Revival Fire: Walking in Revival

Galatians 5:16

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

Health specialists tell us that there are tremendous benefits from walking for exercise. Walking reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, walking can lower blood pressure, walking can reduce stress and countless other benefits. Walking provides a great benefit for the human body. 

But today’s blog is not to encourage you to start a routine of physical exercise, though that is a great goal to have for yourself.  Instead, it is for us to know that spiritual walking is a product of the Spirit life. The Bible tells us in Galatians 5:16 that we are to “walk by the Spirit.” But Galatians isn’t the only place we read about the Spirit walk. In Colossians 1 we are told to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.” And just prior to telling us “to be filled with the Spirit” in Ephesians 5:18, we find 5 different times in Ephesians we are told to “walk.” According to Ephesians 4:1, we are to walk in unity with our fellow believers. In Ephesians 4:17 we are told to walk in purity and holiness. In Ephesians 5:2, we are commanded to walk in love. In Ephesians 5:8 we are told to walk in light or truth. And in Ephesians 5:17 we are commanded to walk in wisdom. 

As you can see, walking is paramount to Christian living. That is why it is important for us to know that walking in the Spirit is a part of walking in revival. For the last several weeks we have been considering the subject of revival. I have shared this before, but I don’t mind saying it again. I long to see revival. I want to see revival in my own life, in the life of the church, and in the life of our country. Call it a revival or call it an awakening, either is fine with me. Many of you are praying for the same thing and I encourage you to keep on praying. 

But as this blog series on revival comes to an end, I want to encourage you to consider the importance of walking in revival. Last week we talked about the blessing of living everyday in the spirit of revival. However, walking is different. Walking involves movement, walking includes motion and walking requires mobility. To “walk in the Spirit” is to keep moving forward in faith. To “walk in the Spirit” is to go onward with the hope of the gospel. And to “walk in the Spirit” means that we are to carry out the desires of the Spirit. But you and I need to know that there is an enemy waiting for us. And according to Galatians 5:16, that enemy is our own flesh. “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

The flesh, our old nature, will slow us down, trip us up, and cause us to stumble. The flesh will keep us from walking in revival and cause us to rely on faithless and sinful ways. Our number one enemy is the flesh, our old way of living before we met Christ. But God has given us a new nature, the nature of the Spirit of God. We are faced everyday with the choice, walking in our old ways or walking by the Spirit. 

This reminds me of a verse from an old Amy Grant song, “Old Man’s Rubble.”

Deep within you there's a spiritual battle

There's a voice of the darkness and the voice of the light

And just by listening you've made a decision

'Cause the voice you hear is gonna win the fight

I encourage you to choose each day to listen to the voice of the Spirit and to starve the voice of the flesh. Walk by His Spirit, keep moving forward in faith, and walk in the blessings of revival. 

I am looking forward to sharing a special Easter blog with you next week. Be sure you tune in!