Walking In The Spirit of Death!

Galatians 5:24-26

Spiritual freedom is the result of walking in the power of the Holy Spirit each day! In the verses closing Galatians chapter five, Paul has contrasted the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit, concluding that Christians are to live Spirit-led lives. But what does it mean to live a life characterized by love, joy, peace, longsuffering, and the other virtues? To those who might prefer a transcendental experience in a church service it is surprising to note the concrete nature of walking in the Spirit. No, a spiritual Believer is free from the enslavement and domination of sinful motives and patterns. Actually measuring spirituality by actions of service and love is at the heart of the biblical teaching (Wiersbe). Walking in the Spirit is the key!

It is easy to talk about the fruit of the Spirit or walking in the Spirit while doing very little about it. This is entirely unacceptable to our Lord Jesus. We need to learn that it is in the concrete situations, rather than in emotional highs, that the reality of the Holy Spirit in our lives is demonstrated. Believers can be liberated from sinful behavior patterns by walking in the Spirit. One of the great goals of Christian freedom is Spirit-led ministry or service to others in concrete and daily matters (Eph. 5:9; Col. 1:9-13; Phil. 1:11). Such can only be experienced as we walk in the Spirit!

While it is true the flesh may manufacture "results" that bring attention to us, but the flesh cannot bear fruit that brings glory to God (Anders). It takes patience, an atmosphere of the Spirit, walking in the light of God’s fellowship, receiving the seed of the Word of God, and a sincere desire to honor Christ. In short, the secret to spiritual freedom is walking in the Holy Spirit! He alone can give us the freedom from sin and self. He enables us to fulfill the law of love, to overcome the flesh, and to bear holy fruit. Will you yield to Him and let Him work in you? Note carefully what Paul said,

And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another (Gal. 5:24–26).  

Now let’s consider some thoughts on Walking in the Spirit based on this incredible statement from God’s Word.

First, Our Fallen Nature Is Rendered “Dead” As We Walk In The Spirit Of Death (Gal.5:24)

Paul lays before us the reality that our fallen nature has been crucified with Christ at His sacrificial and representative death for us. He insists that since we presently have life in the Spirit, it is incumbent upon us to walk in the Spirit. That is, we are obligated to live in complete submission and cooperation with the Spirit of God in our daily relationships and opportunities to serve others. Believers have zero obligations to fleshly carnal living; we are impressed by this passage to identify with Christ’s death through the power of the Spirit of God. We must recognize our union with Christ in death, burial and resurrection. The old part of us, since we possess two natures, is already crucified. However, regarding our actual experience, it still must be put to death (Col. 3:5-15). It is in this regard that living and walking in the Spirit is the "death" of the fleshly fallen side of us. As a result we must certify in our actual experience that our flesh is indeed crucified, and continue to resist any expressions of the fleshly nature. Well, how should we go about this?

Certify the Ruin of the Flesh (Gal. 5:24-25a)

When we certify, we are actually appropriating a truth into our own personal experience. We are literally acknowledging what God said to be true and actual for us as an individual. This is counting this precious reality as a reality in our life and experience—adopting it on a subjective and intimate level. Please allow me to illustrate. We may be convinced that a cold glass of water would quench our thirst and refresh our bodies on a hot summer afternoon. However, we can only experience such refreshment and satisfaction as we actually drink the water. Likewise, merely knowing that our flesh has been crucified with Christ at Calvary is insufficient. We must drink this truth into our hearts, minds, and convictions to experiences its freeing power in each challenging situation. 

         The Old Nature Must Be Crucified (v. 24).  Again this happened at Calvary through our Lord Jesus Christ, but it is essential to spiritual freedom. This crucifixion is a past event and a completed action with future benefits and ramifications for every Believer. 

