”If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” — Gal 5:25
There is a difference between living and walking. A man chained to a tree in the woods is “living in the woods” but he certainly is not “walking in the woods!” Like wise, we can be living in the Spirit but not walking by the Spirit. How can this be? Once a person is saved, he is living in the Spirit. The Spirit of God dwells in him. The Spirit of God wants to direct his paths. However, that same individual may not want to be led by the Spirit. Does that detract from his salvation? Certainly not. That person’s salvation is very real. So what’s the big deal? Here’s where the difference lies. The man who walks by the Spirit not only lives but lives out his convictions. He allows the Spirit to direct his paths.
For example, King Saul was living in the Spirit. God had chosen him to be king, and king he was. He was known to prophesy. He did some pretty powerful things. And, for a while he followed the leading of the Spirit’s voice in Samuel. But, when things didn’t go Saul’s way, he choose to do things himself. He offered sacrifice without authorization. He failed to destroy the enemy and all the enemy’s possessions when ordered. Even after the prophet declared that God’s Spirit had left him for another, Saul remained king for many years.
David, by contrast, was a man who walked by the Spirit. He received the same anointing as Saul. He ruled for the same number of years as Saul (40), but his life was totally different. Seldom did he do “his own thing.” AND when he did, he was quick to seek God’s forgiveness and punishment then move on with his walk. In the end, Saul was a failure, David was a “man after God’s own heart.” Saul was still ranked among the great kings of Israel, but he will never hold the rank that David held as the greatest king of Israel — all because the talk and the walk didn’t match up — Saul lived in the Spirit, David walked by the Spirit.
Paul admonishes us to live the talk. We must never fall into the habit of simply “being a Christian.” No, we must not only “be,” but we must also “live” the life of a Christian. We do that by walking by the Spirit — lead by Him into the deep, exciting, victorious ways of God.