Walk by the Spirit

Galatians 5:16, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” 

The Holy Spirit is a gift the Father gives His children. The Spirit guides our conscience in moments of decision, if we let Him. He is there 24/7. Truly an amazing gift from our Father in heaven.

I have been pondering the Biblical phrase “Walk by the Spirit” and I have realized it is not a statement about me walking with the Holy Spirit. The question it raises to me is who is leading my walk, my life decisions? A good analogy for me would be if I were going on the “drive of life” with the Holy Spirit, who is in the driver’s seat? I see three possibilities. I am driving and occasionally asking the Holy Spirit for directions. I am driving but continually seeking His advice. Or is He driving, and I have surrendered control of my trip we call “life” to Him?

If I think through the whole verse, not just “walk by the Spirit”, but include “and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh”, I quickly recognize I cannot obtain that if I am in control and simply asking Him for guidance when I feel uneasy.

I have come to recognize what Scripture says in Ephesians 6:12 is the reason the Holy Spirit needs to be “in the driver’s seat”. I cannot win the spiritual battle alone. I need the Holy Spirit’s wisdom to guide me.

Ephesians 6:12, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” 

My word picture is this, I am walking through my day lead by the Holy Spirit. He helps me set my priorities. What is the next best thing to do in the Father’s Kingdom? It can be as simple as I need a nap to be rested when called into action or it can be something very meaningful.

As the Holy Spirit and I are going through my day, Satan comes whispering a familiar temptation. One that has tripped me many times. My choice right then is to whom do I listen? Who will oversee this decision? Do I turn to the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance, or do I take the “wheel” of control and decide to listen to the temptation thinking that is appealing and it’s “not that bad is it?” Do I turn away from my loving guide, the Holy Spirit, and choose to follow the “powers of this dark world”?

There is a lot of conversation these days about the right to choose. We are all given the ability to choose, however the rest of the story of each choice is the consequence. We rarely hear people discussing consequences. We can choose to drive 70 or 90 on the highway. At 70 we have no worries. At 90 we are constantly looking for a police car and if they catch us, we will pay a big fine or worse. We can eat anything, but if we eat what we know will make us sick, we get the consequences. Falling into sin from choosing to follow the temptation has consequences. Choices create consequences and the consequence puts a wall of shame between the Father and me until I seek His forgiveness and repent of my choice.

I have found letting the Holy Spirit “be in the driver’s seat of my life” brings great peace. The peace only the Father can give. Seeing the enemy’s lies for what they are can only be done through the Holy Spirit’s eyes. Praise our Heavenly Father for this amazing gift.