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This past Tuesday, during our Bible college class at church, we spent our time discussing what it means to walk in the Spirit. We studied Galatians 5:16–23, a passage I've read and heard many times before. Yet something about that discussion has stayed with me throughout the week. I've found myself returning to those verses, thinking about my attitudes, my actions, and even the thoughts I never express to anyone else. I've been asking myself a simple question: Am I walking in the Spirit, or am I allowing my flesh to lead me?

Paul gives us an instruction that seems simple, but living it out is another matter.

“But I say, walk habitually in the Spirit, and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature.” — Galatians 5:16 (AMP)

That phrase, be responsive to His guidance, has really captured my attention. Walking in the Spirit isn't simply knowing what God wants. It means recognizing His direction and responding to Him. It is part of our growing relationship with God and the ongoing work of sanctification, the process of becoming more like Jesus Christ.

In Galatians 5:19–21, Paul describes the works of the flesh. He includes things such as immorality, jealousy, hostility, strife, selfish ambition, divisions, envy, and uncontrolled anger. Some of these are obvious outward behaviors, but others can remain hidden in our thoughts and hearts. I don't have to speak an angry word to be nurturing anger. I don't have to act selfishly in front of someone for selfishness to be influencing my thinking. Sometimes the greatest struggles take place where nobody else can see them.

That's what makes this passage so valuable to me. It gives me a way to examine myself. When I recognize resentment, jealousy, impatience, or anger beginning to shape my thoughts, I can stop and ask what is leading me. Am I responding to the Holy Spirit, or am I following the desires of my flesh?

Then Paul gives us a very different picture.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” — Galatians 5:22–23 (AMP, excerpt)

During our class, we discussed these nine virtues in three groups, and that has helped me think about how they appear in my daily life. Love, joy, and peace remind me of my relationship with God. Am I living with love for Him, finding joy in knowing Him, and resting in the peace He provides? Patience, kindness, and goodness cause me to examine how I treat others, not only my brothers and sisters in Christ but everyone around me, each person made in God's image. Faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control challenge me to consider my own conduct, decisions, and responses.

While the Bible doesn't specifically divide these nine virtues into three groups, each one should be reflected in every part of our lives. Thinking about them this way has given me a practical way to examine my relationship with God, my treatment of others, and the choices I make.

What I appreciate about Galatians 5 is that it gives us more than a list of what not to do. It shows us the character the Holy Spirit is producing within us. The works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit point in opposite directions. When I recognize that my attitude is moving toward one of those works of the flesh, I have an opportunity to turn around and respond to the Spirit instead.

This is where another passage helps us understand what God is doing. In Ezekiel 36:16–38, God speaks of restoring His people, cleansing them, and changing them from within. In the middle of that promise, He says:

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” — Ezekiel 36:26 (AMP)

God continues in verse 27 by promising to put His Spirit within His people and cause them to walk in His ways. This promise was originally given in the context of Israel's restoration, but it also helps us understand the transforming work of God under the new covenant.

Romans 8:9–11 teaches that the Spirit of God dwells within those who belong to Christ. Think about that. The Holy Spirit isn't simply someone we call upon when life becomes difficult. He dwells within us. He is present as our Counselor and Helper, working to transform us into the likeness of Christ.

Our salvation is a gift of God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot earn it, and we cannot make ourselves righteous through our own efforts. Yet salvation is not the end of God's work in us. Our sanctification continues throughout our lives.

I often think about our human struggle as a battlefield within the soul, where our thoughts, emotions, and decisions are pulled between the desires of the flesh and the leading of the Spirit. Scripture speaks of this conflict and calls us to renew our minds and bring our thoughts into obedience to Christ. Our flesh still struggles with sinful desires, but the Holy Spirit is working within us, calling us toward a different way of living.

And that brings me to something I've learned from coaching and from the teachings of Frosty Westering.

Frosty taught about the Success Road, an idea that challenges how we often define success. As a coach, I've seen how easily we measure success by winning the game, taking home the championship, or reaching some final goal. We do the same thing in life. We look toward the next job, the bigger paycheck, the accomplishment we've been chasing, or the moment when we believe we'll finally be able to say, “I've made it.”

The problem is that when we define success only by reaching that distant destination, we can miss everything meaningful happening along the way.

Our spiritual lives can fall into the same trap. We know that God's ultimate plan is for us to be fully conformed to the likeness of Christ. We look forward to the day when our struggles with sin will be over and we will experience the fullness of what God has promised. Yet if we measure our spiritual lives only against that final perfection, we can become discouraged by how far we still have to go.

I know I do.

There are times when I become frustrated with myself because I recognize attitudes or thoughts that I believe should have changed long ago. I wonder why I still struggle with certain things, why I respond poorly in situations when I know better, or why my progress sometimes seems so slow.

