I’m rather disturbed by a popular mentality that I see in Christian circles today.  It’s what I call the “walkin’ in the Spirit” syndrome.

Now, before I get blasted, we most certainly should walk in the Spirit.  We are to deny our fleshly desires to pursue God’s best for all of us.  However, there is a twist to this particular idea.

I was talkin’ with a gal not long ago.  She had some struggles that she was bringin’ to the Lord.  During the course of the conversation, I told her that gettin’ in the Word everyday would help her out.  Her response, “I love readin’ the Word, but God is really callin’ me to just pray and ‘walk in the spirit’.”  Meanin’ that God told her to forego the readin’ of the scriptures to pray and God would just talk to her.

Hmmmmm.

Now, surface level, this sounds good, however, there’s a problem, God ain’t the only one a-talkin’ to us, y’know?  There’s this sweet little voice that so often sounds just like God’s voice might, except it’s the twisted hissin' of Satan.  If we aren’t grounded in the Word, how can we distinguish between our Father’s voice and an imposter?  Maybe I’m just a spiritual imbecile or somethin’, ‘cause I must say that God’s Wisdom does not come naturally to me.  So often what I think sounds right, those whispers in my head, are lies born out of my sinful nature or Satan.  I have never been able to just “walk in the spirit” without bein’ heavily and daily grounded in the Word.

There’s many variations of the “walkin’ in the Spirit” syndrome.  There’s the “I’m waitin’ for God to open and close doors,” sub-syndrome.  You know, where we just pray and wait around for God to reveal His Will through seemingly coincidental life events and then declare, “It must be God’s Will because…”

Again, this sounds good, except...God ain’t the only one openin' doors.  I once talked with a gal that just knew God wanted her to leave her husband because He brought her this incredibly awesome, much more “Godly” man.  “You see,” she explained patiently, “God would not have sent this man to me if He didn’t want me to share the rest of my life with him.”  God didn’t send this “Godly” man to her, God’s Word says He hates divorce.  Satan was clever enough to weave a lie of “meant to be” around these two, so that he could plunge two believers into sin with one swoop.  Ain’t he clever?

I have often fallen pray to this mentality.  Sad as it is to admit, I’ve used the very words, “If this wasn’t of God, He wouldn’t have brought it…,”too.  So many times I have been fooled only to find myself way off the path of righteousness, never realizin’ how far I’ve strayed until I look up from my stupor and think, “Where am I?”  Yes, in certain circumstances, God has redeemed my foolishness, specifically with my eldest son, and then later, my marriage.  However, continuin’ to cling to this idea that God wanted me to have intimate relations outside of wedlock in order to have my son would be greater folly, just as contendin’ that it was “of God” that I marry a heathen (blessedly redeemed, Praise God!).  Let us never confuse the Will of God with His merciful and gracious redemption.

So how do you discern what is “of God” and what is not?  The answer can only be, if it is consistent with all of scriptures (not just bits and clips taken out of context), which is inerrant and God breathed, then it’s a pretty good bet that it is true (sans any psycho-babble).  God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  His Word is universal, applicable to every believer, of every time.  The only way for us to truly “walk in the Spirit” is by havin’ His Holy Word hidden in our hearts.

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,  And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.  Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.  Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.  Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.”  Matthew 4:  1-11 (Emphasis mine)

For good measure, I wanted to refresh my memory of the original passage that “walkin’ in the Spirit” references, what a different picture than how it is commonly used:

“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love, serve one another.  For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.  This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.  But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.   If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.  Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”  Galations 5:  13-25