Aim: To understand what it means to walk in the Spirit and how we can walk
in the Spirit
Text: Galatians 5:16–17; 25,
INTRODUCTION
Last
week we learnt about what it means to be in the spirit, to be in the flesh, to
walk in (being after) the spirit, and to walk in the (being after) the flesh.
We discovered that it is possible to have the Spirit of God dwelling in us (be
in the spirit) and still not walk in (be after) the Spirit. In this study, we
will be looking at a few steps on how to walk in the Spirit.
DISCUSSION
A Summary of "Steps to Walking in the Spirit"
by Dr.
Creflo A. Dollar
·
You have been called to liberty, but you should not use your freedom as
an incentive to sin (Galatians 5:13).
1. When you intentionally sin
and rely on God’s forgiveness, you defeat yourself; what you practice doing
determines what you become. Don’t fornicate or curse someone out just because
you know you’re the righteousness of God and are eligible to receive
forgiveness.
·
Your born-again spirit is in competition with your flesh for control of
your life (Galatians 5:16-24).
1. Every work of the flesh, as
well as every fruit of the Spirit, begins with a thought.
2. Your mind is the control
center, or central processing center, of your human body.
3. Your life is the sum total of
how you think.
4. Walking in the flesh is a
mindset aligned with the world; walking in the Spirit is a mindset aligned with
God’s Word.
5. When you walk in the Spirit,
you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh (verse 16).
·
You can’t be spiritual without the Word of God.
1. You can’t walk in the Spirit
without the Word, because the Word is Spirit and life (John 6:63).
2. Any way of thinking that
doesn’t align with the Word is walking in the flesh. This includes traditional
religious doctrines.
3. Daily study of the Bible is
vital—your potential for walking in the Spirit is directly linked to your
understanding of the Word (2 Timothy 2:15).
4. If you never read your Bible,
then the only potential you have is to walk in the flesh.
·
Within your mind, God’s Word and the Devil’s words battle for influence
and control.
1. The Devil tests you with
sinful suggestions to see if he can control you; he knows that your thoughts
govern your life. He uses words in songs and images in the media to influence
you, gain access to your thinking and use your body to express himself through
you. He wants to see if you will accept and nourish his thoughts or cast them
down. Although Christians can’t be demon-possessed, they can be demon oppressed
if they allow their thinking to be influenced by the Devil.
CONCLUSION
You must
be aware of the conflict that you are in. Your born-again spirit and your flesh
are battling for control of your body. You can use God’s Word to cast down
Satan’s words, because God’s Word is mighty (2 Cor. 10:5). We must train our minds to stay on God; we must be
renewed in the spirit of our mind (Eph 4:23).
