Led by the Spirit

The strategy employed by God to bring about salvation is a brilliant and ‘root-cause’ resolving strategy. Unlike the Old Testament, the New Testament does not directly confront sin but identifies the root cause of sin and provides a solution: death.

Romans begins by explaining how the old nature, inherently sinful at its core, was inherited from the first Adam, along with the consequence of death declared in Genesis. Paul describes that the curse of death (separation from God) inherited from Adam spread to all humanity, even though they did not commit Adam’s sin. Therefore, we were counted as sinners before we were born, possessing a corrupt nature known as the “old man,” sentenced to death from conception.

The good news is this: if one man’s sin made us all sinners and sentenced us to death, then one man’s righteousness and resurrection can reverse that sentence of death (separation from God) and bring us back into His kingdom. When Jesus said, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God,” He meant we must die and be born again to be reunited with God. Jesus was mostly silent about the “dying” part because He knew it was His painful mission. The genius of God’s plan is that Christ died as us.

“For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.”
—Romans 6:6-7

If we have died by faith, the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled, and we are no longer subject to it. Instead, we are born again.

“For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.”
—Romans 7:5-6

Romans concludes that we are free from condemnation under the law of sin and death but adds a disclaimer:

“…for those who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
—Romans 8:4

Although the sinful nature is dead, we still have the choice to set our minds on the Spirit or the flesh. This becomes the new battlefield for the believer—a battle of the mind between two realities: the old reality of the flesh and the new reality of life in the Spirit.

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”
—Romans 8:14

Being led by the Spirit is akin to Israel following the cloud of the Lord’s presence in the wilderness. To reach our promised land, we must learn to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit: to stop when He says stop, move when He says move, and trust Him without leaning on our understanding.

This process often begins with God giving us a promise—one that fulfills our deepest desires yet is impossible to achieve in our strength. As we follow Him into this promise, we grow in confidence, shedding sin, anxiety, fear, and jealousy as we learn that He is good, dependable, and faithful to fulfill what He promises. This journey also kills the flesh—the rebel within us that craves autonomy and independence from God.

Abraham

In Genesis 15, God promised Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars, yet Abraham experienced barrenness for over 25 years. During this waiting period, Abraham died to self, becoming entirely dependent on God. The promise placed him in a position where only God could resolve his situation. This is the purpose of a promise: it destroys self-sufficiency and leaves us with only one option—to trust God.

David

David waited approximately 15 years between his anointing and becoming king over Judah. The promise tested him, particularly in the area of “working salvation with his own hand” (1 Samuel 25:33). This theme emerges in his encounters with Nabal and Saul. David could have taken matters into his own hands by killing Saul, but he chose to follow the ways of the Spirit and wait on God.

“He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.”
—Psalm 37:6-9