Walking in the Spirit

"But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." (Gal. 5: 15,16)

"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. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." (vs. 24-26)

What is it to "walk in (or "by") the Spirit of God"? Certainly it includes "walking in love" and other things, and is equated, in the above passage, with "living in the Spirit." So Paul wrote elsewhere, saying:

"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." (Eph. 5:2)

A "walk in love" is manifested in giving ourselves to others, in being of service to others, being a "sacrifice" for the benefit of others. As Paul said also: "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God..." (Rom. 12:1)

Love for God, our neighbors, and even ourselves, in a godly way, should completely envelope us as a cloud as we live, walk, and do in this world. Christians do have their unique "aura," figuratively speaking, the "aura of the Spirit."

People are sometimes described as "putting on" an "air of superiority." The "air" surrounding the Christian, as he walks, is an air of love, an air of humility and meekness, an air of joy and peace. This is not the same as "putting on airs," although the word "airs" does speak of this idea. On this phrase, a writer says:

"We speak of ideas or emotions being "in the air" around us ("Revolution was in the air"), and describe the tone, style or mood of a place as its "air" ("There was a solemn air in the courtroom when Billy Bob finally faced the judge"), as if our emotions or those of others literally affected the atmosphere."

"People as well have, at least since the 16th century, been said to have their own "air" in the sense of demeanor, attitude or manner ("His ayre is pleasant and doth please me well," 1599). By the mid-17th century, "air" in this sense, often in the plural form "airs," had come to mean specifically an affected attitude of superiority or snobbish disdain. Thus by the late 18th century "to put on airs" meant to assume ("put on," in the sense of a disguise) and project an unjustified "air" of being better, in terms of social class or sophistication, than one actually was." (http://www.word-detective.com/111606B.html)

Christians walk in the "air" of the Spirit. Actually, the word "spirit" (Greek - pneuma, means wind, air or breath). They really do have an "air" about them that is pleasant and which draws others to it and them. It is the very "air" of the Spirit of God who encircles the believer as a "cloud." It is not a pretentious "air," an air of pride and superiority, but an "air" of grace.

Believers in Jesus also walk humbly, emanating grace and mercy, an aura of good will, and a spirit of hope, joy, and peace that is part of what we call a person's "presence."

Presence is not a word itself easy to define. What do we mean when we say, for instance, that we are in someone's "presence"? What do we Christians mean when we speak of the "presence" of Christ and the Holy Spirit being with us? It is not a physical presence, of course, but a spiritual one, although it is not less real. We see something of that "aura" when Moses descended from the mount, after "seeing" God, when his faced "glowed."

"And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him...And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face." (Exodus 33: 28-30,33)

"And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel." (Acts 7:15)

Oh yes there is truly a "glow" to the Christian, especially to that one who is truly "walking in the Spirit," and "walking in love," and "walking in humility."

"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8)

To "walk in the Spirit" is to also "walk in love," to "walk in the truth," to "walk in humility." It is the opposite of "walking in pride" and "walking according to the course of this age, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience." (Eph. 2:2)

The wicked have an "air" about them too. But, that "air" is anything but pleasant! It is repugnant and repulsive, an evil abiding stench. We can "walk in love," or walk in hate; we can "walk in God's Spirit" or walk in the Devil's spirit; we can "walk humbly" before God and our fellow men, or we can "walk in pride"; we can "put on airs" as do the hypocrites, or we can truly walk as the children of God.

"And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." (Gen. 5:24)

"By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." (Heb. 11:5)

"Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God." (Gen. 6:9)

Walking in the Spirit, in love, in humility, etc., is to "walk with God," and to "please God" in our thoughts, words and deeds.


To walk in this way is also to "walk by faith, not by sight." (II Cor. 5:7) It is also to "walk in good works." (Eph. 2:10) It is also to"walk as children of light." (Eph. 5:8)

Friend, what kind of "air" do you walk in? What about your spiritual atmosphere? Are you "walking in love" or in hate? Are you walking in pride or in humility? Are you walking with God or walking with the Devil?