How to walk in the spirit
Welcome back, my indefatigable Compadres!
God created us to perhaps live 99% in the spirit and 1% in the flesh. But what do we see? We seem to struggle so much to maintain our spiritual status. However, the only sure way to win the battle against our flesh is when we learn to walk in the spirit. The progression for the development of a child is that he/she learns to sit, then they learn to walk before eventually learning to run. Tragically, many Christians are nowhere close to learning to sit, let alone walking. I discuss in this blog, how to walk in the spirit. Let’s get started!
Triune God, Tripartite ‘Man’
God is a God in three persons; God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When God said, “let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness [1],” He had a tripartite human being in mind, comprising of three units; spirit, soul, and body (flesh). However, the spirit is in a constant battle against the body [2], whichever wins the battle controls the soul. This means that the soul is stuck between the spirit and the body.
Whenever the body (flesh) wins the battle against the spirit and its desire is perpetuated, it is called sin. Sin therefore could literally be said to occur if the flesh wins against the spirit and as a result, the lust of the flesh is fulfilled. On the contrary, when the spirit wins the battle, the desire of God is fulfilled.
The flesh is sinful by default
The flesh in its default state is sinful. Therefore, in order to overcome sin and weakness that comes as a result of the activity of the flesh, one must make a deliberate and a conscious effort on a daily basis to put the body under constant subjection. The Bible says,
but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified [3].
The only sure way not to fulfill the desire of the flesh is to consciously empower the spirit to overcome the war against the flesh. The Bible says, “this I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh [4]”. The question then is “how can I walk in the spirit?”
How to walk in the spirit
In order to walk in the spirit, there are some activities one has to undertake. These are necessary requirements to put the body under subjection. Some of these activities are discussed below:
Fasting & Prayers
Prayer is a spiritual exercise that allows us to communicate with God. Whenever we pray, the Holy Spirit helps us to set our affections on God. We have the opportunity to present our supplications, petitions, and atonements before God. When we pray, God steps out of eternity into time and moves things on our behalf. Fasting, therefore, is the willing abstinence from or reduction of some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. Whenever we fast, we empower the spirit, and as the body becomes weak, the spirit is strengthened. If we abstain from food without praying, it becomes starvation. Fasting, therefore, becomes effective when it is complemented with prayer. Fasting and prayer, however, set our minds and affections on the Lord, thereby helping us to walk in the spirit.
Reading and Meditation of Scriptures
The Bible is the word of God in written form. Scripture says, “thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path [5].” Also, Joshua 1:8 says,
This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.
Whenever we read and meditate on the word of God, it helps us to set our affections on the things of the Lord, thereby walking in the spirit. As we ponder over and mutter the word of God, our spirit and soul are saturated by the fountain of the Lord. Eventually, our bodies succumb to the biddings of the Spirit of God.
Listening to the word
The Bible says, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ [6].” Whenever we listen to the word of God, whether through a pastor preaching, through podcast and video sermons, or any other electronic means; or through the reading of gospel books, our faith is stirred up. It empowers and enables us to walk in the Spirit, and therefore helps us to win the battle against our flesh.
Quality gospel songs
Another important thing we can do to walk in the Spirit is listen to godly and inspirational songs. Songs are so powerful that they can even drive demons away. It is therefore imperative to be mindful of the kind of songs we feed ourselves with. Consuming songs that are not inspired by the Holy Spirit can have tragic effects on a person. Embracing these spiritual truths will invariably help one to grow in the things of God. “This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh [7].”
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References
[1] Genesis 1:26
[2] Galatians 5:17
[3] 1 Corinthians 9:27
[4] Galatians 5:16
[5] Psalm 119:105
[6] Romans 10:17
[7] Galatians 5:16
Comments:
samueldaniels
God bless you for reading
Nora Mensah
Indeed, we should be mindful of the kind of songs we listen to. Thank you for this write up Pastor
samueldaniels
Bless you Nora
Awura
Very Good one Proph.
God bless !