PASTOR EMMANUEL DANSU
COLOSSIANS 2:6: “6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:”; JOHN 3:3-5: ” 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”; [biblegateway passage=”GALATIANS 5:16-25″ display=”GALATIANS 5:16-25″];
It is interesting to discover that one can live in the Spirit and not walk in the Spirit; one can receive Christ and not walk in Him and that one can see the Kingdom of God and not enter it. To walk in the spirit is to progress and advance in the Spirit and desire more things in God. You cannot get to a point in God where you can be said to have arrived. It is possible for one to live in the Spirit and not advance in Him. The antidote to the desires of the flesh is to make progress in the Spirit. Just like light naturally drives out darkness the Spirit also drives out flesh. We naturally walk in the flesh as humans. To walk in the Spirit is to walk in a way that is not natural to man.
EPHESIANS 5:18: “18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”; COLOSSIANS 3:16: “16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”; JOHN 6:63-64: ” 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.”
Being filled with the Spirit has the same effect wine has on a man. To walk in the Spirit is to be taken over by the Spirit like wine. It also means to be influenced by the Word of God. It is the Spirit of God that animates us (brings us to life). To walk in the Spirit is to appropriate the quickening power of the Holy Spirit. If every Christian can allow themselves to be influenced by the word of God, the harvest that God desires will be easier. To walk in the Spirit is to believe the Word of God and submit to Him. When you submit to God, the devil automatically comes under your feet.
ROMANS 6:14: ” 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” ; JAMES 4:7: ” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”; [biblegateway passage=”GALATIANS 5:18,25″ display=”GALATIANS 5:18-25″]
When you walk in the Spirit, you will not be in bondage to or subservient to the law. Being above the law in this sense does not mean that you break the law, it means you are operating by a higher law. Operating by a higher law makes you automatically fulfil the requirements of the law. Walking in the Spirit is submitting to God. It also means to be led by the Spirit of God in every aspect of life. Sin will not have dominion over you when you are walking in the Spirit. Walking in the Spirit should be stepwise, continuous and cumulative. We should walk in the Spirit one step at a time; we should continue taking the steps. Every step we take builds up to deeper and deeper things in God. The flesh takes over at every point where we stop walking in the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit is to march orderly and in formation like a soldier under the command of the Holy Spirit. This prevents us from executing our sensual longings.
TITUS 3:3-5:” 3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”; [biblegateway passage=”EPHESIANS 2:1-7″ display=”EPHESIANS 2:1-7″]
To walk in the Spirit is to be regenerated. It is to allow the Holy Spirit renew us so that we do away with the animal instinct in us which generates sin. Walking in the Spirit makes us operate by a higher law so that the things that affect common men don’t affect us. As believers, it is good that we have come into a life in the Spirit. However, we must go ahead and walk continually in Him. Our guarantee of a strong finish in the race set before us is the Holy Spirit!