Galatians 5:25
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Truth to Learn
The way we live demonstrates who is ruling our lives.
Behind the Words
The word translated “live” is a form of dzaō, which means “to live” or “to have life.” It is used in the verse in the present tense, active voice, and indicative mood, which implies current continuous action.
“in the Spirit” (both occurrences in this verse) is translated from pneumati, a form of pneuma, which we looked at in verse 16. In the current verse it is a reference to the Holy Spirit. The inflection of this noun indicates that it is used as an indirect object. Therefore, it could be translated as “in the Spirit” or “by the Spirit.”
The word translated “walk” is a different word than was used in verse 16. There, it was peripateō, meaning “to walk around.” In this verse it is the word stoicheō, from the noun stoichos meaning “a row, line, or rank.” It is a military term referring to soldiers marching in an orderly row, in lock-step with each other. We could paraphrase this as “walk in an orderly manner.”
Meaning Explained
In the previous verse Paul reminded us that our flesh (our sin nature) was crucified with Christ, hence it should be dead. And if it is dead, then it should not be able to exert any control on the way we live. In Romans, Paul said it this way:
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (Romans 6:6)
Paul’s use of the term “old man” is referring to our nature before we were saved. Then, a few verses later he says:
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:11)
Both in Romans chapter six and the current chapter, Paul is telling us that the way we thought and acted before we were saved was due to our sin nature. When we got saved, however, the “old man” (our manner of life as a slave to sin) was put to death, and we were given a new life. This new life, which has eternal consequences, is a life empowered by God through the working of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, Paul says, since we now have a new life, we should walk in an orderly manner under the influence of the Spirit, living like the resurrected Son of God. We should be exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit, not the works of the flesh. We should live our lives under the influence and control of the Holy Spirit, and everyone around us should have no doubt that we are different from the rest of the world.
Challenge
We all know people who claim to have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and call themselves Christians, but they don’t act like it. Their speech and actions reveal the fact that there is no influence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
So, let me ask you, if you were arrested today for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2008 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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