Walking by the Spirit: A Life Shaped by God’s Word

Show: Anchored in the Word with Dave Jenkins
Author: Dave Jenkins
Website: Servants of Grace (servantsofgrace.org)

Show Summary

One of the most misunderstood ideas in the Christian life is what it means to walk by the Spirit. Many people
associate spiritual maturity with mystical impressions, inner voices, or new revelation. But when Scripture speaks of walking by the Spirit, it describes a daily life shaped, empowered, and governed by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God.

In this episode, Dave Jenkins explains what it means to walk by the Spirit in everyday Christian living beginning with regeneration, continuing through Scripture-saturated obedience, opposing the flesh by Spirit-enabled power, producing the fruit of Christlike character, and keeping our focus on Jesus Christ.

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Key Scriptures

• Galatians 5:16–17
• Romans 8:5–6
• John 16:13–14
• Galatians 5:25
• Romans 8:13–14

Episode Notes

• Walking by the Spirit begins with a new heart. Regeneration comes first—then transformation follows.
• Walking by the Spirit means living under the Word He inspired. The Spirit leads us into Scripture, not away from it.
• Walking by the Spirit means saying no to the flesh. The Christian life is lived in battle, not neutral.
• Walking by the Spirit produces Christlike fruit. Spiritual maturity is measured by likeness to Christ, not flashiness.
• Walking by the Spirit means keeping in step with His leading. Daily reliance on grace, a tender conscience, and steady obedience.
• Walking by the Spirit keeps us focused on Christ. Where the Spirit works, Christ becomes greater and sin is put to death.

Full Article

One of the most misunderstood ideas in the Christian life—especially in the church today—is what it means to walk by the Spirit. You’ll hear all kinds of things: “Let the Spirit speak new revelation into your heart,” “Wait for an impression before obeying God,” or “Surrender to a mystical experience.”

But when Paul talks about walking by the Spirit, he’s not describing mystical feelings or subjective impressions. He is describing a daily life shaped, empowered, and governed by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God.

Galatians 5:16–17 says, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh…”

Romans 8:5–6 says, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

John 16:13–14 says, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth… He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

1) Walking by the Spirit begins with a new heart

Before you can begin to walk by the power of the Holy Spirit, you must be born of the Spirit. Regeneration comes first, and then transformation follows. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to Christ, makes us alive to Christ, and joins us to Christ. He gives us new desires, writes the law on our hearts, and unites us to Christ alone.

Walking by the Spirit is not something we do to become Christians. It is something we do because we are Christians—united to Christ by faith and indwelt by the Spirit.

2) Walking by the Spirit means living under the Word He inspired

The Holy Spirit never leads us away from the Word of God. Instead, He leads us into the Word of God. Jesus said the Spirit will guide us into all truth, and John 17 teaches that God’s Word is truth.

So walking by the Spirit means submitting to the Word of God, obeying the Word of God, delighting in the Word of God, and depending on the Word of God. The Spirit-filled Christian is a Scripture-filled Christian.

3) Walking by the Spirit means saying no to the flesh

Paul teaches that the flesh and the Spirit are at war. To walk by the Spirit is to actively oppose the desires of the flesh. The Spirit empowers us to kill sin, resist temptation, refuse worldly desires, and fight the impulses of the old nature.

This isn’t willpower or self-sufficiency. It is Spirit-enabled obedience rooted in the grace of God and revealed in the Word of God. The Christian life is not lived in neutral—it is lived in battle.

4) Walking by the Spirit produces the fruit of Christlike character

Walking by the Spirit is not about spectacular gifts but about everyday, ordinary faithfulness to God.
Paul doesn’t say, “Walk by the Spirit and you’ll experience dramatic manifestations.” He says, “You will bear fruit.”

That fruit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
The Spirit’s work is to conform us into the image of Christ. This is slow work, steady work, and beautiful work.
The real mark of spiritual maturity is not flashiness—it is likeness to Christ.

5) Walking by the Spirit means keeping in step with His leading

Galatians 5:25 says, “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”
This means consistency—daily reliance on God, not occasional bursts of zeal.

It means sensitivity to conviction, a tender conscience, a willingness to repent quickly, and dependence on the grace of God—knowing we can do nothing apart from Christ. It also means obedience to the Word of God, aligning your life with God’s revealed will in Scripture. Walking by the Spirit is not unpredictable; it is steady, humble, biblically grounded, and obedience-filled by the power of God.

6) Walking by the Spirit keeps us focused on Christ

Jesus said the Spirit would glorify Him. So the Spirit-filled life is a Christ-centered life.
Walking by the Spirit is not primarily about the Spirit of God; it is about the Spirit pointing us to Christ from the Word of God.

The Spirit opens our eyes to Christ in Scripture, warms our hearts to love Christ, empowers us to obey Christ,
conforms us into the image of Christ, and anchors our hope in the return of Christ.
Where the Spirit works, Christ becomes greater and we put our sin to death.

Takeaways / Reflection Questions

• In what ways have you been tempted to equate spiritual maturity with feelings or impressions rather than Scripture?
• What daily habits help you stay under the Word the Spirit inspired?
• Where do you most need Spirit-enabled strength to say no to the flesh?
• Which fruit of the Spirit do you most want God to grow in you right now?
• How can you keep Christ at the center of your walk this week?

Call to Action

If this episode helped you, please consider subscribing, or sharing it with a friend.  Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you as you walk by the Spirit with confidence, humility, and joy. For more from Anchored in the Word with Dave please visit our page at Servants of Grace or at our YouTube.