“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” — Galatians 5:16, NASB1995
Step by Step: Spirit Over Flesh
The battle between the flesh and the Spirit is real. But the key isn’t fighting harder—it’s walking smarter.
Galatians 5:16 gives the strategy: walk by the Spirit, and you won’t carry out the desires of the flesh. That means the more you tune your heart to Him, the less power sin has over you.
Walking by the Spirit means being sensitive to His conviction, obeying quickly, and choosing holiness over hype.
Challenge: Take time to ask the Holy Spirit, “Where am I walking ahead of You—or without You?”
Prayer: Holy Spirit, I need You to lead every step. Keep me from paths that pull me away. Train me to walk in freedom. Amen.
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” — Galatians 5:16, NASB1995
Living Side by Side with the Spirit
Paul didn’t say “run ahead of the Spirit” or “drag Him behind.” He said walk—side by side.
When we walk with the Spirit as mothers and children, we model dependence—not perfection. We teach our kids to pause before reacting, to listen for His voice, and to walk in love.
Walking by the Spirit is slow, steady obedience. And in a busy world, it’s the most powerful witness.
Discussion Prompt: Ask your children:
What does it mean to “walk with” someone?
How can we walk with the Holy Spirit as a family?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, help our family stay in step with You. Teach us to walk together in love, joy, and self-control. Amen.
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” — Galatians 5:16, NASB1995
A Daily Walk, Not a Sprint
“Walk by the Spirit.” It sounds simple, but it’s profound.
This walk isn’t about bursts of inspiration—it’s about moment-by-moment choices to listen, yield, and obey. When we keep in step with Him, the flesh has no room to lead.
To walk by the Spirit is to trust God with your next step, not just the distant future. You don’t need to figure it all out—you need to follow the One who does.
Reflection: What does it look like for you to walk with the Spirit in your current season?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, help me to walk with You today—attentive, obedient, and free from the desires of the flesh. Amen.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” — 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NASB1995)
The Crisis of Authority
Today, the Church is facing a quiet crisis: a confusion of voices. One pastor says one thing. A scholar says another. Social media amplifies theological personalities, and denominations defend their systems with zeal. But amid the noise, one question must anchor us:
Whose word holds ultimate authority?
For the early Church, the answer was not in a creed, council, or commentary. It was Scripture—the living, inspired Word of God, taught and made alive by the Holy Spirit.
When Paul wrote to Timothy, he reminded him that Scripture alone was sufficient to equip the man or woman of God for every good work. Not just some. Not with additions. Not filtered through theological frameworks.
The Ante-Nicene Church didn’t have Calvin, Augustine, or Luther. They had the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures.
They didn’t rely on philosophical systems to explain God’s character or salvation. They turned to what was written by the apostles and prophets, taught by the Spirit, and lived by faith.
The Ante-Nicene Church and the Word
The early believers were fiercely committed to the written Word. They viewed it as God’s voice to His people, not a puzzle to be allegorized or filtered through speculative reasoning.
“We have learned from none others the plan of our salvation, than from those through whom the Gospel has come down to us… For how should it be if the apostles themselves had not left us writings?” — Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 3, Chapter 1 (c. AD 180)
This statement from Irenaeus shows that the early Church viewed the Scriptures as apostolic, sufficient, and authoritative.
Even as false teachers rose—Gnostics, philosophers, and empire-friendly preachers—the faithful Church returned to the Scriptures as their guide. They would not trade what was written for what was imagined.
They didn’t need a system to unlock God’s truth. They had the Spirit to teach it.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” — John 14:26
Dangers of Departing from the Word
Much of today’s theological error doesn’t come from denying Scripture—it comes from replacing it with:
Allegorical reinterpretations
Theological traditions
Commentaries and creeds elevated above the text
This is not new. In the second and third centuries, false teachers tried to redefine the gospel through Greek philosophy or mystical symbolism. The faithful remnant responded by clinging to the Scriptures.
“These men, therefore, ought to be refuted, who bring forward hypotheses, and who do not keep to that manner of speaking which the Church has received from the apostles, and which is preserved by the succession of elders in the Churches.” — Irenaeus, Against Heresies Book 1, Chapter 8
Truth doesn’t need to evolve. It only needs to be believed, obeyed, and preached as it was given.
A Call to Return
Dear sister, dear brother: You don’t need a seminary degree to walk in truth.
