"Walking in the Spirit" vs "Walking in the Flesh": What do these things really mean?

A quick background to this question-

Christ Himself taught the Gospel from the Old Testament on the same day of His resurrection. Here's what He did as He walked with the two depressed/despondent disciples (Cleopas and his companion) on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:27-

“And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."

These two disciples traveled back to Jerusalem on the same evening to share their experience with the other disciples. Jesus appeared to them there; check out what He did in verse 45 (MSG)-

“He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way.”

The New Testament hadn't been written at this time. Paul who wrote most of the NT was not saved yet. The Old Testament is so important for the believer that Christ taught from it "the things concerning Himself" on the day of His resurrection. It has "faith pictures" that have as their substance our Saviour Jesus Christ and our salvation in Him. By God’s grace, when we study the Old Testament, we get to see these faith pictures; we get to see Christ — our love story with Him and how our salvation is entirely by Grace through faith. Here's one such way to read the Old Testament that Christ Himself teaches us. He says in John 3:14-16:

"14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."

This beautiful comparison/faith picture tells how we are saved from sin and death - the same way the Israelites that were bitten by snakes were healed - by looking to Jesus Christ who was lifted up for us.

To answer the question of how we who believe walk in the Spirit, we see this in the faith picture of the love story of Isaac and Rebekah in Genesis 24. It represents our (the bride of Christ's) ongoing walk in the Spirit today.

It begins with Abraham sending his most senior servant, the one in charge of all he had, to go and get a wife for his son, Isaac. Isaac is a picture of our Saviour Jesus Christ while Abraham's servant is a picture of the Holy Spirit who is in charge of the gifts of the Spirit.

When the servant met with Rebekah (she's a picture of the church- you and I who believe aka the bride of Christ), he gave her gifts (representing the gifts of the Spirit for us today). Even Rebekah's mother and brother (Laban) who were not brides of Isaac received gifts from the servant because of Rebekah: because you are in Christ, you, your family, friends, boss and colleagues get blessed, much like how our Lord's being with Joseph made Potiphar's house prosperous!

Did you notice that Rebekah did not engineer for someone to come and take her away to marry Isaac, just as no one can come to Jesus except the Father calls him/her? See this in John 6:43-46 (MSG)-

"Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over Me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent Me is in charge. He draws people to Me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come. Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End."

Our Lord God prepared her for Isaac; He knew her in advance and called her according to His purpose, just as He knew us in advance, chose us to become like His Son, called us, gave us right standing with Himself and gave us His glory (Romans 8:28-30).

The Lord worked in Rebekah both to will and to do for His good pleasure as He does with His children in Christ today (Philippians 2:13.) She drew water for Abraham's servant and watered all of his camels. She was also willing to travel with Abraham's servant to marry a man that she had never seen before! That's us in Christ today! We have not seen Christ physically, yet by grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour) we believe. We do God's will not by our own human effort (arm of flesh that will fail) but because “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” - Philippians 2:13.

Rebekah's family members (including Laban, who was later mean to Jacob when he fled his home to Haran to escape Esau's wrath after stealing his birthright) could not find a solid reason to stop Rebekah from leaving to marry Isaac. In Christ, no one can bring a charge against you (Romans 8:33.) Abraham's servant would have none of it when Rebekah's mother and brother (Laban) tried to delay her departure for a few days, at least 10 (representing the Law). These two represent the false doctrine that says:

"Yes, we know you are now Christ's, saved by Grace through faith; but you still need to keep the Law as a guiding principle for morality, in order to be righteous and deserving of Christ's goodness, worthy of being His bride and so that you won't fall from grace."

This horrid mixture that is neither Law nor Grace is the "neither cold nor hot" that Christ spoke of in Revelation 3. Galatians 5:4 tells us that this is how to get cut off from Christ!-

"For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace."

Just as Abraham’s servant would not allow the 10-day delay in which time Rebekah could be convinced to change her mind about Isaac or begin to think that she had to do some things in order to deserve such a rich and noble man like Isaac, the Holy Spirit keeps us on track by convicting us of our righteousness apart from works (John 16:10). When false doctrine preachers come try to put up barriers of law-keeping by human effort between us and our ability to enjoy Christ, the Holy Spirit reminds us that we are blessed and acceptable to the Lord not based on how 'lovable' we are, how well we are keeping the Ten Commandments or what we did/do but based on God's love expressed in the finished work of Christ at the cross.

