What Does it Mean To Walk in the Spirit? (Part 1)

When we as Christians talk about walking in the spirit do we acknowledge the fact that many people walk and are led by the demonic realm and not the Holy Spirit?  When watching the nightly news one has to consider the “Demonic Realm” as having a major role in the violence and hatred that is happening.  The terrorist group Hamas murdered thousands of innocent civilians, including killing babies, for no more reason they they hate Jews. If one can not see evil personified then we are hopelessly ignorant and will surely suffer for it. The world denied evil in Hitler and his Nazi regime and the world experienced a world war because of it. 

I firmly believe we have become so “Desensitized” to the involvement of demons in people’s thinking and activities that when there is a manifestation we attribute their destructive behavior to mental problems only. Discounting the spiritual realm is like sticking our head in the proverbial sand like an ostrich who is afraid of what they are about to encounter. In our modern age we think we can solve everything with medicine and diplomacy, which often just covers up the problem and doesn’t solve or address the spiritual darkness people are in bondage to.

Our educational system has tried to discount the spiritual aspect of life in order to disconnect the mind from the supernatural realm which, in turn, distances people from a belief in a supernatural God. The God of the Bible is both personal and relational, which the secular mind hates because it has to do with authority concerning who should be in charge of our moral and spiritual lives. Satan hates who God is and thus poisons the human mind so they will not embrace such a creator.

I want to explore the subject of demons for a couple of articles because I think it is a very misunderstood topic for both the secular mind and the Christian mind. For the secular mind, not only has the educational system discounted and denied the real existence of demons but they also have denied and discounted angels for the same reason, which is to deny the supernatural realm. Believing in the supernatural and in supernatural beings reinforces the belief in a supernatural creator. They know that if one believes in God they also will be convicted of their own shortcomings and sins against him.

For the Christian, Satan has infiltrated the church to discount the supernatural and to disconnect the believer from the truly spiritual. Distancing the believer from a personal relationship with God is the objective. The story of the pharisee Nicodemus, in the gospel of John chapter 3, was good example of a person full of scriptural truth who was separated from the spiritual. Many professing Christians are in the same place today despite claiming to know Jesus and their Heavenly Father.

John 3:5-7 

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [6] “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

It is amazing to me that we can talk about spiritual things and yet be no more interested in how the spiritual realm works. Professing Christians hear sermons weekly about spiritual truth and yet live as if there is not a spiritual realm to contend with. They live their Christian lives only by natural means and thus make decisions based only on their perception in the natural. As Satan poisons the church a little bit at a time, the church becomes less and less able to discern if something or someone is spiritual, natural or demonic. By excluding the belief in the demonic, Christians are left trying to live out the Christian life and fight against Satanic powers as though we had one arm tied behind our spiritual backs. The apostle Paul states very clearly that the battle we fight is a spiritual one more than a natural one.

Ephesians 6:12 

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

My question is how can we possibly be victorious against these powers, which are spiritual in natural, unless we are willing to recognize demons exist and that they exist today as they did during the time of Jesus? We can’t unless we open our eyes with the help of the Holy Spirit to see what’s is evil and why. My belief is that the average professing Christian has become so intimidated by the idea and reality of the existence of demons that they fail to have the authority to do real spiritual warfare against demons for themselves or those around them. Fear and ignorance seem to rule the day when the average believer doesn’t know how to deal with demons, let alone pastors who guide the local church.

Everywhere Jesus ministered to people he cast out demons. These demons made people sick, they took away the ability to speak or even made people act like lunatics who needed mental institutions.

Matthew 9:32-34

While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

How is it possible that when Jesus lived demons seemed to be everywhere and yet in our day we can’t see them or recognize them? Is it possible we can quote the Bible and yet not truly understand the spiritual nor walk by the spirit?  Paul’s words in the book of Romans tells us we can walk in the Spirit or walk in the flesh. In other words, we can see things as “Only Natural” or we can see things as they truly are in the Spirit by the help of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:1 

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Paul goes on to say that we set our minds to understand what is happening in the spiritual realm or we set our minds to deny and refuse to walk in the Spirit. Simply put, we choose which kind of mind we walk with. The spiritual mind sees the demonic and the natural mind does not. If we choose to walk without the Holy Spirit, God will not stop us from walking blindly. Be not deceived, if we choose to walk in the flesh, we and others will pay the price for such ignorance.

Romans 8:5-6 

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. [6] For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

In the second part of this series on the demonic, I want to explore how Jesus dealt with demons and why his disciples were either successful or not. We need to learn how the enemy works and how he doesn’t if we are going to overcome him. Just claiming we have the power of God and speaking the name of Jesus will not gain us the victory. Walking in the Holy Spirit will assure us of the victory we desire.

Questions:

1) Have you explored the Ministry of Jesus and how often he confronted demons? Reading the 4 gospels will give you a clear perspective.

2) Have you been troubled with things in your life that have no clear explanation? Maybe you’re not fighting a natural war but a spiritual one where demons are involved.

May we fight the good fight of faith that Paul encourage us to in

1 Timothy 1:18      This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,

Pastor Dale