But when I look back over the years, I can see the changes God has made in me. I'm not the same person I once was. There are things that used to consume my thoughts that no longer have the same hold on me. There are situations I handle differently, attitudes I've learned to recognize, and responses I'm learning to change. I certainly haven't arrived, but I can see that God has been and is working on me.

That's the beauty of the Success Road. There is growth and there are successes along the journey, even though we haven't reached the destination.

Philippians 1:6 reminds us that God, who began a good work in us, will continue His work until the day of Christ Jesus's call home to His church or to each one of us. Our confidence isn't in our ability to perfect ourselves. It's in the faithfulness of the One who began the work.

Sometimes that growth comes through correction. In fact, some of the most important steps forward begin when I realize I've been heading in the wrong direction.

I am thankful for the Holy Spirit's conviction. I'm also thankful for the brothers and sisters in Christ whom God has placed around me, people who love me enough to tell me when I'm wrong. Sometimes they have to tell me when I'm being an idiot! That may not always be enjoyable to hear, but I've learned to appreciate people who care enough to help me see what I may be unwilling to recognize myself.

Correction isn't always comfortable, but it can be an expression of love. God doesn't correct us because He has stopped loving us. Hebrews 12 reminds us that His discipline comes from His love for His children. When Scripture exposes something wrong in my life, or when someone who cares about me helps me recognize it, I have an opportunity to respond and grow.

Walking in the Spirit isn't about never taking a wrong step. It's about learning to recognize the wrong direction, responding to the Holy Spirit, and continuing to grow closer to Christ in our relationship with Him. 

This is where the idea of discipling ourselves becomes important. We often think of discipleship as helping someone else grow in their relationship with Jesus. That's certainly part of it. But we also have a responsibility to examine our own lives through Scripture, recognize where we need to grow, and intentionally respond to the Holy Spirit. We don't accomplish that transformation ourselves. The Spirit does the work, but we are called to listen, respond, and obey.

So what does that actually look like?

For me, it comes back to prayer and communication with God.

Sometimes we think of prayer as stopping what we're doing, bowing our heads, clasping our hands, and speaking silently to God. That's certainly one way to pray, but prayer is much more than that. We can pray while working, driving, walking, or sitting quietly. We can speak aloud or communicate silently in our thoughts. Prayer is part of our ongoing relationship with our Creator, Savior, and Counselor.

Think about our human relationships. When we were dating, we wanted to talk to the person we cared about. In marriage, communication is essential to maintaining closeness. The same is true with our children, our families, and our friends. Relationships cannot grow in intimacy when communication is absent.

Why would we think our relationship with God should be any different?

Through Jesus Christ, we have been welcomed into God's family. We are His children, and Scripture also describes the church as the bride of Christ. These are pictures of an extraordinary relationship with the God who created us and saved us.

When I recognize that my thoughts are becoming angry, resentful, selfish, or impatient, I need to turn back toward that relationship. I need to communicate with God, acknowledge what's happening within me, and listen to the Spirit's direction. I need to choose to respond to Him rather than continue following the desires of my flesh.

That doesn't mean simply saying a prayer automatically changes my behavior. Walking in the Spirit means allowing that communication with God to influence my thoughts, decisions, and actions. It means listening and then following.

The Holy Spirit is not absent when I struggle. He is still present, still working, and still calling me toward the life God desires for me. I may resist His leading, but His presence reminds me that I don't have to remain where I am.

The more I think about Tuesday's lesson, the more I realize that Galatians 5 isn't simply a passage about good behavior and bad behavior. It's about the relationship between our old sinful patterns and the new life God has given us through His Spirit. It is a reminder that the Christian walk is not something we accomplish apart from God. It is a journey we take with Him.

And perhaps that's the greatest connection to Frosty's Success Road. We don't have to wait until the end of the journey to recognize what God is doing. We can be thankful for the progress He's already made in us, learn from the moments when we stumble, accept correction with humility, and continue moving forward.

We aren't walking toward Christ alone. The Holy Spirit is already within us, guiding us toward Him.

One Step Closer: This week, spend time in Galatians 5:16–23. Read the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. Then, throughout your day, examine your thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Which direction are they taking you? When you recognize anger, resentment, selfishness, or another attitude that doesn't reflect Christ, don't ignore it or allow discouragement to take over. Turn toward God in prayer. Listen to the Holy Spirit, respond to His correction, and choose a different path. Take time to look back and thank Him for the changes He's already made in your life, too. Remember, the goal isn't to prove that you've arrived. It's to continue walking with the One who is changing you.

Enjoy the journey along the Success Road, and keep taking one step closer to Christ.