Utilizing the Holy Spirit is vital when it comes to walking spiritually. To know how to walk spiritually, you must understand how to utilize the Holy Spirit. Walking in the spirit cannot be done on our own; we need the Spirit of God to guide us toward righteousness. Naturally, there is nothing in us that wants to walk spiritually. Our flesh constantly wants to be pleased and never wants to submit. It takes the Holy Spirit to walk according to God’s will; otherwise, we will always do what the flesh wants.
What Does it Mean to Walk in the Spirit?
To walk spiritually is to submit your life to the Holy Spirit and God’s will. It is letting go of our flesh and letting God take over. I know that isn’t easy; it took me years to submit completely to God’s will, so I understand. However, walking spiritually is the best thing you can do for yourself.
Apostle Paul writes in Romans 6:13, “Use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.” That essentially is what walking spiritually is: doing everything for the glory of God. Walking in our carnal nature doesn’t please God, but walking spiritually does. So, next time you are about to do something, ask yourself, “Will this give glory to God?” If your answer is yes, that is walking spiritually. If your answer is no, that is walking in the flesh.
Is Walking in Flesh Sin?
Are all things of the flesh sin? No, for instance, eating is not a spiritual thing, but your body (flesh) needs to eat, and eating is not a sin. So, not everything we do in the flesh is a sin. However, we should never allow our flesh to rule us. If it is not a good time to eat, for example, you’re fasting, but your body is telling you to eat, you need to tell it no and be obedient through fasting. Now, in that case, if you eat, that is a sin because you were disobedient to what God told you. God told you to fast, yet you chose to eat.
Fleshly, things turn into sin when it goes against what God told you to do. As I explained in What is Sin a Practical Guide About Disobedience to God’s Word, sin is disobedience to God’s Word. Another example, having sex is not a sin, a shocker, right? However, having sex outside of Godly boundaries of marriage is a sin and goes against God’s Word. Sex is intended for marriage and is a beautiful thing…for marriage, but once you take it out of God’s will, it is a sin. So, as we know, sex is a fleshly desire, but when done in the context of marriage, it is not a sin but also not necessarily a spiritual act.
Know God’s Will
So what’s the difference? Sin is anything that goes against God’s Word and what He told you. Giving into our fleshly desires can lead to sin, and most of the time, they do, so you must consult the Holy Spirit before you do anything. Walking spiritually doesn’t mean you’re speaking in tongues all day; it simply means you are continually thinking about how your ways can glorify God.
How do I know what glorifies God? Read the Bible! Yes, it is so simple yet effective: read the Bible. How to walk in the spirit and utilizing the Holy Spirit heavily relies upon how much you know God’s Word. God’s Word is His will! The more Bible you know, the easier it is for you to follow it. I’ve noticed a lot that God will convict me of things while reading His word. I begin to see things how He does and how my life does or doesn’t align with His word.
The Holy Spirit will lead you to truth, which is God’s Word! It is impossible to walk spiritually without an understanding of the Bible. You cannot do it yourself; you need God’s word. So, make a valuable effort to have Bible study and really ingest the word of God every single day. You cannot make it in this world as a Christian without a firm understanding of the Bible. It is how you’ll know God’s Will and what you’ll need to submit to.
Utilizing the Holy Spirit to Walk Spiritually
Let’s get into the practical advice on how to utilize the Holy Spirit to walk spiritually. In the last post about the Holy Spirit, I mentioned that He is our helper. One of the main things He helps us with is walking according to God’s will. He is the Spirit that allows us to submit to God’s will without feeling burdensome. So, let’s get into the practical steps of walking spiritually.
Ask The Holy Spirit for Guidance Before You do Anything
Walking spiritually can be a lot easier if you just ask! The Holy Spirit knows exactly what you need to do to remain in God’s will. John 16:13 says, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” When you ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, know that He will lead you to the truth, which is God’s word. He will lead you toward what pleases God because God’s word pleases Him.
So, if you’re unsure what to do, ask the Holy Spirit! Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Utilizing the Holy Spirit means asking Him about everything! Though it is tempting to do things our way and how we know to do things, the Bible tells us the opposite. Don’t rely on your own knowledge; go to God about it! God is the only one who will offer us valuable solutions that actually work! What do I mean by that?
When you try to do things via your own understanding, most of the time, if not all the time, you fail! Trust me, I’ve tried to work out things with my strength, but I found that things go much better when I submit to God’s will. In this Christian walk, we must continually acknowledge God. So, the Holy Spirit will direct your paths and lead you down the right path!
