Walking by the Spirit: Finding True Freedom in Christ

What does it mean to be truly free? In our world, we often equate freedom with having more choices and options. But the Bible presents a different perspective on freedom—one that might seem paradoxical at first glance.

What Does True Freedom Look Like?

In Galatians 5:13, Paul writes, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh. Rather serve one another humbly in love.” God wants us to use our freedom in ways that are genuinely good for us and beneficial for others—not in self-destructive ways. The premise behind being “enslaved to sin” is that we interact with creation in ways God never intended, making choices that lead to our destruction even if they seem easier or feel better in the moment. Throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, we see this theme of choices: Will we choose life by following God, or will we choose our own way? The paradox is that true freedom is found when we follow God, not when we do whatever we want.

How Do We Walk by the Spirit?

Paul continues in Galatians 5:16, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” When we keep in step with the Spirit, we naturally sin less. To walk with the Lord is to live in Him. This concept of “walking with God” appears throughout Scripture. In Colossians 2:6, Paul writes, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.” And in Deuteronomy 13, Moses instructs, “You shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments and obey his voice.”

Enoch: A Man Who Walked with God

To understand what walking with God looks like, we can look at Enoch in Genesis 5:18-24. In a genealogy where the pattern is typically “someone lives, has children, lives longer, then dies,” Enoch’s story breaks the mold. After fathering Methuselah at age 65, the text says “Enoch walked faithfully with God for 300 years.” Then, instead of dying like everyone else, “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
The author of Hebrews elaborates in Hebrews 11:5: “By faith, Enoch was taken from his life so that he did not experience death. He could not be found because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” Imagine walking with God in such a way that you please Him! Though Enoch’s life was comparatively short (365 years when others lived 900+ years), his legacy wasn’t about longevity but about his relationship with God.

How Do We Balance Grace and Holiness?

Interestingly, Enoch’s son Methuselah (whose name may have meant “when he dies, judgment will be sent”) became the oldest person recorded in the Bible at 969 years. When we trace the timeline, Methuselah’s death aligns with the year of the flood—when judgment came upon a world that had turned away from God. This reveals an important tension between grace and holiness. God gave humanity the maximum amount of time possible (through Methuselah’s long life) to turn back to Him. His grace is unending, yet His holiness requires judgment of sin.
In church, we can get caught up focusing too much on one side:

Too focused on holiness: “Everything you’re doing is wrong!”
Too focused on grace: “Everything you’re doing is fine!”

The key is finding the balance—knowing we’re human and will make mistakes, but continuing to pursue God and walk by the Spirit.

Why Should We Start with Prayer?

When we face challenges, our first instinct is often to rely on our own abilities or to “Google it.” But walking by the Spirit means starting with prayer. Consider this personal example: While upgrading a sound system, hours were spent troubleshooting a technical issue. After exhausting all options and finally turning to prayer, the solution came within 15 minutes. How much time might have been saved if prayer had been the first response rather than the last resort? God isn’t interested in puppets; He wants people. He desires partnership and relationship. He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives, not just the “spiritual” parts.

Life Application

This week, I challenge you to practice “keeping in step with the Spirit” by making prayer your first response, not your last resort. Before you Google an answer, before you rely solely on your own abilities, pause and invite God into the situation. Ask yourself:

In what areas of my life am I trying to find freedom by doing things my own way rather than God’s way?
How might my day-to-day decisions change if I truly believed that walking with God leads to greater freedom?
What’s one practical step I can take to start my day “in step with the Spirit”?

Remember, God is full of grace and loves you deeply. He’s not a puppet master controlling your every move—He’s a loving Father who wants relationship with you. All of Scripture is like a love letter showing how much He cares. He gave His only Son as our Savior, and He is always with us. Keep in step with the Holy Spirit, and experience the true freedom that comes from walking with God.

This series may be taken as a course offered by the Online Bible Institute. For more information check out the Keys Vineyard Ministries Courses page.

Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.