Walking by Faith: How to Live in the Spirit When Life Gets Tough

Living a spiritual life requires more than just believing in God—it demands walking by faith rather than relying on what we can see with our natural eyes. This fundamental truth challenges us to look beyond our circumstances and trust in God's promises, even when physical evidence seems to contradict what we believe.

What Does It Mean to Walk by the Spirit?

Paul the apostle gives us clear instruction in Galatians 5:16-17: "But I say, walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh, for the desires of the flesh are against the spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other to keep you from doing the things that you want to do."

Walking by the Spirit means living according to God's Word rather than being controlled by our natural tendencies and circumstances. It's about seeing with spiritual eyes of faith instead of relying solely on what our physical senses tell us.

How Did Jesus Learn to Walk by Faith?

Jesus Had to Learn His Identity

Consider the incredible faith it must have taken for Jesus to believe He was the Messiah. As a young boy, He had to accept this reality by faith—never having performed a miracle, never hearing a voice from heaven, with nothing physically different about Him. Luke 2:52 tells us that "Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and men."

This means Jesus had to learn and grow just like any human child. He learned to talk, to eat, and to understand the Scriptures. Yet He had to believe by faith that He was the Son of God, relying on His mother's testimony and the witness within His spirit.

The Foundation of Spiritual Living

Jesus' example shows us that spiritual living is built on three foundations:

• The testimony of God's Word

• The witness of the Holy Spirit within us

• Faith that believes despite lack of physical evidence

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Why Doesn't God Provide Physical Proof?

Many people constantly seek physical evidence to prove God's existence or validate their faith. But the spiritual realm was never meant to be proven physically. As Jesus said in John 3:6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

When Jesus appeared to Thomas after His resurrection, He said in John 20:29: "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

God could easily provide undeniable physical proof of His existence, but He chooses to work through faith because "without faith it is impossible to please him" (Hebrews 11:6).

How Do We See with Spiritual Eyes?

The Story of Elisha's Servant

In 2 Kings 6, Elisha's servant saw only the enemy army surrounding them and was terrified. But Elisha prayed, "Oh Lord, please open his eyes that he may see." When God opened the servant's spiritual eyes, he saw that the mountains were full of horses and chariots of fire protecting them.

The servant's natural sight showed only partial reality. He needed spiritual sight to see the complete picture.

Getting Full Sight in the Spirit

When we face difficulties, we often see only part of what's happening. We need to pray for spiritual eyes to see what God's Word says about our situation:

• "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:37)

• "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them from them all" (Psalm 34:19)

• "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

• "All things work together for good" (Romans 8:28)

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How Does the Enemy Attack Our Faith?

Questioning Our Identity

When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he began with "If you are the Son of God..." The devil's primary weapon is deception—making us question our identity in Christ.

He points to our natural weaknesses, highlights our past failures, and makes us focus on what we lack rather than who we are in Christ. Just as he caused Adam and Eve to question their perfect life with God, he tries to make us doubt our spiritual identity.

How Jesus Overcame Temptation

Jesus stayed in step with the Spirit by:

• Remembering the testimony He had received

• Holding onto the witness within His spirit

• Responding with God's Word: "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4)

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What Is the Evidence for Our Faith?

Hebrews 11:1 declares: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith itself is all the evidence we need.

We don't deny that difficult circumstances exist, but we refuse to let them define our reality. We acknowledge what we see naturally while choosing to believe what God says about our situation.

How Do We Stay in Step with the Spirit?

Walking by the Spirit means:

• Walking according to God's Word regardless of circumstances

• Getting our spiritual eyes open to see what the Bible says about us

• Choosing to believe God's promises over our natural sight

• Using our "sixth sense" of faith to perceive spiritual realities

  
  

This isn't about walking around in a daze or denying reality. It's about seeing the complete picture—both natural and spiritual—and choosing to live according to God's truth.

Life Application

This week, challenge yourself to walk by faith rather than sight. When you face difficulties or discouraging circumstances, instead of focusing solely on what you can see naturally, ask God to open your spiritual eyes to see His truth about your situation.

Practice responding to challenges the way Jesus did—with God's Word. When negative thoughts come, counter them with Scripture that declares who you are in Christ and what God has promised you.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Am I living based on what I can see naturally, or am I walking by faith in God's promises?

• When faced with difficulties, do I immediately look for physical solutions, or do I first seek God's perspective through His Word?

• How can I develop my spiritual sight to see beyond my current circumstances to God's greater reality?

• What specific promises from God's Word do I need to stand on during challenging times?

Remember, faith is not the absence of problems—it's seeing God's truth in the midst of them and choosing to walk according to His Word rather than being controlled by what we see with our natural eyes.