The Christian Walk Blog

In the letter that Paul sent to the Colossians, chapter 1, verses 9 and 10, he stated that he never stopped praying for them, hoping that they would walk in a way that would be worthy of the Lord and completely please Him.

A little bit later in his letter, he wrote, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” This was in reference to the fact that the reader had just received Christ (Colossians 2:6, 7).

After that, he said towards the end of his letter, “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time” (Colossians 4:5).

It is very evident that Paul was not merely referring to the action of placing one foot in front of the other as his topic of discussion. Paul was using the term “walk” in his epistle to the Colossians in the same way as Christ used when He said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life,” and again in John 12:35, when He stated, “Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you,” (Walk while you have the light in order to prevent darkness from overtaking you).

The Greek word for “walk” is “peripate,” and Strong’s Concordance explains that it can also be interpreted as “figuratively to live, deport oneself, or follow.”

“When this is understood, the relationship between the Bible writers’ usage of the word ‘walk,’ and the idea conveyed in this quotation from the Testimonies, becomes clear: “God leads His people on step by step.”

The Christian life is equal parts struggle and forward movement.

There is no respite available in this conflict; one must be steadfast and consistent in one’s efforts.

We keep the victory over Satan’s temptations by making continual efforts, which is the only way to keep them at bay.

Integrity in Christian practice must be pursued with unyielding zeal and upheld with the unwavering determination of one who has made up their mind.

Finding more authoritative guidance in inspired works regarding our everyday struggle, that is, our path as Christians, would be difficult to accomplish.

Paul frequently used the analogy of a stroll to describe how we should go about living our lives. In Romans 6:4–6, he said, “Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also might live in newness of life.” This passage is taken from the book of Romans. Because if we have been joined together in the likeness of His death, then surely we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, in order that the body of sin might be done away with, and in order that we might no longer be slaves to sin.”

In Romans chapter 8, verses 1 through 4, he wrote, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ” [T]here is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Because the law of the Spirit of life that is found in Jesus Christ has set me free from the law of sin and death, I am no longer bound by it. He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin.”

Paul wrote these words as he approached the conclusion of his epistle to the Romans: “Let us walk rightly, as in the day, not in revelry and intoxication, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.” Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and don’t make any accommodations for the flesh so it can satisfy its lusts (Romans 13:13, 14).

The idea that Paul had of life being a journey is something that comes up repeatedly in his letters. Every one of them makes use of the word in a manner that is comparable to the other usages. We have already provided examples from the book of Romans and Colossians. The following are excerpts from some of his previous letters:

“For we walk not by sight but by faith,” the scripture says (2 Corinthians 5:7).

“For even though we live in the body, we do not wage war in accordance with the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge (2 Corinthians 10:3–6).

“This is what I say: Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh,” the Bible says (Galatians 5:16).

“If we are going to live in the Spirit, we need to walk in the Spirit as well” (verse 25).

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, and endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with (Ephesians 4:1–3).

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness,” “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should not (verses 17–19).

“Therefore, as loving children, imitate your heavenly Father in everything. “And walk in love, just as Christ also has loved us and given Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God in the form of a sweet-smelling aroma” (Ephesians 5:1, 2).

“Because you previously walked in darkness, but now you walk in light because of the Lord. Find out what is acceptable to the Lord while you walk as children of light (because the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) (verses 8–10).

“Be careful therefore how you walk; not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil,” the Bible says (verses 15, 16).

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, is that I push toward the goal in order to win the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, those of us who are mature should have this mindset, and if there is anything else about which you have a different opinion, God will show you even that. In spite of this, to the extent that we have already reached, let us go according to the same norm, and let us think in the same way. Brothers, please join me in imitating my behavior, and pay attention to those who also walk in this manner; you can use us as a model (Philippians 3:13–17).

“Finally, brothers, we urge and exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus” “Finally, brothers, we urge and exhort you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that you should abound more and more” (I Thessalonians 4:1, 2).

“Because we have heard that there are some who wander among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies” (2 Thessalonians 3:11).

It is extremely unlikely that a person could read through all of these books and not come away with a reasonably complete comprehension of how a Christian should live their life and how they should not live their Christian life. We are to walk, which, of course, means to live in a manner that is entirely pleasing to the Lord. This is perhaps the most important thing that we are to do. In order for us to reach such a worthy goal, we must not only be aware of what satisfies Him, but also of what repulses and disgusts Him. This can only be accomplished via an in-depth and ongoing investigation of what God has said in His word.

Knowing how to behave in a way that is “completely pleasing” to God the Father requires us to have a good starting point, and that starting point is having an understanding of the enlightened teaching that Paul provides in his letters. Paul’s encouragement to “live in the spirit” as opposed to his caution against walking in the body is a reoccurring theme in the book of Galatians. The guiding principles for the Christian life should be easily discernible if one were to compile and summarize the teachings found in the scriptures given above. Let’s take a look at some of Paul’s teachings to have a better idea of how a Christian ought to live his life in order to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject.

Following baptism, we are commanded to “walk in newness of life.” It is necessary to “do away with” old behaviors and ways of living that are in opposition to the desire of God (Romans 6:4–6).
“according to the Spirit,” not “according to the flesh,” (Romans 8:1–4); “and by faith, not by sight;” these are the guiding principles for the life of a Christian (2 Corinthians 5:7).

The Christian does not make allowances for their carnal nature, but rather walks “correctly, as in the day, not in revelry and intoxication, not in lewdness and lust, not in contention and envy” (Romans 13:13, 14). Note the parallels between what Christ said about light and darkness in John 8:12 and what Paul says about walking “in the day” in this passage. Both of these passages may be found in John.

In Ephesians 4, Paul gives an excellent description of the difference between the Christian’s spiritual life and their walk in the bodily. “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing one another in love, and seeking to uphold the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” this is how a Christian should walk (verses 1–3).

In contrast to this is the walk of the flesh, which is described in such explicit detail in verses 17 through 19: “You should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness; who, being past feeling

In Ephesians 5:1–21, Paul continues to elucidate the contrast between the Christian path and walking in darkness by providing more examples. “Finding out what is acceptable to the Lord” can be accomplished in a very effective manner by reading those texts while engaging in contemplative prayer.

In all honesty, the Christian walk is both a fight and a march, yet the earnest seeker, through prayerful study of God’s word, can get clear direction on how to prevail in that battle and how to successfully march forward in their walk with Christ.

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