You need the Scriptures in your hands and the Spirit in your heart.
If the Word says it, and the Spirit confirms it, you can trust it. Even if councils reject it. Even if scholars scoff at it. Even if systems bend it.
The authority of Scripture isn’t just a doctrine. It’s a lifeline in a world gone mad. It’s the Shepherd’s voice in the midst of wolves. It’s our anchor when the winds of deception blow.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” — Matthew 24:35
Kingdom Discipleship Reflection
Am I reading Scripture with a posture of humility, letting it shape me?
Have I allowed man-made systems to reinterpret what God has plainly spoken?
Am I relying on the Holy Spirit to understand Scripture, or someone else’s lens?
This week, open your Bible and read one Gospel through the eyes of a disciple—no commentaries, no podcasts, no study notes. Just you, the Word, and the Spirit.
Let Him speak. Let Him teach. Let Him anchor you.
“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” — John 17:17
“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” — Romans 8:6, NASB1995
Peaceful Homes Begin with Peaceful Minds
Children watch how we handle pressure, not just what we say. Romans 8:6 reminds us that mindset determines peace.
When our minds are set on the Spirit—our home becomes a refuge, not a war zone. When we’re anxious, we teach our kids to take their worries to the Lord, not to their emotions.
Discussion Prompt: Ask your children:
What helps your mind feel peaceful?
How do we set our thoughts on God when we’re upset?
Prayer: Lord, train our minds to seek You first. Let our home reflect Your peace by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.” — Romans 8:6, NASB1995
Peace Begins in the Mind
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your own thoughts? Worry. Fear. Doubt. Busyness.
Romans 8:6 reminds us there is a better way—a mind set on the Spirit. This isn’t passive thinking. It’s intentional. It’s redirecting your heart away from fleshly patterns and back toward the presence of God.
The result? Life and peace. Not artificial calm, but deep, Spirit-rooted rest.
Reflection: What thoughts dominate your mind? Are they aligned with the Spirit or the flesh?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, guard my thoughts today. Fix my mind on what is true, pure, and eternal. Give me Your peace. Amen.
Most Christians today have never heard of the Solas—let alone the deeper truth behind them. They’ve been reduced to academic slogans in Reformed circles or historical trivia for Protestants. But these were once lived out—not just proclaimed—by the Ante-Nicene Church, the faithful believers between AD 33–325 who bore real Kingdom fruit.
While many know Sola Scriptura or Sola Fide, there’s one that has been tragically forgotten in both Protestant and Catholic traditions:
Solo Spiritu Sancto — By the Holy Spirit Alone
This is the root of all the others…
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone)
God’s Word is the ultimate authority for faith and life—not church tradition or human opinion. Everything we believe and do must align with Scripture.
Sola Fide (Faith Alone)
We are justified (made right with God) through faith alone—not by works, rituals, or religious performance. True saving faith trusts fully in Christ.
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone)
Salvation is a free gift of God’s grace. We did not earn it, and we cannot deserve it. It is all by His mercy and love.
Solo Spiritu Sancto (By the Holy Spirit Alone)
We understand and walk in truth by the power of the Holy Spirit—not by intellect, tradition, or man’s wisdom. The Spirit teaches, convicts, empowers, and leads God’s people.
Solus Christus (Christ Alone)
Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. Our hope, forgiveness, and eternal life come through Him alone—not saints, priests, or systems.
Soli Deo Gloria (To the Glory of God Alone)
Everything—including our salvation—is for God’s glory. We live, serve, and worship not for applause or status, but to magnify His name.
Without the Holy Spirit teaching us Scripture (Sola Scriptura), our faith becomes academic. Without the Spirit convicting us toward faith (Sola Fide) and leading us in grace (Sola Gratia), it becomes a transaction. Without the Spirit glorifying Christ alone (Solus Christus) and stirring us to live for God’s glory (Soli Deo Gloria), it becomes religious performance.
Instead of growing deep in Him, we debate endlessly. We lop off branches of doctrinal disagreement, but never deal with the root: that we’ve traded the Spirit’s authority for men’s interpretations. The fruit of this tree? Division, pride, and confusion.
The Ante-Nicene Church shows us a better way: a Church anchored in the Spirit, interpreting Scripture together, walking in radical obedience, and bearing fruit worthy of Christ.
Solo Spiritu Sancto — By the Holy Spirit Alone
Leave a comment