Unser Herr lebt, Issue 43, 2016
Gotthold Beck
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. and these are contrary the one to the other. so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:16-18, American King James Version).
“And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 24-25).
In this article, I would like to discuss the walk in the Holy Spirit, which we absolutely need to understand as Christians.
There are two different ways for believers to walk. One is to walk by the ”flesh,” and the other is to walk in the “Holy Spirit.” While many Christians believe that all they need is to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour, Jesus tells us that it is not enough. They have to walk being led by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is telling us:
“So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you” (Romans 8:8-9).
Once, while Jesus lived on this earth, His disciples who walked with Him saw with their eyes, heard with their ears, and actually experienced the great power of the Lord. No matter what hardships confronted them, they did not get stuck in their mission or starved of anything. Many of those who were suffering from illnesses were healed by the hand of Jesus. The Devil and many other adversaries attempted to attack them, but could not even touch them as long as the Lord Jesus was with them.
To us, Christians living today, this power of Jesus needs to become the reality of our lives. When we are united with the Lord, this power will become a part of our real lives. All the problems will completely be dissolved by the Lord. If we stay by Him, our hearts will be occupied peacefully by the presence of God, and we will be filled with His limitless power.
One day, the Lord Jesus told His disciples, “I will eventually return to heaven. But, I will leave you a helper on my behalf. He will guide you and encourage you. You are now in deep sorrow, but my returning to heaven is actually beneficial to you” (John chapters 14 to 16). The disciples were all astonished when they heard this. However, after the Lord ascended into heaven, on the day of Pentecost, they were filled with the Holy Spirit who descended on them as the Lord had promised. The disciples became the “temple of God,” the one in whom the Holy Spirit dwells.
In like manner, the Holy Spirit dwells in us Christians too. The next few verses apply to us also:
“Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).
“What? know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
The true, living God dwells within us, which should make us the wealthiest people in this world.
By the way, the purpose of this article is for us to determine while we have the Holy Spirit dwelling inside, whether we are indeed walking in the Holy Spirit or not. Have we already achieved the “walk in the Holy Spirit,” which is explained in the Bible?
The Bible tells us that what pleases the Lord God more than anything is the voice of humans crying out to Him, “Lord, I am such a miserable existence. Please save me!” When you break down this way in front of the Lord, you have come so close to reaching the walk in the Holy Spirit. When you are completely devastated and are in the most miserable condition from a human perspective, in the eyes of the Lord God, it is the greatest opportunity for you to be liberated.
Now, let us learn together, the walk in the Holy Spirit from three perspectives. These perspectives are firstly, “The battle between the spirit and flesh,” secondly, “Christ that is our life,” and thirdly, “The law of the Holy Spirit.”
1. The Battle between Spirit and Flesh.
Why is there a huge difference among the believers of the Lord? Although they have accepted the same salvation and received the same Holy Spirit, some of them are spiritual while others are carnal. This difference arises because all Christians have two different natures and while spiritual Christians overcome their flesh, carnal Christians are controlled by the flesh. This is what creates the difference that is seen among us, believers of the Lord.
We know very well that we all have these two natures through experience. Our minds are controlled by two laws; one law attempts to draw us into sin, while the other one tries to raise us up to the Lord Jesus and make us grow higher. One is the sinful old nature of Adam and the other is the new and spiritual nature of Christ.
The innate nature of humans can do nothing but commit sins. It is very much like the fish, which can only live in water. Our old nature is drowned in our sins. And this “old man” does not know God, does not obey God and thus, cannot please God. This old nature remains inside all of us Christians until we die.
On the other hand, by accepting the Lord Jesus, we also receive a new nature as Christians, which keeps us from committing sins. This is the new nature, which makes us acknowledge God, obey God and helps us to please God. Only the Holy Spirit can give us this new nature.
Therefore, inside all believers, there is the old nature of sin, which has been there since they were born. At the same time, there is a completely new nature, which was given by the Holy Spirit; this ignites the internal battle between the spirit and the flesh. Many Christians are burned out after fighting this “battle between spirit and flesh,” which makes them give up their hope saying, “A life of victory is impossible to me.” Others even give up fighting and begin to live a life of loving the world. There are only a few people who can exclaim in victory as Paul did:
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2).
