Galatians 5:16(NIV) So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh
“Walking by the Spirit” is something the Holy Spirit enables us to do by producing in us strong desires that accord with God’s will. This is what God said he would do in Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NLT) “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”
Paul shift from the phrase “walking by the Spirit” in verse 16, to “being led by the Spirit” in Galatians 5:18 (NKJV) “”But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Walking by the Spirit” and “being led by the Spirit” refer to the same thing. “Being led by the Spirit” stresses the Spirit’s initiative and enablement. “Walking by the Spirit” stresses our resulting behaviour. The Spirit leads us by creating desires to obey God, and we walk by fulfilling those desires in action. Thus, wanting to do the will of God and then doing the will of God.
Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP) “But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
The “fruit of the Spirit” is what appears in your life when you “walk by the Spirit.” There are three images of the Spirit’s work in our life: “walking by the Spirit”, “being led by the Spirit” and bearing “the fruit of the Spirit”
What pleases God is walking by the Spirit and being led by the Spirit and bearing the fruit of the Spirit!
Romans 7:18 (ESV) “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.”
The Spirit is with us on our walk and gives us the right nourishment when we need it.
“When the Holy Spirit is in full control of our lives, He will expect our obedience to the written Word of God. But it is part of our human problem that we would like to be full of the Spirit and yet go on and do as we please!” Aiden Wilson Tozer
I would like to conclude with a quote from Billy Graham; “For me, the best time to pray is the very moment a tense situation or an unspiritual attitude overtakes me. God the Holy Spirit is always there, ready to help me gain victory in the spiritual battles I face-big or small.”
Today, be led by the Spirit, by walking in the Spirit, bearing the fruit of the Spirit.