                    [Times Square Church Pulpit Series]

                    What It Means To Walk in the Spirit!

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By David Wilkerson
August 15, 1994
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          God's purpose for every one of His children is that we
          surrender to the reign and rulership of the Holy
          Spirit:

          "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the
          Spirit"(Galatians 5:25).

          In other words, "If He lives in you, let Him direct
          you!"

          In this message, I want to show you two things:

            1. What it means to walk in the Spirit; and
            2. How you can obtain such a walk.

          I have not yet fully arrived in this glorious walk --
          but I am gaining ground!

          I believe Acts 16 is one of the best examples of what
          it means to walk in the Holy Spirit. We've heard this
          expression all our lives -- to "walk in the Spirit" --
          but what does it mean?

                      -------------------------------

                       1. Walking in the Spirit Means
                       Incredible, Detailed Direction
                         and Unclouded Decisions!

                      -------------------------------

          The Holy Ghost provides absolute, clearly detailed
          instructions to those who walk in Him. If you walk in
          the Spirit, then you don't walk in confusion -- your
          decisions aren't clouded ones.

          The early Christians did not walk in confusion. They
          were led by the Spirit in every decision, every move,
          every action! The Spirit talked to them and directed
          them in their every waking hour. No decision was made
          without consulting Him. The church's motto throughout
          the New Testament was: "He who has ears to hear, let
          him hear what the Spirit has to say!"

          You probably have heard preachers and missionaries say,
          "The need represents the call. Jesus said, 'Go' -- so,
          go! Go into all the world, preach the gospel and make
          disciples!"

          Beloved, this is only half-true. We are to go into all
          the world with the gospel. And the call is to the
          entire church. But we are to go only when and where the
          Spirit leads! The idea that we're simply to "pack our
          bags and go" has nothing at all to do with walking in
          the Spirit.

          I am ministering in New York City today because the
          Holy Ghost told me very clearly: "Go to New York City
          and help raise up a church." And He told me when to
          come. No devil or demon can move me from this --
          because the Spirit gave detailed instructions. I
          remember standing between Broadway and Seventh Avenue,
          weeping and raising my hands. The Holy Ghost said, "In
          this very area I am going to raise up a church. Obey
          me, David. Start a church in New York City!" Times
          Square Church is not just an accident. It is the result
          of clear, detailed instructions from the Holy Ghost!

          The Bible says,

          "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every
          word be established" (2 Corinthians 13:1; Matthew
          18:16).

          I want to give you three witnesses for my message:
          Paul, Silas and Timothy. Each of them was full of the
          Holy Ghost and walked daily in the Spirit. And in
          chapter 16 of Acts, these men show us what we can
          expect in such a walk.

          Paul had chosen Silas and Timothy to go with him
          throughout the churches, to establish them:

          "And so were the churches established in the faith, and
          increased in number daily" (Acts 16:5).

          Now, in Paul's day there was no continent more needy
          than Asia. That land was in total darkness. And, like
          many zealous ministers today, Paul wanted to go where
          the need was. But the Spirit forbade him to preach in
          Asia on this occasion:

          "...they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of
          Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach
          the word in Asia..." (verse 6).

          They started to go, but the Lord said, "No -- you can't
          go right now!"

          Paul said, "Well, let's go to Bithynia! The people are
          in darkness there, and we have been commanded to go. So
          let's go!" But again, the Spirit didn't permit them:

          "After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into
          Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not" (verse 7).

          No wonder so many missionaries come home from the field
          after a short time. Many come back disillusioned and
          despairing because they haven't been led by the Spirit.
          They went with zeal -- but without seeking the counsel
          of the Holy Ghost. They were not sent out by the Holy
          Ghost!

          Paul and his men ended up in Troas, undecided and
          wondering where to go next. That's when Paul received a
          vision:

          "And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There
          stood a man of Macedonia,
          and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and
          help us" (verse 9).

          Please note: It's a good thing the Spirit didn't tell
          Paul the whole story in this vision. You see, the man
          calling him was a jailkeeper -- beckoning him to come
          spend a night locked in a stockade within the walls of
          his prison!

          Beloved, you also will be tested when you begin to walk
          in the Spirit. Paul surely was, along with his two
          young servants. When they arrived in Philippi, a city
          in Macedonia, they didn't encounter any such man --
          only women!

          "And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river
          side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat
          down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
          And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple in
          the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us:
          whose heart the Lord opened.... And when she was
          baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying,
          If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come
          into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us"
          (verses 13-15).

          Can you imagine what Paul must have said to his two
          young associates on the way to Lydia's house? "I
          thought I saw a man calling for help. Yet there's
          nobody around here but women -- not a man in sight! I
          trust I heard the Lord correctly."

