The Power of Walking by the Spirit | Galatians 5:16-18

There is nothing that qualifies a believer’s life apart from the power of God’s indwelling Spirit. There is no exception- it is only by the Holy Spirit we can be what God planned for us to be. The apostles were mighty men of God- highly esteemed for their deeds of faith- but even they faltered when they failed to walk by the Spirit. (Gal 2:11-12) In this ongoing study of Paul’s letter to the Galatians, we examine three benefits of walking by the Holy Spirit daily.

As you walk by the Spirit, you can act as true believers. If we desire to walk like Christ, we must walk by the Spirit. Following Jesus is very simple and clear- we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to walk by Him every day. Christian life becomes complicated, burdensome, or dull when we carry out the desires of the flesh, but the Holy Spirit helps us in this time of need. He exposes the nature of our enemy– the flesh- showing us its corrupt desires and lusts that are meant to destroy us. He exposes the true nature of our depravity. There is nothing good in our flesh- it rejects the saving righteousness of God in Christ, with a sole aim to corrupt and condemn us before God. (2 Cor 5:21) It is always evil, always satanic, and it is deserving of God’s eternal punishment. (Gen 6:12)

Furthermore, the Holy Spirit exposes the flesh’s allies. The flesh is always stirred up by sin. It drives us to be enslaved under Satan’s power, delivering us into the hands of a fallen world. We can not underestimate the power of Satan and the world, nor overestimate our holiness and devotion to God. (1 Jn 2:15-16) We are sinners living with the flesh, and it is God’s grace alone that upholds us in faith and devotion. We must therefore all the more strive to mortify the flesh every day. (2 Tim 4:10) The Holy Spirit also exposes those who love the flesh, even among believers. He exposes the damages done by the flesh. In the case of Esau and Jacob, Esau was driven by the flesh- He ignored God’s order and sovereign Will, and forsook self-control to appease his appetite. He married non-believers, and disobeyed his parents. Esau’s disobedience caused his descendants to be cursed by the Lord, framing a devastating picture of the consequences of walking by the flesh.

As you walk by the Spirit, you can be obedient. Believers have a constant desire to be more like Christ, but face an equally constant result of failing to obey. We want to obey, but in reality, we don’t obey much. Why? Before our conversion, we were dead to the Spirit, and alive only to our flesh. There was no struggle. But as the Holy Spirit now dwells in us, the Spirit and the flesh continually strive against one another. (Rom 7:18-20) The flesh desires for us to die; the Spirit works so that we may live. There is enmity between the flesh and the Spirit, with no possibility of peace or reconciliation. This constant battle leaves no rest- when we sin, the Holy Spirit convicts us, and when we try to do good, we still see unending sin in all we do. Wretched men that we are! This is why we absolutely need the Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus unceasingly walked by the Spirit, using the Word to overcome Satan’s temptations in perfect obedience. (Matt 4:1-4) If we desire to follow after Christ, we must walk by the Spirit by going into Scripture. God knows all things, and He has prepared every answer for every circumstance in His Word. We must read, wrestle, understand and obey the Word to walk by the Spirit.

As you walk by the Spirit, you are not under the law, but under grace. Believers are no longer slaves to sin, for we now serve our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (Rom 6:17)  There is no grace in the law. The purpose of the law is to pinpoint our sin, so that we may turn to Jesus for salvation. As the law exposes our sin, the Holy Spirit leads and guides us into the grace of God in the gospel. If you fail to walk by the Spirit, you remain under the law. Putting yourself under the law by duty and performance may satisfy for a time being, but the law inevitably steals all hope and joy. If you are led by the Spirit, He will constantly carry you into the gospel of Jesus, in which everything is sweet under God’s freeing grace. This is the essence of Christian life- let us live in the grace of the gospel of Jesus, obeying Him, and resisting the flesh by walking in the Spirit.