The Greek word περιπατέω, in a literal sense, describes the manner in which a person physically walks about. Since a person’s physical walk is unique, its meaning has expanded to also express how a person governs their life.
“I walk” literally refers to the physical movement of a person. Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:18). A young child, who was perceived to be dead, rose up and walked when Christ commanded her to do so (Mark 5:42). In Capernaum, Jesus tells a man who was paralyzed that his sins are forgiven. Thus, the man stood up and walked (Mark 2:9).
“Walking” also refers to a person’s manner of life. In Acts 21:21, boasting about how many Jews in the Jerusalem assembly who are zealous for the law, James speaks to Paul concerning the information that has come to them about his teaching among the Gentiles. It is said that he teaches all the Jews among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying they should not circumcise their children nor walk according to the customs.
The grace believer has been co-buried with Christ, having been immersed into His death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead, he should walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). This newness of life in Christ gives the believer victory over his sin nature by applying the truth (Romans 6:6). The truth is the doctrine given to us by Paul, through which we have victory over our sin nature (Romans 6:4–6, 11, 13; John 8:32,34). Walking in the newness of life involves conduct that seeks righteousness and rejects the desires of the sin nature.
When the grace believer walks, governs his life, according to the Spirit, he is able to fulfill the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:4). This law give him freedom from the law of the sin and death, which is a law that works out unrighteousness in his life when he seeks to manifest righteous works through his flesh, such as living by the Mosaic Law (Romans 8:2; 7:23).
The night is well spent, the day is upon us. The unrighteous world that we live in is coming to an end. When Christ returns to set up His kingdom, the world system will be destroyed, Satan will be bound, and righteousness will rule. Therefore, as children of God, let us walk properly as in the day, putting on Christ Jesus and making no provision for the flesh to fulfill its strong desires (Romans 13:12–14). A Christian who is walking in this manner will not do something that causes a weaker brother in the faith to be scandalized, for that is not walking in love (Romans 14:15). We are to walk in a worthy manner of our Lord (Ephesians 4:1). Let us cast off the way of the Gentiles, who govern their lives according to the futility of their minds (Ephesians 4:17–20). We once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the air who now works in the sons of the unpersuaded (Ephesians 2:2). However, God has called us out of the darkness into the kingdom of His Son (Colossians 1:13).
When we frame our minds on and seek after the desires from the flesh, we are carnal: emanating the things of the flesh. Those who are carnal walk as mere men in envy, strife, and divisions (1 Corinthians 3:3). A person who is carnal cannot understand Spiritual things. They are governing their lives by their emotions rather than what is rational and logical. Therefore, they need milk, not sold food (1 Corinthians 3:2). In contrast to this type of lifestyle, let us govern our lives in Christ according to the manner in which the Lord has called each of us (1 Corinthians 7:17). Do not seek to be something you are not; rather, live out the life you now have in Christ regardless of your ethnicity, sex, or social status. We are now the children of God (1 John 3:2).
We are to follow the teachers who, as Paul did, renounce the hidden things of shame. They do not walk in craftiness nor handle the word of God deceitfully. Instead, by manifesting the truth they commend themselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God (2 Corinthians 4:2). When Christ ascended, He gave gifts to the Church to bring us to a oneness of the faith, unto a mature man in Christ, so that we are no longer tossed around by every wind of teaching by the trickery of men (Ephesians 4:8–14). If the gospel is hidden, it is veiled to those who perish because the god of this age blinds their minds to the truth (2 Corinthians 4:3–4). There are many among us who walk as enemies of the cross of Christ (Philippians 3:18).
Though we physically walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh (2 Corinthians 10:3). Our instruments of warfare are not carnal—related to the flesh—but are mighty in God to the pulling down of strongholds. These strongholds are the reasoning that exalt themselves above God (2 Corinthians 10:4–5).
When we walk by the Spirit, we cannot fulfill the desires from the flesh (Galatians 5:16). The desires from the Spirit relate to righteousness and who we are in Christ. Therefore, they are in direct contrast to the desires from the flesh (Galatians 5:17). As children of God, let us imitate Him and walk in love just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself for us (Ephesians 5:1–2). We once walked in darkness, let us now walk as children of the light (Ephesians 5:8). We are to walk in wisdom—proper conduct according to the knowledge of who we are in Christ (Colossians 4:5)—to those who are outside of the Church, so that we may lack nothing (1 Thessalonians 4:12).
When we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Christ keeps on cleansing us from our sins (1 John 1:7). The one who is walking in the darkness does not have fellowship with God, for he is not doing the truth—the doctrine by which we have victory over our sin nature (1 John 1:6). When we are walking in the light, we will not be indifferent towards fellows saints (1 John 2:11). This is love, that we walk according to His commandments: believe on His Son, love one another, and abide in Christ (2 John 6).
Walking, therefore, relates to the manner in which we govern our lives. Since we are no longer in the darkness, let us put off the shameful hidden things of the past and walk in the light. This is done by taking God at His word and using the things we have that pertain to life and godliness. In doing so, in every aspect of our lives, we will seek to do the desirous will of God, while rejecting the desires from our flesh because we govern our lives according to the righteous desires from the Holy Spirit within us.
