Walk by the Spirit

“The desires of the sinful nature or ‘flesh’ do not suddenly disappear. But by the power of God’s Spirit, who dwells in us, we can refuse to gratify them.”

We are taught in Scripture that the Christian life is a life of the Spirit. But what does that life look like, and how are we able to live it? God’s Spirit is a gift received by faith (Gal. 3:2–3). Our spiritual life has a distinctive character. It goes beyond mere religious practice and involves more than good moral behavior. Christian spirituality flows out of our relationship with God that was made possible by Christ’s sacrifice and is energized and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

While this Spirit-driven life is not without effort, you cannot earn it. The holy effort required to live the Christian life is empowered by the Spirit, whom we receive on the same basis as our justification (Gal. 2:16). The righteousness that makes us God’s children and the lifestyle that demonstrates that we belong to Him both come by faith. The Galatians mistakenly thought that after they began this life in the Spirit, it was up to them to live it in their own strength. Having begun by the Spirit, they were “trying to finish by means of the flesh” (Gal. 3:3).

Faith is the gateway to the believer’s relationship with God. It is also the secret to obedience. Every act of obedience is also an act of faith. When we obey, we are not trying to replace the righteousness of Christ with our own. Nor is obedience our attempt to pay Jesus back for our salvation. Obedience, displayed through our actions, is the life of the Spirit! The power that enabled some to work miracles in Paul’s day is also available to every Christian today, empowering us to deny the impulses of our sinful nature (Gal. 5:16).

The desires of the sinful nature or “flesh” do not suddenly disappear when we live this way. But by the power of God’s Spirit, who dwells in us, we can refuse to gratify them. Living by the Spirit is not just about what we choose not to do. The Spirit is also the One who produces positive moral character within us. This “fruit” of the Spirit is the opposite of what the sinful nature produces (Gal. 5:22–26). Christian spirituality is what happens when we keep in step with God’s Spirit.