What does it look like to walk by the spirit?
What is the difference between salvation, deliverance, and sanctification?
These three terms are thrown around loosely and not explained to new converts, so that they are not confused after coming to Jesus. Purification is not a one-time event. It is important to note that we all still wrestle with habits that shaped us over a period of time. That does not mean that our salvation did not happen. It is just one phase of the three-stage process every blood-bought child of God must go through.
We must teach this subject so people understand that their hearts and minds will undergo a series of transformations. Changing ownership from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God means our spirit, soul, and body have to come into alignment with the finished work of Christ. Jesus takes his time to work on us. He is gentle and patient with us. Jesus knows the path we will walk and the mistakes we will make before we fully understand what walking by the Spirit means. He knows how much pressure to apply to mold us into His masterpiece to contain His glory. We must be patient with ourselves. Do not compare our journey to anyone else’s.
Salvation removes the enemy’s legal authority over our souls. We are transferred from death to life instantly. However, there are still strongholds in the mind, spiritual agreements, and patterns that need to be broken, trained, and reconstructed. Deliverance removes the enemy’s access point to us, while sanctification happens over time to remove the old nature’s influence and reshape our new nature in Christ.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God does not see as humans see.[a] Humans look at outward appearances, but the Lord looks into the heart.”
Coming out of satan’s control does not automatically erase patterns and habits. Jesus breaks satan’s dominion over the soul. But there are still strongholds in the mind and character that are dealt with through the process of deliverance in the name of Jesus. This is why we should never judge people who struggle with habits after giving their lives over to God. Sanctification happens over time as minds are renewed with teachings, scriptures, and habits that align with the nature of Christ.
The process of sanctification is a beautiful journey as the Lord walks with us, which brings peace where there was fear and rest instead of anxiety, oppression, and doubt. This is the time we experience the Father’s grace and mercy, and the Holy Spirit redefines and aligns us to the will and purpose of God. This is where the stain of sin is stripped away, and renewal of character begins. That is the longest part of our faith walk. Holy Spirit leads us to truth, curating our desires to obedience to Christ.
Jesus made this bold statement to Peter in John 14:15, if you love me, obey my commandments. We can’t obey what we do not know. Peter was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. He walked with Jesus and saw the miracles, he was mentored by Jesus, yet the enemy went before the throne of God and demanded Peter. There must have been some legality that satan had to make such a request. In Luke 22: 31 ⌞Then the Lord said,⌟ “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to have you, apostles, for himself. He wants to separate you from me as a farmer separates wheat from husks 32), but I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. So when you recover, strengthen the other disciples.”
Many believers are struggling to walk by the Spirit because our minds can’t comprehend that realm immediately after salvation. The enemy will continue to accuse, tempt, and intimidate us. His access is revoke but every Christian needs to learn like a baby how to walk by the Spirit. That simple means our minds need to be trained to think like Christ, adapt his character, and walk in spiritual authority.
In the example with Peter, although he had firsthand experience walking with the Lord, there were still areas he needed deliverance from. There were still strongholds in his life. When we read further down in that chapter, Peter did exactly what Jesus said He would have done. Peter denied Jesus. There are two main reasons for that: Peter accepted Christ as Lord, but deliverance from the stronghold of fear and lying had not yet taken place. The third step of sanctification was not until after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Every one of us must take accountability for our maturing in faith. Understanding our makeup is essential to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us. We are composed of three parts, spiritual soul and the body. 1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; our soul is the bridge between the spirit and the body. Through the soul, our words and actions are influenced. Our bodies respond and express what is within our souls. Through salvation, we are not spiritually controlled by the enemy; through submission to God, we can resist the enemy, and he must flee according to James 4:7. Salvation neutralizes the battlefield of the mind. This is why renewing the mind is key to giving access to the Holy Spirit for Kingdom work.
Salvation declares we belong to Christ. Deliverance demolishes the access the enemy had to use our bodies as the instrument through which he does his dirty work. Sanctification allows us to operate from the realm of freedom through Christ. We are now vessels of the Lord, to bring his reality into our existence. In the kingdom of God, there is light, life, peace, joy, and righteousness. Before Christ, our conscience was dead to the spirit of God. Now that light has come to our soul the glory of God will manifest through the body.
Proximity to Christ causes the fruits of the Spirit to grow. Our mind, will, and emotions align with God’s divine authority. Truth realigns our reality to kingdom reality. God’s will becomes our will. We begin to bear fruit that expresses his love, power, and creativity. In the fallen state, we were separated from God. Death was the outcome, spiritual, emotional, and physical death. Man was degraded to being slaves to sin. Instead of having dominion in the earth. Resources, thoughts, and health expressed the realm of darkness.
Spiritual disconnection from God caused man to be theoretical. Through Christ, we have access to wealth, health, and success as God originally intended. Flesh had taken predominance through disobedience. The desires of the flesh always lead to deception. In the realm of darkness, lust and the pride of life are exalted. Through salvation, we are reborn. Our spirit man took its rightful place. When the spirit of God leads, there is alignment. Through sanctification, we are no longer slaves but sons and daughters of God.
You are the light of the world. Delay was not God’s punishment; it was God’s protection. When you have gone through the proper process, the Lord will exalt you. He began this work in you, and He will complete it. Do not lose hope. God will propel you to where you should have been. You are not out of time. You are on God's clock. Be of God's courage, after you have gone through the stages of your healing, you will express the kingdom of God in the earth.
I will talk to you soon.
