Walk According to the Indwelling Spirit

By Arthur J Licursi

"But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh [Sin in the flesh]." Galatians 5:16 (AMP)
"But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law." Galatians 5:18 (AMP)
"If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]"Galatians 5:25 (AMP)

By faith, we as believers should call upon and yield to the Lord's indwelling Spirit to help and lead us to overcome recognized sins; for then we may enter into the fullness of spiritual life and blessing and enjoyment in this life, as God intended.

Nobody was intended to navigate this life on earth apart from Christ's indwelling Spirit within him to lead and guide him. Sin, the fallen nature in our flesh (Rom 8:3), is destructive to our bodies and our relationships, and generally cuts us of from the riches of enjoying all that is Christ to us and in us.

Sin and self-seeking has its consequential price that we may call, consequences. "Consequences" is simply the matter of sowing and reaping what... we've sown.

"As I myself have seen, those who plow iniquity (sin) and sow trouble and mischief reap the same." Job 4:8 (AMP)

All born-again believers have "peace with God" (Rom 5:1) by the offering of Christ at the cross on their behalf to sufficiently and fully pay their sin-debt. But also, when we walk according to the indwelling "Spirit of life in Christ" (Rom 8:2a) then we enjoy the inner peace and rest that is only "OF God." If we fail to walk with Him in our spirit union, we wither and die — so far as our spiritual experience is concerned. God would have us to enjoy life to its fullest... as we walk in union with Him by "Christ in us" as "our life" ( Col 1:27, 3:4a).

We as regenerated believers can never lose our salvation, of course, because "everlasting life" was obtained by faith in Christ... not by our success or failure  in walking according to the Spirit. This is sure and secure and confirmed by the fact that the same apostle Paul pleads:

"Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God," hastening to add, "Whereby Ye Are Sealed Unto The Day Of Redemption" (Eph. 4:30).

But, failure to appropriate God's gracious provision of Christ's very life now in us, and through us, for victory over sin, and to guide us in all our living does result in a sort of death... as far as our Christian spiritual experience and growth is concerned.

This is what the Apostle meant, when he  wrote these verses.

"For To Be Carnally (fleshly) Minded Is Death; But To Be Spiritually Minded Is Life And Peace" (Rom. 8:6).

"For If Ye Live After The Flesh, Ye Shall Die (in your spiritual life toward God): But If Ye Through The Spirit Do Mortify [Put To Death] The Deeds Of The Body, Ye Shall Live" (Rom. 8:13).

Therefore Paul wrote these words to the careless Corinthians.

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of THE HOLY SPIRIT, which IS IN YOU, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

"For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Cor. 6:19-20).