This is a simple truth, but like most things, can become a complicated reality - understanding the imperative of God's Spirit guiding us and empowering us to live the Christian life. But how do we make this truth a reality in our lives?
It has been my own, as well as observed, experience that it is impossible to live the Spirit-filled life in your own power, because our flesh always demands the opposite of what the Spirit requires. Notice the following truth, If I am a believer then Christ lives through me; through my spirit, soul, and body. Philippians 1:21 says, “For me to live is Christ.” This is simply the manifestation of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). This is the power of the Spirit, which plainly teaches that in Christ, we are made free from the law of sin and death.
Free.
But how can we live such a life? What does it look like to live a life submitted to the Spirit of God? I believe that salvation is a gift received by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and likewise, the Spirit-filled life is a gift received by grace through faith (Romans 5:2). In the Spirit-filled life, you walk in Christ. In other words, in salvation you depend on Christ for what you receive; in the Spirit-filled life, you depend on Christ for what you do. Perhaps the following illustration will help shine some light on this concept:
When we were saved we received the Spirit of God, which inhabits our life, helping us to discern and navigate the channels of life as well as convicting us of sins which we might be dependent. Some denominations preach about a second filling of the Spirit, which then grants you the power to live an overcoming life, but which I believe is not based on any scriptural teaching. Okay, imagine the following illustration, picture a glass of milk, which represents your daily life, and a spoonful of chocolate drink mix, which represents the Spirit of God. Stirring in this mixture daily will result in the milk changing flavor, smell, composition, and even its appearance. However, failure to repeat this process each day will cause the chocolate to become diluted and less potent in the glass of milk. Failure to add more mix into the milk each day will result in the milk eventually losing all appearance, flavor, composition, and smell of the mix. This is why the Bible teaches us of the importance of faithfully and daily renewing our minds through the reading of His Word or else we face the very real implications of living our life void of the power of the Spirit. The chocolate mix represents the time and effort that we spend reading and implementing His Word into our lives. When we are daily seeking God in His Word, He promises to draw near to us and His Spirit will start to guide our lives in ways we could never do without His power. (James 4:8)
"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." (Galatians 5:16-18)
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:12)
"If you love me you will obey my commandments." (John 14:15)
Without the daily renewing of our minds, the Bible teaches us that it is impossible for us to even discern what the will of God is for our lives, leaving us vulnerable and powerless to the enemy. Our flesh will always demand first place in our lives, but God reminds us that that choice will only lead to death. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23) But this verse is not just talking about the end of our life, it is also referring to the death of God's protection in our lives, His blessing in our lives, unable to fulfill even the most basic understanding of His will for our lives, all of these things and much more are dependent upon us living a Spirit-filled life of obedience to Christ.
That is why it is so important to understand that even though there are faced with a lot of voices, images, opinions, and information, in our daily lives, some of which may even be well-meaning, the Bible teaches us us that true freedom can only occur when we allow the Spirit of God to control our lives and our choices, which then allows us to fulfill the will of God for our lives. To be clear, there is no path of self-improvement, outside of the power and partnership of God's Spirit in our lives, that will result in lasting, spiritual change.
Simple truth, but difficult sometimes to fully understand and implement. Yet, God emphatically states that there is one thing and one thing only that stands between your current circumstances and the life that God has created you to live.
You.