The Holy Spirit Leads You Toward God
I want to touch on the part of John 16:13 that says, “for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak,” The Holy Spirit is not speaking amiss. He is speaking directly from God, so when it comes to walking spiritually, you must learn to value the voice of God. You will never walk spiritually if you don’t value God’s word or what He has to say personally. There must be a certain reverence for God in your heart to walk in the Spirit. How to walk with the Lord depends on how much you honor God.
Ask God for a more profound love for Him; that is how you’ll get to the point of wanting to walk spiritually, and the things of the flesh aren’t even appealing to you anymore. If I value someone’s opinion above everything, I will listen very carefully to their advocate. So, since I value God’s opinion on what I should do in my everyday life, I will be attentive to the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is God’s advocate; He will always recommend and support what God is doing. So, if you don’t want to be outside God’s will, just ask the Holy Spirit for your next steps. He will always guide you toward what glorifies God.
How to Ask the Holy Spirit for Guidance
How do you put this into practice? What does asking the Holy Spirit for guidance look like? Well, it’s actually simple; it’s just asking! Let’s create a scenario: I’m deciding what classes to take in the fall semester. All I do is ask, “Holy Spirit, what classes should I take, and what would be the best schedule for me?” It’s that easy! I’ll usually get an immediate answer; sometimes, I have to wait a bit. But this I know: no matter the answer, it always works out exactly how it needs to! No matter what the situation is, just ask! “Hey, Holy Spirit, should I…” “Is this okay?” That’s all it takes. Absolutely nothing more!
James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” When you ask God via the Holy Spirit, He will always give you the answer. The Holy Spirit actually loves it when you ask Him questions because He would rather you feel dumb for asking the question than do something dumb because you didn’t. It doesn’t matter how small; you can ask Him what 2+2 is just to double-check! He will tell you 4! God doesn’t withhold information or guidance, so let’s start utilizing the Holy Spirit and obtain guidance and wisdom from Him concerning our everyday lives.
Deny Your Flesh
How to live spiritually relies heavily on how much you kill your flesh. Regarding utilizing the Holy Spirit, you need Him most when denying your flesh. You cannot deny your flesh in the flesh… I hope that’s common sense. You need the Holy Spirit to turn down your fleshly desires. Romans 8:13 says, “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Living in your carnal nature only brings about death, and this can mean physically and spiritually. For instance, alcohol and drug abuse bring about death, and pre-material sex can bring about deadly diseases; lying to the wrong person can have terrible consequences; stealing can lead to prison, and there are plenty of stories of people dying in prison. Heated arguments can lead to murder, so as you can see, living in the flesh can bring death.
You need the Holy Spirit to put the flesh to death! It’s impossible without Him. As I mentioned before, you cannot be righteous on your own; you need God to be holy. Romans 8:7 says, “For the fleshly mind is enmity against God, because it is not obedient to the law of God, neither can be.” Your natural desire is to be sinful, and that’s all it can be; it can never be righteous. So, stop trying. Utilize the Holy Spirit. He is here to help and wants to help!
How to Deny Your Flesh Utilizing the Holy Spirit
Whatever your flesh wants to do, do the opposite. That’s an excellent first step to denying your flesh. Instead, ask the Holy Spirit what you should do contrary to what your flesh wants. For example, if you feel the need to smoke, ask the Holy Spirit what you should do to get rid of that craving. He may tell you to pray, read your Bible, listen to worship music, call a friend, etc. He will always give you a way out.
I Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” There is always a way out when it comes to temptation, and if you want to read more about resisting temptation, read Here Are the Best Ways to Handle Temptation. The Holy Spirit will always give you a way of escape. You do not have to be a slave to your sin. Freedom is offered through the Spirit of God because there is freedom where the Spirit of the Lord is.
Always ask, don’t just give in. Ask the Holy Spirit for alternatives in themoment you’re being tempted to submit to your flesh.
Utilizing the Holy Spirit Through Praying and Fasting
A fantastic way to kill your flesh is to fast and pray. If the Holy Spirit directs you and tells you that fasting and praying are necessary to kill this sinful behavior, do it! Fasting allows us to utilize self-control, which is a fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”
Regarding killing your flesh, you want to evaluate if what you’re doing embodies one of these fruits. Some people may say smoking brings them peace, but it is a false peace. It is most likely a form of escapism, and it is peace that doesn’t last forever. Fasting will allow you to see that as you become more sensitive to the Spirit. Not eating makes you focus on God and what He has to say. Personally, when I fast, God always reveals habits I should stop and new habits I should form. You should always end up looking more like God after a time of praying and fasting.