Why is it so difficult to win the battle between the spirit and the flesh? It is because many Christians do not deeply realize the fact that “There is absolutely nothing good” in the nature of flesh. We are such “sinful beings.” From the core of our souls to the whole exterior, we are so filled with sins from head to toe. Paul mentioned it in this verse:
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Romans 7:18).
“To walk by flesh” is to attempt to do everything In our own strength. As long as we continue to live this way, we will never obtain the victory of the Lord Jesus. The victory of the Lord Jesus can only be experienced when we walk in the Holy Spirit.
“To walk in the Holy Spirit” refers to walking entrusting everything to the indwelling Holy Spirit saying, “I cannot do anything at all. I entrust my whole life to you.” When we do, we will begin to recognize the greatness of the Lord from the bottom of our hearts, obey the Lord sincerely and live the life that pleases the Lord. Are we still relying on “our own strength” and walking by the flesh? Many believers in the time of Paul lived that way. It can be seen from the Bible.
“The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds” (Philippians 1:16).
“Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:2-3)
“For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Philippians 2:18-19)
Of course, as we serve the Lord, we believe that we are doing so with a “good” flesh. However, regardless of whether it is “good” flesh or “bad” flesh, as long as it is the flesh we were born with, in the eyes of the Lord, it is something to be despised, hated, and rejected. Many Christians, although they may not be conscious of it, do many things by their own strength, for themselves and on their own accord.
Now, let us look up to the cross of the Lord. Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself on our behalf, resurrected, then, ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father. He poured the pure Spirit of God upon the ground from there. It was in order to transform us so that we do all things for the Lord by the Holy Spirit, through the Holy Spirit. That is to say, it was for us to walk in the Holy Spirit.
Whenever something happens in believer’s lives, they instantly come in front of the Lord to pray, “I cannot do anything by myself. You reside in me and you represent the meekness, the humbleness, the love and all things I need. Please give me the solution to this matter.” This is what makes those who walk by the Holy Spirit different from others.
Many of us have already had the same experience. Being so scared of our innate nature, we desperately try to break free from it, decide to surrender to the Lord, and entrust our entire lives to Him. Then, after a while, we realize that we successfully prevented our old nature from being revealed. If you also had an experience like this, as long as it just happened incidentally, it cannot be regarded as a result of the walk in the Holy Spirit. You can be regarded as walking in the Holy Spirit, only if you continue to overcome your “old man” all the time.
When you “walk in the Holy Spirit,” it marks the end of your “battle to win the victory” and now, you begin to rest in the victory. The life that is completely committed to the Lord, in which everything is entrusted to the indwelling Lord, and all things are controlled by the Lord is by itself walking in the Holy Spirit. Let us look at some verses that show an example of such a life:
“And Moses said to the people. Fear you not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today. for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall see them again no more forever. The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:13-14).
This time, the people of Israel did not want to achieve anything on their own. They were just standing by to see what the Lord was about to do, entrusting everything to Him.
Incidentally, for the purpose of hindering us Christians from walking in the Holy Spirit, Satan makes strong attempts to work on our carnal nature. In the past war between Japan and China, the Japanese Army widely deployed tanks on battlefields. The Chinese Army countered them with a unique tactic, which used an organized troop of specialized snipers. Chinese snipers hid themselves behind the passage and when they saw the Japanese tanks coming their way, they first shot its armor. Then, when the tank stopped moving in order to determine where the bullet came from, the sniper shot another bullet after a short while and hit outside the tank again. As the sniper continued shooting this way, it was unbearable for the Japanese soldier. He would finally put his head out of the tank trying to find the direction that the bullets were coming from. The sniper, who was waiting for that moment would then shoot the Japanese soldier to kill him and take the tank. Satan uses the same strategy, in which he attempts to draw out the ”self” of the Christians. If we fall into this trick and esteem ourselves or try to achieve something on our own accord, we will absolutely fail and be defeated.
When we die to ourselves and give up our own efforts to accomplish something admitting our “powerlessness,” the Holy Spirit will step in and achieve it for us. It is not until then that we begin to live a life of victory. Through the words he wrote in the Epistle to Galatians we read at the beginning of this article, Paul is desperately urging and encouraging all Christians to walk in the Holy Spirit.
