Walk in the Spirit

Galatians 5:16 tells us:

   I say then: Walk in the Spirit,
   and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

The word “walk” translates the Greek peripateo which combines the word for pateo “walk” with the word peri “about or around” – in scripture it is a metaphor for the basic actions of our day to day lives.  Our moment by moment lives are meant to be conducted “in the Spirit”  This means that Christians are meant to be in moment by moment reliance upon the indwelling Holy Spirit of God.

THEN, we are told, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh – or the sin nature.

It is a common Christian error to think that if we don’t sin THEN we will be Spiritual.  But Scripture reveals the opposite order to be the case.  It is only when we are fully relying upon the Holy Spirit alone that we are free from the control of our sin nature.