Don’t Take Advice from Ungodly People
Psalm 1:1 says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,” do not take counsel from ungodly people. Jesus did not give us the Holy Spirit to ask everyone else for advice but Him. Utilizing the Holy Spirit means going to Him for counsel and guidance, not ungodly people. If you need to gain advice from someone, the Holy Spirit will tell you who, and it will be someone who honors and hears from God. Living by the Spirit of God means constantly seeking out His voice and not voices that will contradict His Word.
The Holy Spirit will never tell you to consult someone who doesn’t listen to Him. They may lead you down a path God never intended for you to walk. Ask the Holy Spirit whom you should see advice from or what His take on the situation is. Don’t just go to anyone; go to God! Spiritual walking is how to live with the Holy Spirit. He is with you every moment of the day, so don’t ignore Him by going to others for advice. Utilize the great Power living in you!
Advice from the Right Sources
When walking spiritually, it is pivotal to take advice from people who also walk spiritually. They will guide you away from fleshly mistakes and toward Godly choices, especially if it is someone older who has experienced more life than you. They don’t want you to make the wrong choices they may have made. So, in some cases, the Holy Spirit will send you to someone when you need guidance about a certain topic or issue.
Additionally, when the Holy Spirit gives advice, it will always be Biblically sound. This is why it is essential to go to Him first, not last! He is going to prevent any mistakes from being made because you are taking advice that aligns with the Bible. When you go to the Holy Spirit last, there’s most likely a mess that has to be cleaned up. However, you could’ve avoided that whole mess if you sought God first and not last. When life throws you curve balls, go to God, not the world! The world will lead you toward sin and your flesh. God will lead you toward the Spirit, life, and peace! You can save yourself from so much trouble by getting advice from the Holy Spirit and not ungodly people.
Do the Opposite of What the World is Doing and Applauding
You must utilize the Holy Spirit when it comes to being separate from the world. Your friends might try to convince you that living worldly is more fun, but it goes against the Bible. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect,” We are not to be conformed to this world. Meaning that we are not to look like the carnal people of this earth; there is supposed to be something different about Christians. How to walk after the spirit is to follow the example of Jesus and not society. The Holy Spirit will constantly lead us toward looking like Christ.
We must be different because if not, we cannot do what is good and acceptable in the sight of God. You are supposed to be the odd one out; it’s okay. As a matter of fact, it’s excellent! Being the odd one out may make someone curious and lead them to Jesus. That’s why we cannot be conformed to the world; people are supposed to wonder what we have that makes us different, and that is Jesus!
Different for a Reason
For instance, if the world doesn’t bat an eyelash at drinking, smoking, sex outside of marriage, cursing, lying, stealing, or cheating, those are things we shouldn’t do. What makes someone “cool” by worldly standards should be things we stay away from. Most of the time, if I am at a function with people my age, I’m the only one, not smoking and drinking, but instead of feeling embarrassed, I feel good that I am representing God well.
Am I better than anyone? No, but I love God and want to uphold His standard no matter where I am. How much you care about being set apart for God correlates with your love for Him. If you don’t care to change your ways after receiving salvation, your love for Him has to increase. If you love God, representing Him at the risk of not fitting in shouldn’t matter to you. You shouldn’t want to fit in as a child, God, because God called us not to fit in.
The Holy Spirit Keeps Us Separate
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” We are to do everything as unto the Lord. So, the next time you are about to engage in worldly activities, think, “Does this glorify God?” Or ask the Holy Spirit Himself, “Will this glorify God?” Remember, the Holy Spirit is God’s advocate, so He isn’t gonna just let you freely do things that dishonor God. He will convict you when you sin. So, again, before you do anything, consult the Holy Spirit. It should be common knowledge that drinking, having sex outside of marriage, smoking, lying, cheating, and stealing do not glorify God or represent Him well.
God told us to live this way so we can lead people to Christ. How can we get people saved if they see we live exactly how everyone else does? Our life isn’t any better; we’re still depressed, we still drink, smoke, fornicate, curse, lie, etc.; what’s the point of having God? When you walk spiritually and separately from the world, it brings a kind of peace and joy that the world can never offer. It is to attract those outside God’s will into God’s will because they see how extraordinary our lives are.
