Galatians 5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Is it not amazing to know that believers in Christ get to be led by the Spirit and walk by the Spirit and, of course, then be a people who bring forth the fruit of the Spirit?
So I'm sure you noticed the little word "IF" Paul started his sentence with, explaining that what followed next was indeed conditional.
IF we live by the Spirit, certain things in our lives will be evident, different, and ascribed to the Holy Spirit's work and influence in our lives.
By using the word "IF" here, Paul closely connected the previous verses to our lives now in the Spirit, as our lives ought to be different than before we came to faith in Christ versus after coming to faith in Christ and now living with the Holy Spirit.
Listen to how he put it: Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal 5:24).
Aaah, wow!
So the conditional IF becomes a rhetorical IF as well, because IF WE BELONG TO CHRIST, our old fleshly life is crucified, and that's why we are now connected to the Holy Spirit.
In Paul's letter to the Romans, he explained it this way: However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him (Rom 8:9).
Remember we read, "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (Gal 5:25)?
The word "walk" Paul used here is the Greek word stoixéō (stoicheo), which means "walking in a row, in a line or rank, walking in strict accordance to a particular pace and stride, keeping in step.”
You see, believers need to walk in the pace and stride of the Holy Spirit.
Sadly, if the Holy Spirit had to be removed from what many people see as churches today, 90% of them will probably just continue with their programs and ministries without even realizing He is not there.
It's almost like Samson of old and how there came a point where Delilah said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And he awoke from his sleep and said, "I will go out as at other times and shake myself free." But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him (Judges 16:20).
Samson was not even aware that the Spirit wasn't with him anymore, for he slowly but surely lost walking in stride and step with the Lord and relied on his flesh.
Let us keep in step with the Holy Spirit, as He will always guide us into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears from Jesus, He will speak, and He will disclose to us what is to come. He will glorify Jesus, for He will take care of what is His and will disclose it to us (Joh 16:13-14)!
Amen