Paul explains that we Believers are identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6). Christ not only died for me, but I died with Christ. Christ died for me to remove the penalty of my sin, but I died with Christ to break sin's power (Rom. 6:5-14).  The same is true for every genuine child of God! Paul mentioned this in Galatians a number of times (Gal. 2:19-20; 6:14). Now consider this insightful thought from Dr. Wiersbe, 

He should not serve sin (Rom. 6:6-10). Sin is a terrible master, and it finds a willing servant in the human body. The body is not sinful; the body is neutral. It can be controlled either by sin or by God. But man's fallen nature, which is not changed at conversion, gives sin a beachhead from which it can attack and then control. Paul expressed the problem: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not" (Rom 7:18).A tremendous fact is introduced here: the old man (the old ego, self) was crucified with Christ so that the body need not be controlled by sin. The word "destroyed" in Rom 6:6 does not mean annihilated; it means "rendered inactive, made of no effect." The same Greek word is translated "loosed" in Rom 7:2. If a woman's husband dies, she is 'loosed" from the law of her husband and is free to marry again. There is a change in relationship. The law is still there, but it has no authority over the woman because her husband is dead.Sin wants to be our master. It finds a foothold in the old nature, and through the old nature seeks to control the members of the body. But in Jesus Christ we died to sin; and the old nature was crucified so that the old life is rendered inoperative. Paul was not describing an experience; he was stating a fact. The practical experience was to come later. It is a fact of history that Jesus Christ died on the cross. It is also a fact of history that the believer died with Him; and "he that is dead is freed from sin" (Rom 6:7). Not "free to sin" as Paul's accusers falsely stated; but "freed from sin."” –(from The Bible Exposition Commentary).

          The Old Nature Has Been Crucified (Vs. 24). 

We are not instructed to crucify ourselves, because this is impossible. Strictly speaking crucifixion is one death a person cannot inflict on them self. The important fact we must not miss is that the flesh has already been crucified. It is our responsibility to believe this and act on it. (Paul calls this "reckoning" in Rom. 6; you have the same truth presented in Col. 3:5).  Beloved, we have zero obligations to the flesh, but every responsibility to the Spirit (Rom. 8:12-14). We must accept what God says about the old nature and not try to make it something that it is not. Reformation or Legalism will not transform the flesh.  Christ has ultimately destroyed it and in the Rapture it will be completely eliminated in the believer!  Therefore refuse to accommodate and make "provision for the flesh" (Rom. 13:14) by feeding it the sinful things it thrives on. Starve it to death and crucify the flesh by the Spirit of Death! (Wiersbe, MacDonald & Walvoord)

          The New Nature Must be Realized (Vs. 25). 

In the flesh dwells no good thing (Rom. 7:18), so we should put no confidence in the flesh (Phil. 3:3). The flesh is not subject to God's Law (Rom. 8:7) and it cannot please God (Rom. 8:8). Remember that it is through the Spirit of God that we realize the benefit of the new nature in Christ according to 2Cor. 5:14-17 (Wiersbe, MacDonald & Walvoord). Now allow yourself to be deeply impressed by convictions of a Christian who literally gave his life for the cause of Christ in the Twentieth Century,

The idea that someone would claim to believe the gospel while planning to continue in sin is preposterous to Paul. He knew people would think that way and would be wrong. The point of the gospel was not to find an excuse for sin, but to give freedom from sin.
Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son; "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us.”—Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Perhaps we can appreciate our new position in Christ by noting we are actually dead to sin. Dead to sin may be an uncomfortable concept to some. Still force yourself to reflectively consider what the Apostle Paul asserts in Romans 6:1-3, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2, God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3, Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? To further clarify, Paul introduces a revolutionary concept: genuine Believers are dead in relation to sin. The great apostle certifies that because Christ died for our sins, we who believe in Him actually died to sin. But how can this be when we still sin at times? In what manner have we died to sin?

• In the legal sense, we died in the sight of God's judgment.
• In the conversion sense, believing in Christ is dying to sin.
• In the baptismal sense, that burial implies we have died with Christ.
• In the moral sense, sinful desires may be present, but they are mortally wounded.  
• In the resurrection sense, we exchange our sinful life for Christ's resurrection life.