Leave the World
Personally, I can say that since I decided to leave the world and live for God 100%, I have been happier and have so much peace I cannot explain how good God has been to me! So, I will repeat it: we cannot be like this world; we cannot do what they do or applaud what they clap for. It is good to feel left out sometimes. The Holy Spirit will not allow us to feel comfortable in sin; His conviction will hit hard. God wants the best for us, and walking spiritually is the best for us.
Ask the Holy Spirit the following: Where should I stop going? Which friends should I cut off? What habits should I quit? What do I need to do to get closer to you? These questions should guide you on how to live a more spiritual life. Living spiritually is constantly submitting, so these questions should be asked regularly, not just when you first get saved. You should consistently want to change for Christ, always wanting to be better for Him so you can lead more people to Him.
When you accept Jesus, it is not your life anymore; it belongs to Jesus. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” Glorify God with your life and leave the world behind; there is so much better when you’re with God!
Listen to What God Has to Say
Walking Spiritually has much to do with listening to what God has to say. You aren’t utilizing the Holy Spirit if you aren’t listening to Him. I mean, listen as in you do what He says because there is a difference between hearing and listening. Listening means you are attentive to His voice; if you’re attentive, you will do what He says.
In Luke 11:28, Jesus says, “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.” You are only blessed if you put into practice what you hear. And for me, that’s what listening is: doing what the Holy Spirit tells you. It will bless your life to follow God and not your own will. We don’t know it all, so we must listen to what God has to say. He knows the whole story; He knows what the best and wisest decision is.
Again, one thing about the Holy Spirit is He will never lead you down the wrong path. So, when things look scary, don’t allow your emotions to overrule what God has said; listen to the Holy Spirit’s instructions regarding what to do while you’re waiting. God knows what He is doing, so allow Him to do it. It will be okay; don’t rush; listen and do what you’re told. God’s plan is the best, so if you want to walk spiritually, you must listen to the Holy Spirit and do what is asked of you.
Take everything to God in prayer
Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Utilizing the Holy Spirit means praying for every circumstance. We don’t pray to the Holy Spirit but He helps us pray. He helps us form the words when we don’t know what to pray or He prays through us using our heavenly language.
Romans 8:26-27 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” The Holy Spirit knows exactly what to pray per God’s will. Which is wonderful because God only answers prayers that are in His will.
Pray by the Holy Spirit
So it is vital to utilize the Holy Spirit in prayer because He is going to pray guaranteed answered prayers each and every time without fail! You’re missing out if you aren’t utilizing the Holy Spirit during prayer. If you want to know how to get into the spiritual realm, you must start praying in the Holy Spirit. Making huge moves in the spirit realm is impossible without utilizing the Holy Spirit in prayer.
This can be by using the gifts of tongues or simply asking the Holy Spirit, “What should I pray?” This will help you gain spiritual insight during your prayer time or prompt you to speak in tongues. Also, this will prevent you from slipping yourself. Walking spiritually is to pray about everything and pray the right thing. You must realize that we cannot do anything on our own, we must use the Holy Spirit for everything. He is going to lead us to victory every single time!
The Holy Spirit is Our Guide
Walking spiritually takes the Holy Spirit and nothing else. As I’ve said plenty of times before, we cannot do it ourselves. Our nature is to be sinful but we can be righteous by the Spirit of God! Life can be difficult and confusing but the more we’re utilizing the Holy Spirit by acknowledging Him in all our ways, the better life can be! You don’t have to live a weak and defeated life, Jesus gave us His Spirit to guide us! Jesus Christ the overcomer, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, mighty, magnificent, Jesus gave us His power through Spirit. Do you know how amazing that is? We have the ultimate victory and we can never lose because greater is He who is in us than he that is in the world. We are constantly walking in spiritual authority because of the Holy Spirit!
Do not be discouraged or upset, you have the Spirit of the mighty God living in your heart. And if you don’t, but want to, and want to know how to walk with God, say this prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, I repent of my sins and turn my back to them; I believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for my sins and rose on the third day. I accept Him into my heart now; I confess with my mouth and believe with my heart Jesus is Lord. By faith, I give Him my whole life, heart, mind, and soul. Amen!” If you said this prayer, go to the I Just Got Saved page for church recommendations, a Bible, and a journal!
You are a victor! I hope this helped and God bless!
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