“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:1)
The second accomplice of the devil working with the world to prevent us from walking in the Spirit is the flesh.
Although we have been born again and our spirit has been born from above, the sin nature still exists in our flesh to draw us away from the things of God.
Jesus said:
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6)
The carnal man or flesh nature is of the world but the new man or spiritual nature is from God.
“As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.” (1Cor. 15:48)
Until Jesus returns, and as long as we are in this body, we will always have the flesh nature to contend with.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” (1Cor. 15:50)
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,” (1Cor. 15:51)
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” (1Cor. 15:52)
Although we cannot escape the flesh while we are upon this earth, the Bible teaches us that we can weaken the flesh until he is not able to prevail in our lives.
THIS IS THE KEY TO WALKING IN THE SPIRIT.
The devil uses the world to entice the carnal man, and the carnal man then tries to draw us toward the world and away from God. The carnal man feeds on the things of the world.
If we can recognize the deceitful debate that the carnal mind offers before we allow him to feed on the world, then we can starve him from the world and weaken him to the point that we treat him as dead.
“Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:” (Col. 3:5)
“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” (Rom. 8:13)
The word “mortify” literally means to “count as dead” or “cause to die by starvation or abstinence”.
As the carnal man weakens, the new man gets stronger.
By studying what the Bible has to say about the fool (the carnal man) and the wise (the spiritual man), we can learn to recognize the reasonings of the carnal man that is in our flesh and resist him before he has an opportunity to feed on the ways of the world.
“To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.” (Psalm 14:1)
This is the basic nature and foundational belief of the flesh: that there is no God. From this stems all other subtle persuasions.
“Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.” (Prov. 27:22)
The carnal man will never change. If you could take the sin nature and grind it in a mortar with a pestle, you could not grind this belief out of him.
Your faith in God and Christ resides in your new nature born of God. Your sinful nature in your flesh has not changed. He still says there is no God.
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” (Jer. 13:23)
That is why psychiatrists, psychologists, behaviorists, and others can never change an individual by themselves.
It takes God to change a person by giving them a new nature to join with the Holy Spirit and war against the old nature to subdue it. You cannot change the sinful nature of man.
The carnal man says that there is no God. There is no God to help you. There is no God to love you. There is no God to hear you. There is no God to care. And so on, and so on, and so on.
He will try to get you to choose any other solution for your problems instead of trusting God.
You cannot rationalize with the old nature, you cannot persuade the old nature, and you cannot change the old nature.
As soon as you recognize the old nature is arguing against what you know to be right in your heart, the only answer is to resist and starve the old nature, fight him through the power of the Holy Spirit with the Word of God, turn and walk away.
The Bible tells in the Gospels that after the Holy Ghost descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness and was tempted of the devil.
Each time He was tempted, He said “It is written.” Jesus didn’t argue, He didn’t debate, He didn’t justify, He simply said, “It is written” and then quoted the Word of God that was contrary to the temptation of the devil.
This was done for our example. This is how we defeat the flesh, the world, and the devil. “It is written.”
The flesh will try to persuade us that we have waited on God long enough. That it would be easier to just borrow the money, take out the loan, change jobs, move to another church, etc.
However, it is written:
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isa. 40:31)
The fool says that we are justified to be angry and hide hatred and unforgiveness in our hearts. The fool says that if we believe it to be true then it is alright to speak to the detriment of others.
“He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.” (Prov. 10:18)
However, it is written:
“But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matt. 6:15)
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:” (Prov. 6:16)
“…A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” (Prov. 6:19)
The fool says to just try it this way and see if it works. Let’s just try living together before we get married. Let’s just try not declaring the cash on our taxes, no one will know. Let’s just try a drink. Let’s just try sex. Let’s just try drugs. Just one time.
“It is as sport (laughter) to a fool to do mischief (a bad plan): but a man of understanding hath wisdom.” (Prov. 10:23)
However, it is written:
“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:” (Prov. 6:16)
“…An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,” (Prov. 6:18)
The fool says that it should be done your way. Your way is the best. Your way will work. You are smarter, stronger, better. Demand your rights. Stand your ground.
“A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.” (Prov. 14:16)
However, it is written:
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” (James 4:6)
The fool says that the Bible was written almost two thousand years ago. There is no way that it can apply to your life today.
“A fool despiseth his father’s instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.” (Prov. 15:5)
However, it is written:
“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4)
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2Tim. 3:16)
The world and the fool (the sinful nature) work together to cause you to depart from the plan, work, or answer that the Lord has directed you to seek for. He wants you to give up on God or at least question what you have heard from God just before God’s promised blessing comes.
The carnal man’s advice always leads to the answer that the world has and away from God’s answer.
“Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.” (Prov. 17:24)
But God says:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5)
“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” (James 1:6)
“For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” (James 1:7)
“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” (James 3:17)
Since the beginning of the early Christian Church there have been many different doctrines and beliefs as to what it means to “walk in the Spirit”.
The same holds true today.
Satan does not want you to discover how to walk in the Spirit.
At the very most he would like to see you fall in your Christian walk, give up, and turn from the faith.
At the very least he would like to see you continuously stumble and falter so that your faith would be weak and ineffectual.
Before we establish our belief as to what it is to “walk in the Spirit”, let us see what it is not.
First, “walking in the Spirit” is not how you dress or how you look. Although how you dress and look might reflect the way you think, it will in no way empower you or create in you the ability to “walk in the Spirit”.
“But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (1Sam. 16:7)
Walking in the Spirit is not being so “heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good.”
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” (Matt. 5:13)
It is not belonging to a certain Church, or denomination, or group. It is not how many times a day you pray, or fast, or read your Bible, or attend service.
What is “walking in the Spirit?”
First and foremost, walking in the Spirit is a choice.
It is the determination to reject the world and the flesh and choose what we know to be God’s will according to His Word.
It is then allowing and trusting in the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower us to walk in that righteous choice.
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Gal. 5:16)
“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.” (Gal. 5:17)
“But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.” (Gal. 5:18)
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,” (Gal. 5:19)
“Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,” (Gal. 5:20)
“Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal. 5:21)
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” (Gal. 5:22)
“Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Gal. 5:23)
“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.” (Gal. 5:24)
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Gal. 5:25)
The Bible tells us:
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17)
It is our belief that the Scriptures you have read and the Scriptures you shall read will create in you the spiritual hearing to have faith to repent of all sin, receive forgiveness, crucify the flesh, reject worldliness, resist the devil, pick yourself up, turn around, and walk in the Spirit to do the will of God.
“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” (Prov. 24:16)
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Next- UNDERSTANDING HOW TO SERVE THE LORD: As sons of God
All twelve books in the “How to Walk Christian Series” by Raymond Candy are available now in one collection of two volumes for $6.99 each at bn.com for the NOOK, amazon.com for the KINDLE, on iTunes at the iBookstore for the iPad and iPhone, and at Lulu.com for the PC and all e-reading devices
As Seen Through the Eyes of Faith 