          We get upset when God tells us something and it doesn't
          unfold exactly as we heard it. We want every detail to
          fall into place. And if we don't "see the man" right
          away, soon we're ready to discount everything!

          In the meantime, however, God had opened Lydia's heart.
          A number of women were getting saved, God was moving --
          but there wasn't a man in sight! Indeed, God will
          perform all kinds of wonderful, unexpected miracles on
          the way to the vision -- and on the way of obedience!

                      -------------------------------

                      Philip and Peter Also Walked in
                      the Spirit -- And They Got Very
                     Detailed, Incredible Directions!

                      -------------------------------

          God was using Philip powerfully to lead a revival in
          Samaria. People were being saved, healed, delivered
          from demons. But the Spirit directed Philip to leave
          Samaria -- and to go instead to the desert of Gaza. So,
          in obedience, Philip packed it in, said good-bye and
          started walking to his destination.

          Along came an Ethiopian eunuch in a chariot, reading
          the book of Isaiah.

          "Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join
          thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to
          him..." (Acts 8:29-30).

          Suddenly Philip was opening the message of Isaiah 53 to
          this man, revealing Jesus. And the next thing Philip
          knew, the man received Christ and was baptized. Then,

          "...when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit
          of the Lord caught away Philip,
          that the eunuch saw him no more..." (verse 39).

          Many people have a problem with this last verse: "The
          Spirit caught away Philip...." But I don't. The Spirit
          had been present when the heavens and earth were
          created; He was Co-Creator with the Father. So He
          certainly could carry a man to his next preaching
          assignment!

          Peter was on the rooftop praying when God showed him a
          vision. The Lord was teaching him, "Don't call anything
          unclean that I have said is clean." As this took place,
          three men stood at Peter's gate, calling, "Is Simon
          Peter in the house?"

          The Spirit said to Peter,

          "Go downstairs -- there are three men standing at the
          gate. They're going to ask you to go with them, and you
          are to go. Don't doubt anything -- just go!" (See Acts
          10:19-22).

          These were absolutely clear, detailed instructions!

          Later, in Jerusalem, Peter told the brethren why he ate
          with uncircumcised Gentiles:

          "And the spirit bade me go with them, nothing
          doubting..." (Acts 11:12).

          Peter said, "The Spirit told me to do it. I ate with
          them because the Holy Ghost spoke clearly to me!"

          The early church never sent out workers or missionaries
          unless the Holy Ghost chose and ordained them. A person
          didn't just walk up to the apostles and say, "Look,
          I've got a call to Cyprus, to Paphos, to Perga, to
          Pergamus. Please anoint me, ordain me -- send me forth
          with your blessing!"

          No -- the Holy Ghost spoke clearly in prayer meetings,
          appointing those who were truly anointed of God:

          "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy
          Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work
          whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted
          and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent
          them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost,
          departed..." (13:2-4).

          If you ask the Holy Ghost, He will tell you everything
          you need to know -- including where and when to go!

          Included in these incredible directions are precise
          warnings about what is coming. The Holy Spirit will
          warn you in order to prepare you:

          "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will
          guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
          himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he
          speak: and he will shew you things to come" (John
          16:13).

          Jesus isn't talking merely about prophecy and future
          events. He's talking about your life! Walking in the
          Holy Ghost is about being led by Him in very practical,
          daily living. For example, He showed the early church a
          famine was coming:

          "And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and
          signified by the spirit that there should be great
          dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in
          the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, every
          man according to his ability, determined to send relief
          unto the brethren which dwelt in Judea" (Acts 11:28).

          The Holy Spirit warned them a famine was coming -- so
          they began to take offerings to share with other
          believers!

          The Spirit also warned Paul that his trip to Jerusalem
          would result in his being taken prisoner:

          "...there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named
          Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's
          girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said,
          Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at
          Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and
          shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles"
          (21:10-11).

          Paul was being warned -- told to prepare! The Holy
          Spirit always warns us!

                      -------------------------------

                    2. Walking in the Spirit Means Never
                 Being Intimidated by Demonic Harassment!

                      -------------------------------

          If you walk in the Spirit, you will constantly be
          harassed by demonic powers. But you do not have to be
          intimidated by any demon power -- anywhere, at any
          time!

          Paul was continually harassed by demonic powers. He was
          preaching to Sergius Paulus, deputy of the isle of
          Paphos, when demons attempted to interfere:

          "...a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus...
          withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from
          the faith" (Acts 13:6-8).

          Barjesus means "son of Jesus" or "angel of light." This
          was the devil standing up against Paul! But the Holy
          Ghost welled up inside the apostle:

          "Then Saul...filled with the Holy Ghost...said ...thou
          child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness,
          wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the
          Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon
          thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a
          season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a
          darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by
          the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done,
          believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord"
          (verses 9-12).

          Paul, "filled with the Holy Ghost," brought down all
          the powers of darkness!

