This blog post is the sixth in a series of posts about the gift and power of the Holy Spirit that the believer has access to.
Paul talks about living and walking in, being led by, and being filled with the Spirit a lot:
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:16-18 (NKJV)
Listen to how many times Paul exhorts Christians to “walk according to the Spirit” and be “led by the Spirit of God” that “dwells in you” (the believer) in Romans 8:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Romans 8:1-17 (NKJV)
Notice the battle starts in the mind, and if you don’t win it in your mind you can expect to lose it in your behavior. “Set your mind” to obey. Yield to the Holy Spirit’s promptings (immediately) to win the battle. If the Spirit is prompting, He is there to help!!!
And again in Ephesians:
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called . . .” Ephesians 4:1 (NKJV)
“. . . be filled with the Spirit . . .” Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV)
It is God’s will that His children be filled with the Spirit. Remember, He wants relationship with us. God will impress our spirit with His Holy Spirit. All believers have been given the initial impartation of the Holy Spirit at the time of conversion, and are implored to keep being filled with the Spirit. His will is that we be saved, Spirit-filled, and sanctified--the Holy Spirit has the power to change us. The indwelling Holy Spirit gives the believer the ability to live a life pleasing to God. “Walk” implies a continuous action, a habitual lifestyle. It is not about a “visitation” of the Holy Spirit, but a habitation. We are not to be enamored by the occasional manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit at a Christian gathering (though that is a blessing too), and we can’t just rest on the initial impartation of the Holy Spirit at conversion. Instead we are encouraged to “walk in the Spirit”, to “be filled with the Spirit”, and be “led by the Spirit of God”. Walking in the Spirit implies a continual action. Not just on Sundays, or Tuesdays, or periodically when I gear myself up to be more “spiritual”. To be filled with the Spirit is not to be touched in places by the Spirit, but the fullness of the Spirit affects all areas of life—including eating. To be “led by the Spirit” is to be responsive to the Spirit’s promptings. The Spirit speaks to our spirit with strong inclinations and warnings, even to think his way.
To walk in the Spirit also requires that we trust and obey Him. But you cannot trust someone you do not know, so the amount of time you spend in the Word will be strongly correlated with your ability to trust and obey the promptings of the Spirit. The more you know Him the more you can trust Him, and to trust Him with all your heart will take knowing Him intimately. It may feel like you are “giving something up” to be led by the Spirit, but it is receiving the ability to live life at its best, a godly life, the very life of Jesus Christ in us! In fact, it’s downright foolish of us to not listen to Him and respond.
“. . . Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” John 8:31-32 (NIV)
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Galatians 5:1 (NKJV)
“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:36 (NIV)
“Free indeed” freedom. That’s what God did for me, and that’s why I am writing this blog to encourage as many people as I can that freedom from bondage to food is available. In the throes of my 5 bondages to food, diets, body image, exercise and the scale I did not think freedom was possible. Boy was I wrong.