Walking in the Spirit refers to the life that begins when the battle is over, in which we live sensing the work that the Holy Spirit does inside and through us.
2. Christ as our Life
When the battle of the spirit and the flesh was over, Paul exclaimed in joy, “Thank God through Jesus the Messiah, our Lord, because with my mind I myself can serve the Law of God, even while with my human nature I serve the law of sin” (Romans 7:25). He put the same meaning into chapter 2, verse 20 of the Epistle to Galatians;
“I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless I live. yet not I, but Christ lives in me. and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:19-20).
Here, Paul is telling us that the life of the Christian should be the life of the Lord Jesus. The life of the Christian should be, not simply a ”better” life that is more or less improved from the innate life they have been living since they were born, but the life of the Lord Jesus Christ that is newly given by the Holy Spirit. For us, “to be newly born” refers, not simply to becoming a better person, but having the Lord Jesus Himself in us who enters through the Holy Spirit. However, it is not enough to maintain this life as it was given inside us, but it needs to continue growing and eventually be revealed outwardly. Paul realized that the believers in Galatia were not doing well in this regard. He felt burdened for them.
“My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you” (Galatians 4:19).
In order for us to walk in the Holy Spirit, we are to live by the life of Jesus Christ Himself. Once, there was a married Christian couple who were so worried about the education of their children. They believed that they completely lacked the patience that was required to educate them. So they invited one missionary to their home and asked him to pray about this matter. However, the answer of the missionary was that perhaps, such prayer would neither be heard nor answered. The couple, being so surprised, asked why. And he answered, “What you are lacking is not patience, but it is the Lord Himself. Patience, humility, meekness, and love; these things are not given to us separately, but come all in one when we receive the Lord Himself in us.” When we let the Lord Himself dwell inside of us, all the virtues we need, including love and patience are fed inside us along with the life of the Lord Jesus.
What is the “eternal life,” which is given to all those who have accepted Jesus so that not even one of them would have to perish? It is, in other words, the Lord Jesus Himself.
“And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that has the Son has life. and he that has not the Son of God has not life” (1 John 5:11-12).
The Lord Jesus by Himself, represents the ”life,” the “holiness,” the “humbleness,” and the “love.”
What is “holiness?” We expect that, when we come to believe in the Lord, we become holier little by little and step by step. But it is actually the “fruit” of the holiness. The holiness refers to the Lord Himself.
“But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Do you feel the need to be patient? Patience is in the Lord Himself. Do we lack love or holiness? The Lord is by Himself love and holiness. The Lord Jesus can be the answer to all kinds of problems we have in our lives. Paul wrote in chapter 2, verse 20 in the Epistle to the Galatians, that “Christ liveth in me.” He meant that “Christ is my life.” We too should have the eyes of our hearts wide open to this remarkable reality. And we will be blessed if we can pray this way: “Lord! I cannot live in a way that satisfies Your will on my own. May the indwelling Holy Spirit use me and help me to walk according to Your will.” It is a blessing for us to be broken down this way and enter the life in which all things are entrusted to the Lord. There is a huge difference between entrusting something to the Lord and trying to achieve it by ourselves. It is a difference between heaven and hell.
When our eyes are opened to the fact that there is a battle being fought between the spirit and the flesh in all Christians and that our life is Christ, we can be convinced that we are walking in the Holy Spirit. Let us continue to learn about the law of the Holy Spirit.
3. Law of the Holy Spirit.
Even after Paul was newly reborn and was converted to a Christian, he seemed to have lived in a gloomy atmosphere for many years feeling as if he was condemned for his sins. It made him understand that, no matter how hard he struggled on his own, he would never be able to walk according to the Lord's will. He described his experience in this verse: “Those who are under the control of human nature cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). He exclaimed in the previous chapter 7, verse 24, “What a wretched man I am!”
However, this same man, Paul, later wrote in his Epistle to the Philippians, chapter 4, verse 13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” What caused this remarkable change that occurred in Paul? The answer to this question can be found in the Epistle to the Romans, chapter 8, verse 2, “For the Spirit’s law of life in the Messiah Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.” The law of the Holy Spirit is even stronger than the law of sin and death.
