What Does it Mean to Walk in the Spirit?

(By Pastor Mark Fontecchio)

Question: What does it mean to walk in the Spirit?

Answer: There are some wonderful promises in the Bible. Galatians 5:16 includes one of those promises. Paul told the churches of Galatia, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” This verse strikes at the heart of the battle for the Christian looking to walk with God.

By broadening our context in Galatians, we notice in verse 25 that Paul also said, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” English readers need to be careful here. The word if is a first-class condition in Greek. It means since we live in the Spirit. Let’s read it that way, “Since we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Since God has given us new life by the power of the Spirit of God, let us also walk in the Spirit. This tells us that as Christians it is possible to not walk in the Spirit. We can disobey our God.

The contrast in verse 16 of Galatians 5 is walking in the Spirit instead of fulfilling the lust of the flesh. Understanding the lust of the flesh helps us to understand Paul’s intended meaning. The flesh (in this context) is the old sin nature of man that is still present in the life of the believer. At its most basic level, when someone is living in the flesh they are living independently of the Spirit of God. To walk implies the idea of a step-by-step process through daily life.

Verse 17 in Galatians also needs to be considered, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” We know from James 1:13-15 that the desires of our sin nature tempt us to sin. These desires draw us away from walking with God. Paul is affirming this in verse 17 of Galatians where we see that to walk in the Spirit is contrary to our sin nature.

Again, by looking at a broader context within Paul’s letter to the churches of Galatians we read in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Here Paul is using the term flesh to refer to his physical body. Paul is writing about his identification with Christ as a child of God. Just as Christ died, so Paul died in Him. Just as Christ arose, Paul has risen to a resurrected life in Christ. It is the life of Christ living in us now that we live by faith (trust).

I often use the illustration of a hand in a glove. Just as a glove cannot operate without a hand in it, a person is unable to live for Christ without Christ living in them. Now that we are identified with Christ as believers, we have Christ living in us. To live or walk by faith is to live according to the new person that Christ has made us to be. It is to live out in our condition who Christ has made us to be in our position (identified with Him). Walking by faith means we let the Word of God govern our lives. We renew our minds (thinking) with the Word of God (Romans 12:2). As we walk by faith, God living in us empowers us to trust those promises and teachings of Scripture. This includes the teaching of Galatians 2:20 (see also Romans 6:1-6) which teaches that as a believer you have been identified with Christ (including His death and resurrection). To walk in the Spirit (step by step throughout our days) is to live by faith in the Scriptures and in Jesus Christ. It is to turn to the Word of God for guidance (looking for the revealed teaching of God for direction) on the particular situations of life that we face and then living it out with the trust that this glorifies Christ. Walking in the Spirit should be understood as walking by faith. To walk by faith includes trusting God and His character of who He is as described in His Word. It is to trust His love and His plan for your life even though He has not promised to tell us ahead of time what paths in life He will take us down. It is also to trust His Word that He is working in us and that by faith we can live for Him (Philippians 1:6).

The practical application of this may still be hard for us to wrestle with. Christians seeking to please our Savior want His direction in our lives. We take encouragement from verses like Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” Yet, the question remains. How does God direct our steps? Consider verse 18 of Galatians 5, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” A mystical mindset has taken over the Church today. It is common (sadly) to hear people speak of God leading them to do something that is completely contrary to the Scriptures. Others almost claim to have an inside track with God whereby He gives personal guidance on the decisions we have to make in life (often based on a mystical approach to looking at circumstances in our lives rather than on Scripture). Did Paul promise this type of guidance in Galatians 5:18? Hardly. In the context of Galatians 5 Paul is instructing believers how to live by faith rather than by the Law. To be led by the Spirit should be understood as the same as walking in the Spirit in verse 16. It is to live by faith in Christ and His Word. Shortly before His death, Jesus prayed to the Father for those that followed Him, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” (John 17:17).

How God Guides Us

So how does God direct believers today? Primarily through His Word. Certainly, we need Christ in us and the Spirit of God working in our lives to live the life of faith (hand in glove). This does not mean, however, that we are to be looking for personal guidance on the decisions we make. This also does not mean we are to seek more of the Spirit of God. If you are born again by faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross, you have the Spirit of God already present in you. The hand is already in the glove (Romans 8:8-11). Renew your mind with the Word of God and over time the principles found in the Word of God will be your guiding road map of life.

Consider one example from everyday life. Christ asked His followers in Matthew 6:25, “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” This one verse would help a believer make wise choices when looking at making large purchases (cars, homes, etc.). My wife and I moved into our current home when we moved to Alaska. We purposely bought a home that was comfortable that would be a good home to grow old in (one level and only 3 bedrooms). It is not extravagant by any means. I own one of the smallest homes on the block. Why? Because I want to balance out the teaching of Scripture to provide a safe, warm place for my family to live with the understanding that to be extravagant would be a waste of the resources that God has entrusted to us that could be further used to complete His work on earth. The Word of God helps us to shape our focus.

What about turning to God for direction? Don’t expect God to tell you what to do for personal guidance. This would be looking for God to fulfill a promise in Scripture that is not there. Instead, we can know that it is right to ask God for wisdom in prayer. This we also see in Scripture (1 Kings 3:9; James 1:5; James 4:3). How does God grant wisdom to us? Though His Word. It is the heartbeat of our ministry to take people back to the Word of God for this very reason. Consider Psalm 119:104-105, “Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore, I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

When a believer makes Christ our focus, it makes the decision-making process much easier. Paul instructed, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).