit and seeing results, review
this scripture to find out why.
Romans
8:5-9
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the
flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things
of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind
on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set
on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law - indeed it
cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are
not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in
you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
I’ve
found that choosing between the flesh and the spirit is the difference between
bondage and freedom. My spirit can soar or stagnate. It’s up to me whether my
Christian life is full of self or the things of the Spirit.
-
Betsy Wise
(Provided by “Writing For JESUS”)
Application of God's Word: John 17:18
Verse: John 17:18
As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
Application:
Jesus didn't ask God to take believers out of the
world but instead to use them in the world. Because Jesus sends us into
the world, we should not try to escape from the world, nor should we avoid all
relationships with non-Christians. We are called to be salt and light (Matthew
5:13-16), and we are to do the work that God sent us to do.
Jesus is the model for every believer. He was in the world, but He was not of the world. He was sent… into the world on a mission by His Father. So, believers are sent… into the world on a mission by the Son, to make the Father known. Inasmuch as Jesus' prayer for the disciples was not limited to the immediate apostles, this passage is similar to the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Each Christian should view himself as a missionary whose task is to communicate God's truth to others.
Jesus Wants You To Know...
"I know how much that future mountain worries you. But it may not even be part of our path. You don’t know what will happen today, much less tomorrow. I may suddenly turn you away from the mountain, or show you an easier path. But I promise that if I ask you to climb that mountain, I will give you everything you need to reach the top. My angels will protect you. And I will be right by your side every step of the way."
"For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways."
- Psalm 91:11
"For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways."
- Psalm 91:11
- "Jesus Calling for Kids" by Sarah Young