Paul speaks of this death as fact and concludes, therefore, that believers cannot live any longer in it. (Source Unknown)

This brings us to a question of considerable weight; is the Christian life about living in sin or dying to sin? Well, living in sin describes a lifestyle of habitual controlling sinful practices--enslavement. It is a life where sin reigns. Death is the currency of that kingdom. The subjects are slaves, and their future is hopeless. Why would anyone, given their freedom, want to remain in such a place, living such a life? Dying to sin describes the most frequent way a slave gained freedom (by dying) to illustrate one aspect of the salvation that God has given us through Christ. The problem of sin is so deeply rooted in us that radical action is required to eliminate it. In another place, Paul described this process: "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:" (Col 1:13). Unless we consider ourselves dead to sin (6:11), sin will continue to influence us (from The Life Application Commentary). Again concerning our vital union with Christ our Representative in death at Calvary, “If, then, you died in your baptism, stay dead!”—Chrysostom 

Beloved, it is Christ who has conquered sin and death, and The Spirit enables us to realize and experience the value of Christ's work! Depend on the Spirit of Death! Only through the Holy Spirit can we "put to death" the awful deeds our fallen carnal nature would love to do through our body (Rom. 8:13). The Holy Spirit is not only the Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2; Gal. 5:25), but He is also the Spirit of death: He helps us to reckon ourselves dead to sin. The Spirit of God enables us to overcome the flesh.

Continue to Restrain the Flesh (Gal. 5:25-26)

Now that we have explored what it means to appropriate the value of Christ’s crucifixion into our experience from the positive side, it is important at this point to exercise ourselves in the equally important negative aspect also. Not only should we certify the ruin of the flesh, but we must also continue to restrain any expression of the fallen nature. Only through such balanced discipline can we realize spiritual freedom continually in the Spirit. So, how is this done?

         By Walking in the Spirit (Vs. 25). 

"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." (Gal. 5:25). “If” here means “since.” Since we have eternal life by the work of the Holy Spirit in us, let us live out the new life by the power of the same Spirit. The law never could give life, and was never intended to be the Christian's rule of life. Walking in the Spirit is the life of freedom from sin’s control and domination (Walvoord & Wiersbe). Again this is not sinless perfection, but freedom from sin's enslavement to live in obedience and devotion to Jesus Christ. 

Beloved, walking in the Spirit is an intensely practical matter. It touches real life and horrific challenges of all kinds. You see, through this walk we can break free from the damage, devastation, and fear that anger can weld to crush our relationships. By walking in the Spirit we overcome fears that have stopped us from dreaming, envisioning, and walking in God’s complete will for our lives. It is only through the Spirit applying the value of Christ's death to our experiences that we may be free to realize our holy destiny in Christ! Are you facing seemingly insurmountable challenges in your professional life? God desires to show Himself strong in all areas of our lives including what we sometimes consider to be secular matters. It is through the Spirit’s power that we learn to handle correctly a boss who is rude, inadequate, obnoxious, and unfair. Are there some life patterns you have that are hindering your walk with the Lord? Through the Spirit we break free of abusive habits, entrenched sinful patterns, enslaving practices, and language patterns that harm our spouse, children, friends, and love ones. Walk in the Spirit!  Not only asking God to fill us with His Spirit at the top of our day but, choosing to be controlled by Him throughout the course of the day! Yes, we have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ through the Spirit, but we need to act like it. Live out these realities by walking moment by moment in the Spirit of Grace.

        By Following Eight Life Giving Steps of Faith to Walking in the Spirit.

What about when we still accidentally/unintentionally sin against God? After all sinless perfection is impossible, though we have the power to forsake sin. Still what should we do after “getting in the flesh?” This is a good question and the following procedure will prove most helpful:  

1) Face your problem, attitude, or action acknowledging that it is indeed sinful (Gal. 5:19-21) 

2) Confess it as soon as possible by name to your Father in Heaven (1Jn. 1:9) 

3) Ask God to cleanse you and take away the very desire for that sin (1Jn. 5:14-15)  

4) Forgive the person or group who has offended you if necessary (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13; Matt. 18:15-17)  

5) Formally give thanks and praise to God even when faced with things that “bother” you (1Thess. 5:18; Job. 1:21; Ps. 34:1; Eph. 5:20; Phil. 4:6)  

6) Recognize that God never places more on you than you can handle or deal with (1Cor. 10:13; Rom. 8:28; 2Cor. 1:9-12; 12:8-11).  