Here, let us briefly discuss these two laws, two principles. What is law and what is principle in general? They are represented by a phenomenon that occurs repetitively. For example, we all know about the law of universal gravity. Wherever we are in this world, if we let go of a book from our hands, it falls to the ground. There are no exceptions. For there is gravity.
There is a law that is very similar to this law of universal gravity in our hearts. Our innate old nature is always attracted to this world and is occupied with worldly matters. Paul even accused his fellow servants of the Lord, saying, “Their minds are set on worldly things” (Philippians 3:19). The hearts of Christians continue to be governed by the law of sin and death throughout our entire lives.
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:18-24).
The problem is how we Christians can be liberated from this principle or law of sin and death? It is only possible when either this law is converted to a different form or, the more powerful law is created which overrides the existing law. Even though this world is controlled by the law of universal gravitation, if a book is held in your hand, it will never fall to the ground. It is because the power of your hand to support the book is stronger than gravity. Likewise, although the law of death and sin is lurking inside all Christians, by the far stronger law of the Holy Spirit, which is completely different from the first law, the effect of the law of sin and death is cancelled.
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2)
Even though we are still trapped in the old nature, we need to continue to grow infinitely in the things that are above, keeping in mind this Word of the Lord all the time, “Keep your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).
The Lord Jesus dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. We are also allowed to share in the power of the Lord's resurrection. May the eyes of our hearts be open to this fact.
By the way, how will this principle or the law of the Holy Spirit be seen “outwardly”? Let us continue our discussion on the outcome of this law of the Holy Spirit.
If the Lord Jesus has become our life, the Holy Spirit will readily accomplish what was impossible for us. When this happens, the law of sin and death has no chance to use its effect on us at all. It took a very long time for Paul to be victorious through the law of the Holy Spirit.
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not” (Romans 7:18).
Paul spent many years struggling to achieve victory by the power of his will alone. While he was striving that way, he could have never pleased the Lord. Rather, he caused Him a lot of grief. Many believers still strive to live a life of Christian faith based on the power of their “good” will. However, it is like pushing a car with no gasoline, which is simply meaningless exertion. The Bible is telling us:
“The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).
These two verses are about the same gift. We do not need to obtain a new gift in order to live a life of victory. We only need to open the eyes of our hearts to the gift that the Lord has already granted to us. The Lord Jesus has given us all the things we need. All we have to do is to open our eyes to what He has given us. Please note that this sentence in Romans, chapter 8, verse 2, “For the law of the Spirit hath made me free” is written in past tense. It tells us how our own human effort is, not only completely meaningless, but is an obstacle in our life of faith. If we surrender all our human efforts and intentions to the Lord, we will experience in our daily lives, how the law of the Holy Spirit is full of power.
In His Sermon on the Mount, the Lord Jesus said, “Look at the birds in the sky” (Matthew 6:26). If we can speak to these birds and ask them, “How come you can fly in the sky like that without falling to the ground in spite of the law of universal gravity?” The birds would answer, “We do not know about gravity or we have no idea who Newton is. We can fly this way simply because it is the innate nature that all birds have.” It goes without saying that the law of gravity has an equal effect on all birds. If a bird gets sick and loses the strength to keep flying, it will fall to the ground.
If the Lord Jesus has truly become our life, we will realize that the law of the Holy Spirit is far stronger than the law of sin and death. If we are filled with the Holy Spirit in our inner being, it is extremely easy for us to live according to the will of the Lord. It cannot be achieved by our intentions or efforts, but the Holy Spirit who dwells in us makes it possible to live a life that fulfills the Lord's will.
It requires great effort for a naturally impatient person to develop patience, even Christians. This is always a hopeless battle. The Bible tells us that we would never be able to walk according to the will of the Lord if we rely on our own efforts. And knowing very well that we are unable to do so, the Lord sent the Holy Spirit to us. It is through this “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus,” which was given to us by the Lord that we can distinguish between good and evil. Receiving a good education and accumulating knowledge do not help us to live lives that meet the will of the Lord. It is only the indwelling Lord Himself who makes it possible for us to live according to His will. When we live this way, the Holy Spirit gives us various instructions, telling us, “You talked too loudly when you spoke,” “You should not laugh here,” or, “It is being done with the wrong motive” and so on.
