Walking in the Spirit

Day By Day By Grace
Bob Hoekstra
February 25, 2011

Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh…If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16, 25)

The term "walk" is used dozens of times in the New Testament to describe the manner of life a person is leading. Many of these occurrences depict the Christian life: "walk in love… walk as children of light… walk circumspectly" (Ephesians 5:2, 8, 15). In our passages, we are told to "walk in the Spirit."

Walking is a very insightful description of spiritual life. A walk has a beginning and a destination. Our beginning was in new birth: "born of the Spirit" (John 3:6). Our destination is heaven forever with our Lord and Savior: "And thus we shall always be with the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). A good walk is steady and progressive. We are called to be faithful: "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21). We are called to press ahead: "forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal" (Philippians 3:13-14). In addition, a walk has many potential adventures along the way. We are likely to encounter stretching challenges and paradoxical blessings: "in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness…as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things" (2 Corinthians 6:5, 10).

Ultimately, a walk must have an available resource that provides sufficient vitality, strength, guidance, and assurance. Here, our passages offer special hope through the injunction to "walk in the Spirit." Day by day, each step of the way, we are to rely upon the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Every issue of life (whether at home, office, school, or church) is to be faced in this manner. Otherwise, the influence of our flesh (our natural humanity) will prevail. "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." In ourselves we are not able to overcome the inadequacies and improper tendencies of the flesh. However, the Holy Spirit is more than able to become our sufficient provider of whatever we need for an effective and fruitful walk.

This perspective on Christian living makes complete biblical sense, when we connect our daily walk to how we found spiritual life in the first place. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." It was strictly by the work of the Spirit that we received life initially; therefore, let us take each step of life, "walk[ing] in the Spirit."

Lord God Almighty, I am so weak and so easily enticed in my flesh. I cannot produce what is needed for the spiritual walk to which I am called. O Lord, I cry out to You for the indispensable work of Your Spirit within me. Lord, teach me to walk day by day by the grace that Your Spirit alone can provide, Amen.