7) Concentrate on thinking differently, positively, and align your thoughts with the Bible’s; change your thinking patterns—reject sinful thought patterns (Phil. 4:8; Eph. 4:30-31; Prov. 23:5-7).   

8) Insist on being Spirit-filled throughout the day—ask Him often to control you (Eph. 5:18; Luke 11:9-13).  

9) Repeat; go through all steps again. Never quit trusting God and applying yourself. Depend on Christ by faith (Gal. 2:20; 1Cor. 15:57; Jn. 16:33; Phil. 4:13; Rom. 14:23). (Source unknown)

       By Maintaining Vital Contact With the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). 

Since we Believers have been made alive by the Holy Spirit, He ought to direct the course of our lives. Unless we actively pursue contact with the Holy Spirit and obey His leading, we will be unable to resist the passions and desires of our flesh. Beloved in Christ, please stay in step with the Spirit of God.

Step By Step
God is interested in all of our life, not just the spiritual part. As we live by the Holy Spirit's power, we need to submit every aspect of our life to God -- emotional, physical, social, intellectual, and vocational. Paul says that because we're saved, we should live like it! The Holy Spirit is the source of your new life, so keep in step with his leading. Don't let anything or anyone else determine your values and standards in any area of your life. (Life Application Commentary) 

Paul used three key phrases for the Holy Spirit's work in our lives:

            1.  Choose to Live in the Spirit (walk in the Spirit) (5:16, 25)

·        Recognize that the Holy Spirit is a gift to us, not given because of our own merit (Acts 1:4,8)

·        Be strengthened by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:11; Eph. 3:16)

·        Acknowledge the Holy Spirit as the source of our gifts for ministry (Eph. 4:7-12; 2 Tim. 1:6)

            2.  Choose to be Led by the Spirit (Gal. 5:18; Rom. 8:14)

·        Set your mind on what the Spirit desires (Rom. 8:5)

·        Show His love freely (Rom. 5:5)

·        Receive His joy abundantly (Rom. 14:17; 1 Thess. 1:6)

·        Demonstrate the hope He stimulates (Rom. 15:17)

            3.  Choose to be Guarded by the Spirit (in step with the Spirit) (Gal. 5:25; John 14:26; 16:13)

·        He aids in our prayers (Rom. 8:26-27; Eph. 2:18; 6:18)

·        He inspires us to worship (Eph. 5:18; Phil. 3:3)

·        He shapes our character (Gal. 5:22-23)

(Excerpts from The Life Application Commentary Series)

Thus, the exhortation is to the Galatians who have divine life resident in their beings, to conduct themselves under the guidance, impulses, and energy of that life. Here we have the free will of the Christian and his responsibility to live the highest type of Christian life, and the grace of God which will make that possible. The responsibility of the saint is to desire to live a Christlike life, to depend upon the Holy Spirit for the power to live that life, and to step out on faith and live that life. This fulfilled, will bring all the infinite resources of grace to the aid of the saint, and put in operation all the activities of the Spirit in his behalf.”—(From Wuest, K. S.; Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament)

Anybody can talk about the fruit of the Spirit or walking in the Spirit, but it requires real faith to live this way! Beloved, this is precisely what our Lord Jesus expects of every child of God. Walking in the Spirit is for concrete situations of daily life, and not for mere emotional highs during some church service! The reality that we are followers of Christ must be demonstrated through a Spirit-empowered life marked by holy freedom! One of the great goals of Christian freedom is Spirit-led ministry or service to others in concrete and daily matters. Beloved in Christ Jesus, this is God's plan and design for you. Even now He is waiting to walk with and in you while you walk with and in Him. Began today to walk in the Spirit.