The Silent Sovereign: Walking by the Spirit

by David Chadwick

This week, I want us to take a look at the Holy Spirit, also known as the Silent Sovereign.

Do any of you enjoy going on a long walk? Walking is a gift from God. Whether you walk to get from one location to another, to pray, to exercise, or to enjoy God’s beauty or creation, walking is something that everyone does in the natural realm.

But did you know that walking is also a significant part of a Spirit-led and Spirit-filled life? Galatians 5:16 says, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Those of us who abide in Jesus have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, to now live inside of us.

The Holy Spirit speaks to us constantly and tells us how we need to walk. He guides us in the will of the Father. Jesus said in John 10:27 that his sheep listen to his voice, know him, and follow him. Listening should produce a life of obedience, something we can only do as we walk by the Spirit.

Let me share a key with you in understanding how to walk by the Spirit. The Greek verb stoichomeo is a military term. It suggests soldiers walking in unity to the commands from their sovereign leader. They walk in military formation, obeying every command from their general, and taking each step in unity with the soldier next to them.

The same should be true for those of us who are in the army of Christ. Walking in the Spirit means we must perfectly obey the voice inside of us. We must align our desires with the desires of our commander in chief. We must yield our will to his will.

Walking in the Spirit also suggests that we must walk in unison or unity with other soldiers in the body of Christ so that we can remain unified against our common enemy.

This call to a life in the Holy Spirit has both personal and corporate implications. It’s a call both to personal obedience and to corporate unity. We must pursue both for the glory of God!