          In Acts 16, the devil again came against the ministry
          of the Holy Ghost -- and again Paul responded:

          "And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain
          damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us,
          which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: The
          same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men
          are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto
          us the way of salvation. And this did she many days.
          But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit,
          I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out
          of her. And he came out the same hour" (16:16-18).

          I want to stop here and challenge every Christian who
          claims to walk in the Spirit: It is not enough to "be
          grieved" by the attempts of Satan to harass you! Paul
          was grieved -- meaning "disturbed, troubled." And he
          allowed it for many days. But how long should you put
          up with Satan's troubling you -- putting unnecessary
          grief on you, hindering you in your work?

          This could have gone on with Paul for a long time. It
          might have affected his physical body. But the Spirit
          of God welled up in Paul, and he said, "That's it --
          that's enough! In the name of Jesus, be gone!"

          Beloved, we take too much from the devil! There comes a
          time when we've got to stand up in the power of the
          Holy Ghost and say, "Enough -- that's it! I command you
          in Jesus' name to go!"

                      -------------------------------

                       3. Walking in the Spirit Means
                       Being Worry-Free -- No Matter
                           What Happens to You!

                      -------------------------------

          When you take authority and command devils to flee,
          Satan will come at you with everything in his arsenal.
          He'll bring down all kinds of trouble and crises on
          you!

          Just after Paul had cast the demons out of the
          possessed girl, Satan started stirring things up. He
          enflamed the crowd against Paul and Silas -- and
          suddenly they were in a terrible crisis!

          The city magistrates had them whipped and cast into
          prison. And with every stripe on their backs, I can
          hear the devil saying, "So you think you've won the
          victory? You think you're going to cast out my demons
          and take authority over me? Take that! I'm going to
          beat you, cast you into prison, lock you up hands and
          feet. Then let me see how much you praise the Lord!"

          The devil didn't seem to know: The more you whip a
          servant of God who walks in the Spirit, the more
          praises you whip up from him! If you throw him in a
          crisis, tie him up with problems and troubles, he'll
          sing, shout and worship!

          "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang
          praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them" (Acts
          16:25).

          If we are to walk in the Spirit, then we must believe
          God for supernatural deliverance from every bondage of
          Satan. It doesn't matter if God has to create an
          earthquake to do it. In fact, that is exactly what he
          did for Paul:

          "And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the
          foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately
          all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were
          loosed" (verse 26).

          Satan will try to bring upon you the most dreadful
          temptation or trial you have ever faced. He wants you
          to get bogged down in guilt, condemnation,
          self-examination. Dear saint, you have to arise in the
          Spirit and get your eyes off your circumstances and
          bondage. Don't try to figure it all out. Start
          praising, singing, trusting God -- and He will take
          care of your deliverance!

                      -------------------------------

                       4. Walking in the Spirit Means
                         Never Again Fearing Man!

                      -------------------------------

          When the magistrates ordered Paul and Silas out of
          jail, Paul refused to leave. He said,

          "They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans,
          and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us
          out...? nay verily; but let them come themselves and
          fetch us out" (Acts 16:37).

          God does not want you to sneak away from men who have
          been the devil's tool to harass you. He wants you to
          experience deliverance with your head held high. He
          wants to prepare a table for you in the presence of
          your enemies!

          "Let them come themselves and fetch us out!" This was
          not Paul's pride speaking. It was the Holy Spirit in
          him, saying, "Those who walk in the Spirit don't fear
          men. And the shame they tried to put on you is going to
          come down on their own head!"

          God, give us Paul's holy boldness! We know we are more
          than conquerors through Christ who strengthens us. Let
          the devil and his people be put to shame. But those who
          walk with God will never be put to shame!

          Now, for the second part of my message:

                      -------------------------------

                         How Can You Obtain Such a
                            Walk in the Spirit?

                      -------------------------------

          The command to walk in the Spirit is given to all --
          not just to a few super-saints! Here is how you can
          obtain this walk:

            1. You must go after this walk with everything in
               you! First, ask the Holy Spirit to be your guide
               and friend:

               "...Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye
               shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto
               you" (Luke 11:9-13).

               If you are saved, then the Holy Spirit has already
               been given to you. Now ask Him to take over --
               surrender to Him! You have to determine in your
               heart that you want Him to lead and guide you.
               Moses, speaking of the latter days, said,

               "But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy
               God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with
               all thy heart and with all thy soul" (Deuteronomy
               4:29).

               "...he made thee to hear his voice, that he might
               instruct thee..." (verse 36).

            2. Focus on knowing and hearing the Spirit -- and get
               your eyes off your trouble and temptation. Paul,
               Silas and Timothy would have wallowed in fear and
               depression if they had focused on their troubles.
               Instead, they focused on God -- praising and
               worshiping Him!

