April 10
“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you and have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. ” (Galatians 5:19-21)
How can we know if we are walking in the Spirit and filled with the Spirit?
Well, first off there is a list of things mentioned by Paul in the verses above that gives us evidence of what it looks like to walk in the flesh. If any of these things characterize us, then we can be confident we are not walking in the Spirit. Some things on the list are pretty obvious, such as immorality, sorcery, drunkenness, and carousing. But half of the things on this list are not so obvious, and it is possible to be walking in the flesh and manifesting the deeds of the flesh without realizing it.
For example, do you have ongoing dislikes and disagreements with certain people or attitudes of dislike for any other person or people? Do you have strife with people or recurring arguments with anyone? Are you jealous or envious of anyone, any desires for things or people you don’t have in your life, or covetousness? Are you perfectly content with your life, at least your possessions and your relationships, or are you concerned about more? How about idolatry? Openly worshipping idols is one thing, but what about desiring more money, or could others say you seem to them to be greedy? Paul refers to greed as idolatry in Colossians 3:5. What aspects of your life, your goals, or your motivations might the Lord consider as greed? Does contentedness characterize you, or if you are striving to make more money, why, and what are your motives?
Peter has a different way that perhaps we could use to determine whether or not we are filled with the Spirit. Peter says that if we lack the qualities of moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, or love (agape love), then we are “blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.” (2 Peter 1:5-9) If we are demonstrating a lack of those qualities, I think we can be confident that we are not filled with the Spirit.
James also has some input for us. He mentions quarrels and conflicts, lusts and envy. He mentions asking for things with wrong motives, so that we can spend it on our pleasures, and he refers to this as adultery. “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself and enemy of God.” (James 4:4) And then in the next verse he says something very interesting and helpful in our discussion about the Spirit. He says in James 4:5, “Or do you think that the scripture speaks to no purpose: He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us.” Another way of translating this verse according to my Ryrie Study Bible notes is, “the Spirit who dwells in us longs jealously over us.” The Spirit longs to have full control over us and deserves to be in the driver seat, not pushed aside as we careen from one sin to another, ignoring His presence and His leading.
If any of these negative characteristics are true of us, it is time to repent, and we can know for certain that we are not filled with the Spirit or walking in the Spirit, at least not when we practice these sins.
Tomorrow we will examine the positive aspects of what it looks like when we are filled with the Spirit.