“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)
“If we live in the Spirit” means if we have accepted God’s marvelous and merciful gift of life, then the Holy Spirit is indwelling. We are no longer of this world. Jesus said, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16) We are not to live like the world but have now been placed in God’s kingdom. “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:” (Colossians 1:13). The lusts of this world have nothing for us. The carnality of the flesh has been crucified in our spirits with the old man at the cross. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” (Romans 6:6) The old man is the old sinful man who lived in darkness.
So why do we struggle with the flesh if we are now spiritual beings and children of God with a new nature? Our human spirits which were in darkness have been reborn of God. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:12-13) We now have a new nature, the nature of God. But we live in the same body. The body was not redeemed. It also has to die just as our spirits died on the cross. This will happen at the end of our lives on earth. The flesh will die and return to dust. It’s of this world and will stay with this world. This body is still a carnal body. It has memory and it has desires which are not in line with the Spirit of God. “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Galatians 5:17) This carnal flesh tries to influence our soul (mind, will and emotions.) Its desires are contrary to the Holy Spirit living in us and contrary to the desires of our new reborn human spirits.
Our new reborn of God spirits are in direct communication with God through the Holy Spirit. (2Corinthians 13:14) Our spirits also try to influence our souls (mind, will and emotions.) So, there is this conflict between the flesh and the spirit. Which do we obey? The answer is the one that we are nurturing. If one is reading books and looking at magazines about fleshly things, watching shows on TV about divorce, infidelity, fornication and other sinful practices and participating with sinners in their sins such as sharing dirty jokes, using vulgar words and partying with them, then you are nurturing the flesh. If you have sincerely received God’s merciful gift then you must divorce meaning cut off completely those activities. The Holy Spirit is not comfortable in that environment. And if you have sincerely received God’s salvation, you will also feel uncomfortable because you are now a new creation. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2Corinthians 5:17)
We all know someone who says they are born again believers, but their lives are not in line with the Spirit of God. They may be new believers who are still grappling with their new life. The Holy Spirit will teach that believer and bring that believer to life in the spirit. But if that person has declared their salvation and are continuing in sin knowingly, then there is a question as to whether that person sincerely received the gift of God. They may think that because they have repeated the prayer of salvation, they are saved. But their hearts did not surrender to Jesus. And there are many people like that. They desire God’s gift, but don’t want Jesus to be Lord of their lives.
If we sincerely received God’s gift of salvation and have made Jesus Lord of our lives, then it will be evident that the Holy Spirit is in us. There will be an immediate change of heart. The things of the flesh will be abhorrent to us. The Holy Spirit will produce in us the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23) We will not walk after the flesh as before because we have cut off sin from us. There is no joy nor enjoyment in it. “And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Galatians 5:24)
To walk in the Spirit is to allow the Holy Spirit to direct our lives, spirit, soul and body. The evidence will be in the fruit. (Galatians 5:22-23) “Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.” (Matthew 12:33) It’s known whether you are walking in the Spirit or in the flesh by your fruit. “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:20)
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