               Most of the time when we go to prayer, we focus on
               past failures. We replay our defeats time after
               time, saying, "Oh, how far up the road I could be
               if I hadn't failed God and messed up in my past!"

               Beloved, you've got to forget everything in your
               past! It's all under the blood -- and worrying
               about it is a waste of time. So forget yesterday
               -- forget even the last hour. And forget about the
               future too, because only the Lord knows what's
               ahead. Instead, focus only on the Holy Spirit,
               with your whole mind and heart. Give yourself
               completely to loving Him!

            3. Give much quality time to communion with the Holy
               Spirit. He will not speak to anyone who is in a
               hurry. All of God's Word is about waiting on Him!

          When in prayer, you dare not think the first thing that
          comes to mind is the voice of the Spirit. No, your
          flesh and the devil know your desire to hear His voice
          -- and they will rush in and inject words that are not
          right!

          Wait patiently. Seek the Lord and minister praises to
          Him. Take authority over every other voice that
          whispers thoughts to you. Believe that the Spirit is
          greater than these, and that He will not let you be
          deceived or blind. Be willing to set your heart on Him
          as Jacob did -- and not let go until He blesses you!

                      -------------------------------

                       Now, Let Me Show You a Higher
                     Meaning of Walking in the Spirit!

                      -------------------------------

          I thank God for all the things I've described about
          walking in the Spirit: incredibly detailed direction,
          power over demonic interference, worry-free dependence
          on the Lord, freedom from fearing men. But each of
          these blessings should be only a by-product of a higher
          walk in the Spirit. I believe the highest form of
          walking in the Spirit goes beyond all these things!

          Our example is found in 1 Samuel 9. In this chapter,
          Saul was sent by his father to find some runaway
          donkeys. Taking a servant with him, Saul searched
          throughout the lands of Ephraim, Shalim, Benjamin and
          Zuph. Finally, he got discouraged and was ready to give
          up the hunt. But then his servant told him about
          Samuel, a seer; maybe he could tell him where to find
          the donkeys.

          On this occasion, I see Saul as a type of believer who
          seeks direction only. All he had in mind was: "Where
          are my donkeys? Where should I go? I'm at my wits'
          end!"

          Meanwhile, God had already told Samuel a young man was
          going to come to him, and that he was to anoint him.
          Samuel here is a type of the Holy Spirit, who knows the
          mind of God; he has more on his mind than just
          direction. He knows Saul has been chosen by God to play
          a part in heaven's eternal purposes!

          The first thing Samuel did when Saul arrived was to
          call for a feast:

          "...go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall
          eat with me to day, and to morrow I will let thee go,
          and will tell thee all that is in thine heart" (1
          Samuel 9:19).

          This is exactly what the Holy Spirit desires of us: to
          sit at the Lord's table and minister to Him -- having
          quality time alone, hearing His heart.

          Samuel asked Saul to clear his mind so they could
          commune together:

          "And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago,
          set not thy mind on them; for they are found..." (verse
          20).

          Samuel was saying, "Don't focus on getting direction
          now -- that's all settled. There's something more
          important at hand. You've got to know God's heart --
          His eternal purposes!"

          Samuel laid a whole shoulder of meat before Saul, and
          they spent time communing: "And...Samuel communed with
          Saul upon the top of the house" (verse 25). After that
          night of communion, Samuel asked Saul to send his
          servant out of the room, so they could have an
          intimate, face-to-face session:

          "...Bid the servant pass on before us... but stand thou
          still a while, that I may shew thee the word of God.
          Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his
          head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the
          Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his
          inheritance?" (9:27; 10:1).

          Do you see what God is saying here? "If you really want
          to walk in the Spirit -- if you really want My
          anointing -- you need to seek more than direction from
          Me. You need to come into My presence and get to know
          My heart, My desires! You see, I want to anoint you --
          to use you in My kingdom!"

          Beloved, forget direction -- forget everything else for
          now! Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you the deep,
          hidden things of God. Stand still in His presence, and
          let Him show you the very heart of the Lord. That is
          the walk of the Spirit in its highest form!

          When you do this, direction will come -- and you won't
          even have to ask! As Saul was leaving, Samuel said,

          "By the way -- go to Rachel's sepulchre and you'll get
          the information you need about your donkeys" (see
          10:2).

          Then Saul received some of the most incredibly detailed
          instructions in all of God's Word!

          God has a precious oil of anointing He wants to pour on
          you. He wants you to come out of His presence with the
          aroma of His anointing on you. And as you're leaving,
          He will whisper "Oh, by the way -- here's what you
          wanted to know...." He promises:

          "And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be
          heard...." (Isaiah 30:30).

          Do you want to walk in the Spirit? Then set your heart
          to seek Him today. You will learn to know His voice --
          with clear, detailed directions.

          Amen!

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771, USA.

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