"Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfil the lust of the flesh." Galatians 5:16
What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? How is it possible? Why would we want to? Well—we have a soul (mind, will, and emotions) within our body. When we ask Jesus to be our Savior our spirit is born and we become a new creation. God's Spirit moves in to lead, comfort, empower, and enable us to follow God. Without Him we can do nothing of any eternal value.
When the Holy Spirit indwells us that's when the battle begins. Our soul doesn't want God to be in control. We don't want to be led by the Spirit. Imagine a bratty child stomping their foot and demanding their own way—that's us when we insist on being in control. We have allowed our flesh to run our lives for so long that surrendering to God's Spirit seems unnecessary and impossible. Unless we allow the Spirit of God to lead—to give us direction in every part of our lives—we will flounder and struggle and live lives far beneath God's intention for us. "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would." Galatians 5:16-17
If we are led by the flesh we will not be able to stand against the wiles of the evil one. The works of the flesh will be present in our lives and we will have no power to stand against them. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery (sex with someone other than your spouse), fornication (sex before you are married), uncleanness (absence of purity or holiness), lasciviousness (a lustful, lewd person), Idolatry (worshipping anything but God), witchcraft (the practice of magic and use of spells), hatred (loathing), variance (being disagreeable), emulations (wanting to be better than others), wrath (anger), strife (fighting), seditions (rebellion), heresies (false beliefs about God), envyings (being jealous of what others have), murders (killing people), drunkenness (being intoxicted), revellings (wild partying), and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-20
If we absolutely surrender to God and allow His Holy Spirit to lead, He will enable and empower us to fulfil His will. Only as we walk in the Spirit will the fruit of God's Spirit be produced in us. His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and God-controlled (not self-controlled) life can only fill us as we yield to Him. Only then can we bring joy to God's heart. As we yield and surrender to God He will transform us. He will make us into His beautiful image and give us victory over sin. How cool is that?
We have a choice. Will we submit to God or serve sin? "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?"(Romans 6:16) When our soul is in submission to God, our body will be led by His Holy Spirit. Then we will walk in the Spirit and not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Only as we submit to God will we have power to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. I pray for God's highest and holiest purposes for our lives to be fulfilled for His glory. May we be led by His Holy Spirit. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:25 God to lead you and follow Him. Trust Him. He loves you. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Romans 8:14 Blessings, Beloved of God.
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