Trying to concentrate our minds or to make the best effort on something without the presence of the Holy Spirit does not help us to walk in the right direction. The peach tree is a peach tree forever. A talkative person talks a lot. Because it is their innate nature. Unless our eyes are open to the new and stronger law of the Holy Spirit, we will never be able to overcome our old nature.
The Lord Jesus, who dwells within us guides our lives by Himself at His will. If someone in your life is too difficult to love no matter how hard you try, rely on the Lord and pray, saying, “Lord, please help me so that I can love this person,” and you will realize how strong the law of the Holy Spirit is.
“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4).
These verses tell us two things. Firstly, they explain what the Lord has accomplished for us. Secondly, they tell us what the Lord is willing to achieve in us.
In order to cancel the power of the law of sin and death, the Lord Jesus bore our sins and was crucified. And when the law of the indwelling Holy Spirit came into complete effect, it was proved that “law of the Spirit” is far stronger than the “law of sin and death.” If we walk in the Holy Spirit, we will clearly realize that our indwelling Lord is capable of making us walk in a way that fulfills His will.
Now, what does it mean to walk in the Holy Spirit? It does not refer to one specific ”work” we do, but it is how we “walk” our lives. We used to struggle and exert ourselves to fulfill His will, but now we let the indwelling Lord do all things. Let us pay attention to two expressions Paul used: “work by the flesh” and the “fruit of the spirit.” We can make as many carnal efforts as we want to achieve something on our own, but they will not bear any fruit. It is not until we walk entrusting all things to the indwelling Lord that the fruit of the Holy Spirit begins to bear abundantly.
And the walk in the Spirit is only possible when we completely obey the Holy Spirit. We are walking by the flesh once we are controlled by the flesh.
“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after 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, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:5-8)
To walk in the Holy Spirit means to totally obey the Holy Spirit. It is not until we walk obeying the Holy Spirit that we understand the power of the law of the Holy Spirit and reveal this power outwardly. It will make it possible for us to exclaim as Paul did, “I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives in me.” It is not until we completely surrender ourselves under the control of the Spirit that we begin to walk in the Holy Spirit. Of course, it is indispensable to always stay in fellowship with the Holy Spirit in order to walk in the Spirit.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).
The love of the Lord God is the source of all kinds of spiritual blessings. By the grace of the Lord Jesus, all blessings are prepared for us to receive. And the fellowship with the Holy Spirit is the way to receive this immeasurable wealth in our hands. The Holy Spirit came down in order to give us all the wealth Jesus has.
When we accepted the Son, Jesus, at the same moment, we became the “sanctuary of God” in which the Holy Spirit dwells. The Holy Spirit dwells within us in order to show us God's will, guide us, and help us pray. We want to thank the Holy Spirit for being there as our ruler and entrusting everything under His control.
I would like to finish this article with a story of a married couple who realized that they were the temple of the Holy Spirit and decided to follow the voice of the Spirit.
Once, a husband and his wife, who lived in a desolate mountain village had become believers through a traveller who visited them. This traveller left these words with them as he left their home: “What is important for you as believers now is to keep in mind that you no longer belong to yourself, but you are the temple of the Holy Spirit that dwells within you.” After the traveller left, the husband tried very hard to pray, but he couldn't. He contemplated the reason why he couldn't and came to feel that his drinking too much wine conflicted with the will of the Lord. Then, he began to search the Bible with his wife to find out what it said about drinking wine, but being new believers, they could not find an answer. However, the internal voice telling him to stop drinking wine persisted. After a while, when the traveller visited them again, this couple told him about the wine. They told him, “We were not sure what to do as you were not here, and we did not know where to look in the Bible. But, we followed the voice of the one who dwells in our hearts, and we were okay.” Then, the traveller answered them, “You will always be fine if you continue to obey the one who dwells in your heart.”
Do we personally and clearly understand the Holy Spirit who dwells in us? And are we humbly listening to and obeying the voice of the indwelling Holy Spirit?
End
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