Rebekah followed Abraham's servant on the long and arduous journey to meet Isaac. On the way, Abraham's servant would have told her things about her husband; told her about his beauty and character, taught her what he likes and how to please him; told her the story of how Abraham was going to sacrifice Isaac at Mt. Moriah (a picture of God sacrificing His only Son that He loves for our salvation: God went all the way for us!); told her how blessed she was to be marrying into a family where she would lack for nothing - just as we have the Holy Spirit to teach us all things about our Lord Jesus Christ today.

Did you know that Abraham's servant Eliezer's name means "my God is help?" It's no coincidence that our Saviour Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as "Helper" in John 14:26 -

"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

Anytime Rebekah got discouraged or tired from the journey, perhaps because it seemed like it was taking forever to get to Isaac, Abraham’s servant would comfort her and help her in her weaknesses, just as we have the Holy Spirit to comfort and help us during life’s challenges, persecutions and when we feel helpless and alone. He’s always there. See Romans 8:

25 "But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.) 26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words."

If anyone stopped Rebekah on the way and tried to tell her that she was making a mistake by thinking that someone like her could ever be worthy of Isaac’s love (false doctrine peddlers who preach that horrid mixture of Law and Grace,) Abraham's servant was always by her side to reassure her of whose she was, never leaving her nor forsaking her.

Rebekah had no idea how to get to Isaac’s home. Abraham’s servant led the way on this path of righteousness. Today, we are led by the Holy Spirit! The thoughts of the Holy Spirit in us become our action. But many people are still preaching law-keeping and right doing as the path of righteousness, even when Isaiah 64:6 says “all of our righteousnesses are like filthy rags”! Remember Psalms 23 – “He leads me on the path of righteousness…” No human by himself has the map or knows how to walk this path that leads to eternal life in Christ. Only our Lord God knows, and we who are on this path, the ransomed of the Lord, even though we are fools, we will not go astray — Isaiah 35:8-10:

“A highway shall be there, and a road,

And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.

The unclean shall not pass over it,

But it shall be for others.

Whoever walks the road, although a fool,

Shall not go astray.

9 No lion shall be there,

Nor shall any ravenous beast go up on it;

It shall not be found there.

But the redeemed shall walk there,

10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,

And come to Zion with singing,

With everlasting joy on their heads...”

No matter how dumb one is concerning life or Theology, when he has been redeemed — having Christ's blood-bought righteousness — he will not go astray because “The Lord is my Shepherd…”

Can you imagine Rebekah rejecting Abraham's servant’s guidance and depending on her own will-power and smarts to take the right steps towards finding her way to Isaac on this road? This is what it means to "walk in the flesh" aka reliance on the arm of flesh (human effort) that will fail at going in the right direction on this journey that we are on to meet our Saviour Jesus Christ at the Rapture. The Spirit and the flesh cannot work together: see Galatians 5-

17 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 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."

See the Good News Translation: "16 What I say is this: let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature. 17 For what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants. These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do. 18 If the Spirit leads you, then you are not subject to the Law."

Walking in the Spirit is absolute dependence on Christ to lead us on the path of righteousness. It is putting absolute zero confidence in human effort (the arm of flesh that will fail.) It is realising what Paul did in Romans 7:18:

"For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."

What the human nature (flesh) wants is not necessarily bad as many preachers make “the flesh” out to be. Most times, the flesh in us naturally wants to do good, like Paul. But under Law, the good that one does kills just as fast as the evil- just like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God's word says human effort (the arm of flesh) will fail, is powerless and cannot. But Pride in the arm of flesh (human effort at obedience) that will fail says: 

"No, I can. God must be wrong. I still have some good in me. I can keep the law, do right and overcome sins by my will-power.” 

Reminds one of Peter telling Jesus that He was wrong when He told him of his upcoming denials:) Those who are trying to be godly by human effort at keeping the Law are "walking in the flesh." Sin has dominion here:

"For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace." Romans 6:14.

Such have no choice to produce "works of the flesh" and "bear fruit to death" even though their intentions are noble and they want to be godly, like the Pharisees. The very Law that many are trying so hard to obey in order to be godly (be like God as Eve wanted to be) has this effect on man: Romans 7:5-

"For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death."

This is what the Law was designed to do - increase sin: "The law was given so that sin would increase. But where sin increased, God’s grace increased even more." Romans 5:20.

