What Does it Mean to Walk in the Spirit Every Day?
"I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." – Galatians 5:16 (NKJV)
I remember thinking about this verse when I was in college. It was very appealing and encouraging, but I couldn’t quite figure it out. I mean, what does it really mean to walk in the Spirit anyway? On the surface, it sounds great, but how do you live this out in your day-to-day life? I am happy to say that the years have given me some wisdom, and I want to share with you what it means to walk in the Spirit and how you can do it every day.
What Does it Mean to Walk in the Spirit?
To walk in the Spirit means to live each day guided by the Holy Spirit rather than ruled by the desires of the flesh. That same phrase 'walk in the Spirit' can also mean living by the Spirit or being guided by the Spirit. This means you live a life regularly connected to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit becomes the one you depend on as you go through life. For many, that sounds very simple, almost too simple, so let me explain why it is not. When you were saved Jesus made a promise to you, he would give you the Holy Spirit.
"And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago." – Ephesians 1:13 (NLT)
"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you." – John 14:16-17
One of the first things you must recognize is that the Holy Spirit lives inside you. This is what Jesus said. What you should also notice is that one of the main purposes of the Holy Spirit is to help you. He is the one who helps you understand. He is the one who helps you pray. He is the one who helps you overcome the lusts of your flesh or sinful nature. Therefore, what it means to walk in the Spirit is to tap into the help that God has already provided for you. The more you are able to do this, the stronger you will become. The less you do this, the weaker you become.
Why Do Christians Need to Stay Connected to the Holy Spirit?
One key to walking in the Spirit is staying plugged in. We all walk around with cellphones, powerful devices that can do a lot. However, as powerful or useful as a cellphone may be, it is useless unless it is plugged in and charged. You and I are very much the same way. There are many things that you will not be able to do unless you are connected to and charged with the Holy Spirit. I want to be clear that as Christians, you don’t have to worry about losing the Holy Spirit. However, what can increase or decrease in your life is the impact the Holy Spirit has on your day-to-day life. The more you yield to Him, the more impact His Spirit has on your life. Walking in the Spirit is not self-improvement by willpower; it is learning to be led by the Spirit in ordinary choices, thoughts, words, and desires.
How Can Christians Walk in the Spirit Every Day?
Getting to this place of maximum impact is where you are living out what it means to walk in the Spirit. How then do you get there?
#1 - Commit to Prayer Every Day
You cannot walk in the Spirit if you never pray. Prayer is more than just a spiritual exercise or discipline. Prayer is really your lifeline. The way we connect our spirit with the Holy Spirit is through prayer. For simplicity's sake, I will include worship as a part of prayer. There has to be a place in your life where you get into God’s presence. You cannot grow or function without this. I was having a conversation with a friend, and he was sharing with me a struggle he was having. My question to him was, " Are you spending time with God? His answer was no. I cannot tell you or stress that there is a direct correlation between time spent with God and the struggles overcome. The reason is that when you make room for the Holy Spirit, he empowers you to overcome the struggles of the flesh. This is walking in the Spirit. In my personal life, anytime I was wrestling with some sin, I could almost guarantee prayer was absent. I was not plugged in. Is there any wonder that I had no power or resistance? There was no other outcome because if you don’t have the influence of the Holy Spirit, you are left to your own devices, and that is no match for your sinful nature.
#2 - Commit to Reading the Bible Every Day
Many people don’t connect reading the Bible with walking in the Spirit, and I get it. How then can you connect these two? Here is how this works. The Word of God gives you instruction on how to live, and the Spirit of God gives you the power to do it. The Spirit of God and the Word of God work together. They are not competitors but teammates who help you become the person God wants you to be. Remember what David said in the Psalms,
"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." – Psalm 119:11
That sounds a lot like agreement to me. We hide God’s Word in our hearts, and it’s His Word that teaches us how to live. Then God gives us His Holy Spirit, and when we walk in cooperation, he gives us the strength and ability to live out the word. When you commit to the Word, the Holy Spirit will help you do what God wants.
#3 - Commit to Obeying God
Quite honestly, without obedience, it does not matter how much you pray or how much you read the Bible. Without obedience, those things are just nice things to do, and you are actually deceived. Consider what James says,
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." – James 1:22
Here is the good part. When you walk in the Spirit, He gives you the desire to obey. The desire grows not out of obligation but because he forms in you a heart that grows to love God more. The more you love him, the more you want to obey him. When you walk in the Spirit, you will not only read the Bible; He will also help you do what it says. This is why walking in the Spirit is so wonderful.
How Do We Walk in the Spirit Every Day?
God has given you the Holy Spirit. One of the purposes is to help you. He will help you to pray, which will give you the strength you need. He will move you to read the word, which will give you the wisdom you need and show you how to live. Finally, he will help you obey what God desires of you. In other words, walking in the Spirit impacts every aspect of your life. From this point forward, when you think of what it means to walk in the Spirit, you don’t have to treat it as if it is some mystical thing. It is far more practical than that. It should be a very normal part of your Christian life for one simple reason. The Holy Spirit lives inside you. Because he does, he will give you what you need to live the life he wants you to live. Your job is to stay plugged in, and when you do, you will truly walk in the Spirit.
Frequently Asked Questions about Walking in the Spirit
- What does it mean to walk in the Spirit?
To walk in the Spirit means to live under the guidance, power, and influence of the Holy Spirit rather than being ruled by sinful desires. - What does Galatians 5:16 mean?
Galatians 5:16 teaches that believers overcome the desires of the flesh by walking with and depending on the Holy Spirit. - How can Christians walk in the Spirit every day?
Christians can walk in the Spirit by praying, obeying God’s Word, staying sensitive to the Spirit’s conviction, and depending on God rather than their own strength. - Is walking in the Spirit the same as being led by the Spirit?
They are closely connected. Walking in the Spirit describes a daily lifestyle of following the Holy Spirit’s guidance, while being led by the Spirit emphasizes submitting to His direction. - What is the fruit of the Spirit?
The fruit of the Spirit is the character the Holy Spirit produces in believers, including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
For Further Reading
What Does it Mean to "Walk in the Spirit?"
How Do We 'Walk in the Spirit'? The Meaning of Galatians 5:16
How Do I Walk in the Spirit? 10 Ways to Practice this Biblical Calling
What Does 'Walk in the Spirit' Mean and Is it Different from Living in the Spirit?
Photo credit: ©©Unsplash/Shashank Sahay
He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which helps readers understand how God leads them into his will, and the author of The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has released his first course, Bible Study Basics, to achieve that goal. To learn more about his ministry and resources, please visit clarencehaynes.com.
This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.
"Be Still and Know that I Am God"
"Pray Without Ceasing"
"Fearfully and Wonderfully Made"
"All Things Work Together for Good"
"Do Not Fear"
Originally published December 12, 2024.
