How To Walk In the Spirit Today and Every Day

by Michael Edwards 
05/12/26
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“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” — Galatians 5:16 (ESV)

Many people misunderstand what it means to “walk in the Spirit” or to "walk by the spirit." By or in the Spirit are essentially the same thing. Some imagine it as an emotional experience filled with shouting, goosebumps, or mystical feelings and most Christians can never figure out how to "walk in the Spirit." Often they think this means they are lacking something, but they are not. While emotions can be sincere, the Bible defines walking in the Spirit in a much deeper and more practical way. Scripture teaches that the Spirit produces a certain kind of life — a life of love.

Paul writes, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23, ESV). Notice that these are not emotional displays but character traits. They reflect the very nature of Christ. In fact, the Bible’s definition of love matches the fruit of the Spirit perfectly: “Love is patient and kind… love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:4, 7, ESV). Walking in the Spirit is walking in love.

This helps us understand the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. The letter refers to the outward command alone, while the spirit refers to the author’s original purpose and intent behind the command. A person can obey the letter externally while completely missing the heart of what God intended. Only the Spirit of the law can truly fulfill the letter of the law because only the Spirit produces genuine love. 

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Rom 13:8-10 ESV) These verse clearly tell us the spirit of all of God's laws is love.

Paul said, “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6, ESV). The law was never merely about rules; it was about forming a people who would reflect God’s love and righteousness. This is why Jesus said the greatest commandments are to love God and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37–40). Love fulfills the real intention of the law.

Jesus Himself perfectly walked in the Spirit. His entire life demonstrated the true meaning of the Father’s commands. The religious leaders accused Him of breaking the Sabbath because He healed people on that day. Yet Jesus was not violating God’s heart — He was fulfilling the Spirit (the purpose or reason for why God wrote the letter of the law) of all of God's laws. He showed mercy, compassion, and restoration. He revealed that the Sabbath was meant to bless people, not burden them.

Jesus consistently chose love over cold legalism. He touched lepers, forgave sinners, fed the hungry, and showed compassion to the broken. Every action revealed the Spirit of the law — the loving character of God. Even His death fulfilled this purpose completely. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13, ESV). Jesus lived in love, walked in love, and died in love.

To walk in the Spirit, then, is not to chase emotional experiences but to allow God’s Spirit to form Christlike love within us. When we walk in love, patience, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, and self-control are the fruits. This kind of life overcomes the flesh because the flesh is selfish, but the Spirit teaches us to love.

The true evidence of the Spirit is not noise, performance, or outward appearance. The true evidence is a life that looks like Jesus.

We are called to be in Christ, we do this by walking in love, God is love. 

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:7-12 ESV)

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Tim 1:7) This verse is describing the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. We could not walk in the love God wants us to apart from the Holy Spirit. Walk in love and you are walking in the Spirit. 

If you want to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to you or where to go next, ask yourself which direction or decision best reflects love. We all know that God does not want us to sin and it also tells us the only way to defeat the lusts of the flesh is to walk in the Spirit.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Gal 5:16 KJV If you notice love produces the fruit of the spirit. Walking in love, in the Spirit keeps us from sinning by defeating the lusts of the flesh.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.1 Cor 13:4-7 ESV