Many people erroneously believe that "walking according to the flesh" means sinning. Not so! Walking according to the flesh is simply dependence on human effort (the flesh) at keeping the Law, bearing fruit to God and doing right in order to merit God's favour on earth and be caught up with Christ at the Rapture. But false doctrine preachers have twisted it to mean lust or committing sex-related sins.

Believer, anywhere you see "the flesh" in terms of human behaviour in the Bible, know that it is "human effort." The arm of flesh will fail. Dependence on human effort/sense (at keeping the law, at not sinning, at doing anything at all) in order to merit God's favour, attain godliness or to merit meeting face-to-face with Jesus Christ (our heavenly Isaac) at the Rapture will fail.

Rebekah relied 100% on Abraham's servant to lead and help her all the way to Isaac just as we who believe "walk in the Spirit" today. This is how come we do not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Remember "the flesh" and "the Spirit" are enemies. Law and Grace don't mix. The letter (Law) kills but the Spirit gives life and with the Spirit of the Lord, it is “not by might, not by power.” Rebekah would have been lost or worse, opened herself to attacks by robbers and such if she depended on her own ability (human effort) to stay on the right track on her journey to meet Isaac as there would be no one to guide her to Isaac who is a picture of Jesus Christ. This is why we should beware of those who twist and misinterpret Romans 6:1 -

"...Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound?"

- to mean that we who walk in the Spirit should depend or rely on our own human effort (the arm of flesh that will fail) at overcoming sins and living a godly life as we await our Saviour Jesus Christ — as if Rebekah's goal was to go and fornicate and steal with reckless abandon since she was going to marry Isaac no matter what she did!

As believers under Grace, we hate sin just like our heavenly Father. We realise that only by walking in the Spirit (depending on the Lord for our every single need, even overcoming the temptation to sin) do we escape fulfilling the lust of the flesh.

But those who twist and misinterpret "..Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound?" imply that you must depend on your own arm of flesh that will fail in order to find your way to Jesus! This is Satan's strategy to keep believers “walking in the flesh” aka trying to be godly (be like God) by human effort at keeping the Law which gives the knowledge of good and evil. The same strategy was used on Eve. See the forbidden fruit as a picture of the law that many are trying so hard to obey in order to be godly aka be like God in Romans 7:8-12 (MSG) —

“Don’t you remember how it was? I do, perfectly well. The law code started out as an excellent piece of work. What happened, though, was that sin found a way to pervert the command into a temptation, making a piece of “forbidden fruit” out of it. The law code, instead of being used to guide me, was used to seduce me.”

Following this “right and noble" way of keeping the law as a guide for godly living is walking in the flesh aka dependence on human effort at being godly (being like God.) No Holy Spirit to guide one here. Remember "the flesh" and "the Spirit" are enemies.

Just as it was with Adam and Eve when they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in order to be godly, law-keeping — dependence on human effort at being godly aka walking in the flesh— leads to sin having dominion (Romans 6:14) and death reigning. The letter kills, no matter what part of it one eats from — whether keeping it as a guiding principle for morality and doing good or disregarding it by doing evil. All who are under Law stand condemned. Remember Proverbs 14:12—

“There is a way that seems right to a man,

But its end is the way of death.”

The only reason why we are not entrenched in sins right now is found in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13:

"12 So beware if you think it could never happen to you, lest your pride becomes your downfall. 13 We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously."

Our success at walking the path of righteousness has got nothing to do with our will-power, strong moral resolve or non-existent prowess at keeping the Ten Commandments for the purpose of morality after we got saved. We'd all be wallowing in heinous sins if God wasn't filtering and screening. Paul addressed this in Romans 1 where a group who “suppress the truth” of righteousness by faith (verses 16-19) devolved into sin after “God lifted off His restraining hand…” —

“24 This is why God lifted off His restraining hand and let them have full expression of their sinful and shameful desires…”

But many churchgoers are yet to see what Paul did in Romans 7:18:

"For I know that nothing good lives within the flesh of my fallen humanity. The longings to do what is right are within me, but will-power is not enough to accomplish it."

Believers, see a picture of our walk in the Spirit: as Abraham’s servant was with Rebekah all through her journey to meet Isaac, today, the Holy Spirit is with us on this journey we’re on, giving us gifts, making intercession for us, helping us in our weaknesses, comforting us and teaching us all things, until we meet our Lord Jesus face-to-face on the day Paul spoke of in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 – 17 comes:

16 "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

And thus we shall always be with the Lord!

Right believing always produces right living.