How believers learn to rely on the Holy Spirit each day instead of the strength of the flesh
If the flesh must be crucified, then what does the Christian life look like after that surrender? Scripture answers with a beautiful and living command: walk in the Spirit. The Lord never calls us merely to deny the old life without also giving us the grace to live a new one. Day by day, step by step, the Holy Spirit teaches us to lean on Christ, resist the pull of sin, and follow the ways of God with a heart that is being changed by His presence.
Galatians 5:16 says, “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” To walk in the Spirit means more than having a moment of spiritual feeling or a passing desire to do what is right. It means living in conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit. Just as walking is made up of many small steps, so a Spirit-led life is made up of many quiet choices to trust, obey, pray, and listen. The Spirit does not lead us once for all at the beginning of the day and then leave us to ourselves. He is given to help us continually, guiding us in thought, speech, attitude, and action.
This daily walk is necessary because the battle between the flesh and the Spirit is real. Even after coming to Christ, believers feel the pull of pride, impatience, selfishness, fear, and wandering desires. Yet the answer is not to become discouraged or to trust more in self-discipline. The answer is to stay near to Jesus. Walking in the Spirit is not a life of strained effort, but of yielded dependence. We overcome not by trying harder in our own strength, but by turning again and again to the Lord who dwells within us by His Spirit.
What does this look like in everyday life? It begins with a heart that seeks the Lord early and often. We walk in the Spirit when we open the Scriptures and let God’s Word shape our mind. We walk in the Spirit when we pray before speaking, when we pause before reacting, when we confess sin quickly, and when we choose obedience in small matters that no one else may see. We walk in the Spirit when we ask the Lord to govern our words, our thoughts, our desires, and our responses. This is not a mysterious life reserved for a few mature believers. It is the ordinary path of every child of God who learns to rely on Him.
As we continue in this daily fellowship, the Spirit Himself produces what we could never manufacture on our own. Love becomes steadier. Peace becomes deeper. Patience grows where irritation once ruled. There may still be struggles, but there is also progress, because the Spirit is faithful to form Christ in those who yield to Him. Spiritual growth often happens quietly, but it is real. A life surrendered to the Spirit will, in time, bear the gentle and beautiful marks of His work.
So let today be another step with the Lord. Do not be overcome by the weakness of the flesh or frightened by the slow pace of your growth. If you belong to Christ, His Spirit is within you, and He is able to lead you faithfully. Stay near to Jesus. Keep yielding your heart to Him. Walk with Him in the ordinary moments of the day, and trust Him to do in you what you cannot do for yourself.
Minister A Francine Green I May 2026