Walking in the Spirit, Part 3

In regards to Walking in the Spirit, the key is Crucifixion of the Flesh. The key to crucifixion of the flesh are the two primary components of the flesh, the Affections and Lusts (Galatians 5). After or as you deal with the crucifixion of the affections of the flesh, then one has to deal with crucifixion of the lusts of the flesh.

The lusts of the flesh can be described as an exaggerated and inordinate desire towards self-indulgence, self-promotion and self-exaltation. The key to lust is that it's all about you. Any sin that one commits is rooted in self-centeredness. The reason that's a problem for Christians is because we're supposed to be Christ-centered. If the flesh can keep us more focused on self than Christ, it diminishes our capacity to walk in the Spirit.

One of the greatest examples of lusts of the flesh is sex. America in particular, has totally perverted the Divine Ideal for sex. Why? Because we've made sex all about us. Let us clarify for the record, God made sex to be reserved for the marriage bed (Hebrews 13). Which means, if you're not married and you're having sex, you are outside of the Divine Will of God; including masturbation! Fornication and promiscuity, in a lot of our churches, has become acceptable behavior. This is not the Will of God. But it all has to do with lust.

A lot of people try to be abstinent, but many times, unfortunately, this doesn't work. Why? Because the flesh hasn't been crucified. So how do you do that? Two things: you have to starve one appetite and create another one. You have to starve the desire for sexual involvement. Any situation that "tempts you" in that area you have to "flee" (1 Corinthians 6, James 1). However, in addition to "starving the flesh," you then have to learn how to feed your spirit. You must learn to feast on the Word. Too many Christians are spiritually malnutritioned because they simply refuse to read the Word for themselves. I can't stress it enough, you've got to start reading the Bible everyday! And once you start proactively crucifying the flesh, your spiritual lifeline is going to literally be the Word of God (Ephesians 5). 

In addition to feasting on the Word, you've got to learn to get into the Presence of God. Prayer, praise and worship is an indispensable ingredient to crucifying the flesh. If you don't saturate your spirit with the Presence of God, you're going to inevitably go back to those cravings of the flesh and the lusts thereof. Take the time to bask in the Presence of God, Hallelujah!

As you proactively and persistently learn to crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts, you will find your capacity and ability to have the Divine Will of God manifested in your life stronger and greater. The Scripture says, "walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh" (Galatians 5). That same passage goes on to say, "if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." 

There's a Perfect Path that God has ordained for us to walk in as His children. However, we can't do it without the leadership of His Holy Spirit. As you learn to walk in the Spirit, you may fall sometimes. No baby learning to walk for the first time, does so without falling over and over and over again. Yet, I've never seen a parent give up on their child because they stumbled and fell while learning how to walk. As a matter of fact, it' to be expected. Be encouraged my brothers and sisters, God has not given up on you. No matter how many times you've fallen in the flesh, The Father is waiting with outstretched arms to pick you up so that you can walk together into Eternity.