Walking in the Spirit: Practical Steps to Victory

God’s people are urged into close, practical fellowship—both in local home churches and in personal walk with the Spirit. Psalm 23 frames the confidence of that life: God as shepherd who provides, restores, and protects. Corporate worship, prayer, communion, and generosity are presented as expressions of a community trained to participate, not merely observe. Practical church rhythms—after-school clubs, encounter nights, family meetings, and small-group gatherings for singles, couples, men, and women—are offered as places where spiritual formation and accountability happen.

At the heart of the teaching is a clear summons to “walk in the Spirit.” This is not moral self-improvement but a reorientation of daily life under the Holy Spirit’s lordship: walking in spiritual territory rather than striving by willpower. The text contrasts two realities—the flesh, marked by self-reliance, legalism, and sinful acts, and the Spirit, which cultivates Christlike desires and fruit. Victory over sin is described as presence-driven: when the Spirit governs the inner life, patterns of lust, pride, and control lose power.

Three practical responses are urged. First, dependence: replace self-effort with reliance on the Spirit so that life produces fruit rather than mere outward works. Second, daily yielding: moment-by-moment surrender is necessary, especially in temptation, so that inner inclination aligns with God’s will. Third, feeding the spirit: disciplined habits—Scripture, prayer, repentance, and fellowship—nourish the Spirit and starve the flesh. The pastoral encouragement is both tender and rigorous: be vulnerable, repent quickly, and cultivate practices that form new desires.

Finally, an open invitation is given for those who have not yet committed to Christ or who need to renew their faith. A simple prayer of confession and invitation to Jesus is offered, and the community gives concrete next steps for connection and discipleship. The emphasis throughout is on experiential transformation—walking with the Spirit produces a re-created heart, ongoing sanctification, and life lived under Christ’s lordship rather than under one’s own striving.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Walk intentionally in the Spirit Walking in the Spirit is not a one-time decision but a daily posture—choosing the Spirit’s direction over muscular willpower. This movement reorders desires so that obedience flows from new inner impulses rather than external compulsion. It presumes dependence: the Spirit supplies what the flesh cannot produce, making holiness sustainable and worshipful. [32:19]
• 2. Recognize the inner war The struggle between flesh and spirit is not merely behavioral but spiritual and cognitive; it plays out in thought patterns and self-justifying stories. Naming the war exposes the tactics of the flesh—pride, control, legalism—and allows strategic spiritual responses. Awareness without resignation invites the Spirit to reclaim contested terrain in the mind and heart. [36:17]
• 3. Choose dependence over self-effort Self-effort produces rules and performance; dependence produces fruit and transformation. Yielding to the Spirit reorients identity—from doer to beloved—and reshapes motivations from proving worth to receiving grace. This changes how failures are handled: repentance and return, not escalation of shame. [42:56]
• 4. Feed the spirit daily Spiritual victory tracks with what is nourished: Scripture, prayer, repentance, and communal practices feed the spirit and starve the flesh. Regular spiritual disciplines cultivate new desires and sustain inner agreements with God that carry through temptation. Consistency in these habits is the primary means by which the Spirit’s fruit becomes habitual. [41:48]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [05:25] - Psalm 23 Reading
• [06:23] - Time of Worship
• [23:03] - Prayer, Communion, Testimonies
• [27:50] - Offering and Church Notices
• [32:19] - Theme: Kingdom People, Walk in Spirit
• [36:17] - The War: Flesh versus Spirit
• [42:56] - Practical Steps: Dependence, Yielding, Feeding
• [43:45] - Scripture Reading: Romans 7–8 & Invitation

Here is a Bible study guide based on the sermon summary:

Bible Reading

Romans 7:13–8:11 (ESV)
> 13 Then what is good does that death bring to me? By no means! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by what is good producing death in me. So that sin by the commandment might become supremely sinful.
> 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
> 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inmost self, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
>
> 8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 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. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s law, indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Galatians 5:16, 25 (ESV)
> 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
> 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Observation questions

1. Paul describes a struggle within himself, stating, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing." [37:43] What does this internal conflict reveal about the nature of our desires and actions before fully embracing life in the Spirit?
2. The sermon mentioned that "The victory over sin is not willpower driven but presence driven." [35:46] How does Romans 8:2-4 support this idea by explaining how God has enabled victory over sin?
3. The passage contrasts living "according to the flesh" with living "according to the Spirit." [40:14] What are some of the key differences in mindset and outcome described for each?
4. The sermon used the illustration of two dogs fighting, where the one that is fed wins. [41:15] How does Galatians 5:16 and 25 connect to this illustration by emphasizing the importance of how we choose to "walk"?

Interpretation questions

1. Paul calls himself "wretched" in Romans 7:24, feeling trapped by sin. [37:43] What does this raw admission tell us about the seriousness of the struggle against the flesh, and why is acknowledging this struggle important before finding deliverance?
2. The sermon highlighted that "The flesh is not just the physical body. The flesh is not just sexual sin. It's more than that." [38:11] Based on Romans 7 and the sermon's points, how can things like self-effort, self-justification, and religious pride be considered works of the flesh?
3. Romans 8:1 states, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." [40:14] How does this foundational truth impact the way we approach the "war" between the flesh and the Spirit, especially when we fail?
4. The sermon encouraged us to "walk in the spirit" as a "daily posture—choosing the Spirit’s direction over muscular willpower." [32:19] How does the concept of "walking" in Galatians 5:16 and 25 imply a continuous, intentional journey rather than a static state?

Application questions

1. The sermon emphasized that "victory over sin is not willpower driven but presence driven." [35:46] In what specific areas of your life do you find yourself relying more on willpower than on the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit? How can you intentionally invite the Spirit's presence into those situations this week?
2. We are called to "walk in the spirit" and not "gratify the desires of the flesh." [32:19] What are some of the "desires of the flesh" that you are currently battling? What practical steps can you take this week to "feed the spirit" through Scripture, prayer, repentance, or fellowship, thereby starving the flesh?
3. The sermon pointed out that "the battlefield is all in the mind." [40:47] How can you be more intentional this week about taking "every thought captive" and focusing on the ways of the Lord, as suggested by the sermon?
4. The sermon encouraged "daily yielding" and "moment-by-moment surrender." [42:56] Can you identify a specific situation or temptation you anticipate facing this week where you can practice yielding your will to God's moment by moment?
5. The sermon offered practical responses: dependence, daily yielding, and feeding the spirit. [42:56] Which of these three practical responses feels most challenging for you right now, and what is one small, tangible step you can take this week to grow in that area?
6. The sermon mentioned that "If we live in the spirit, let us also walk in the spirit." [41:48] How can you actively choose to "walk by the Spirit" in your interactions with others this week, particularly in ways that demonstrate love, joy, peace, and kindness?