Devotionals

What Does It Mean To be Led By The Spirit?

What Does It Mean To Be Led By The Spirit?
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I already shared this on my own account Eternela but I know this is something I've struggled with and that a lot of you ask for advice on.

What Does It Mean To Be Led By The Spirit?
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John 10:3-5
English Standard Version
3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."

Something God taught me about hearing his voice is to be led by the Spirit (The Holy Spirit), you're being led by the fruit of the Spirit. He won't lead you with something out who he is.

Galatians 5:22-23
English Standard Version
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentlenesses, self-control; against such things there is no law.

The Holy Spirit will never lead you in fear or anxiety. He won't tell you to do something by installing fear in you or by making you anxious. When you are being led by the Spirit, you are lead by peace, patience and love. Even his conviction and correction is gentle, a tug at your heart and a reminder of truth. He'll guide you in love and patience.

We as Children of God don't obey anxiety, fear or anything that's not God. We don't listen to the voice of pride, envy, jealousy, lust or fear. We don't follow a strangers voice, we don't follow the world and its ways or the enemy. We obey only one voice. The enemy will never use love to guide you because he isn't love, he won't use patience but instead rush you, he won't be gracious but condemn you, he won't tell you the truth but lie to you, he won't guide you in peace but fear, he won't guide you to surrender but to pride and selfishness. He won't guide you to purity but lust and perversion. The fruit of the Spirit is the opposite for the enemy. He guides you with the opposite.

The Holy Spirit leads in the word. He won't contradict the word of God. He won't direct you to something that's against God but he will always use the word of God to direct and guide you. He brings things to your remembrance to put you on the right path and give you direction.

To be led by the Spirit is to be led by the Fruit of the Spirit. The fruit does the spirit is not separate different fruits. A Pastor once taught that the fruit of the Spirit is like an orange and you slice them and outdo it are love, joy, patience etc. It's not 9 different fruits mentioned in Galatians. So when you're being led by the Holy Spirit you're being led by patience, love, peace and gentleness. You won't just be led in peace but in patience, not just in patience but in love, not just in love but in greatness. You might begin to fear or worry but he'll use the word of God to comfort you and guide you back to him, back to peace and surrender.

When you're lead by yourself or the enemy. It's usually in sin (such as selfishness, envy, lust) and also fear, anxiety and more. God doesn't pressure us, it's the enemy that pressures us. When you feel pressure to do anything even if that thing seems good. Stop and pray. God doesn't cause us to feel anxious and fearful to make us do something. God doesn't drive us, meaning he doesn't force and push us to do things. He encourages, leads, speaks and guides us. The enemy pushes us, condemns us, adds fear and anxiety, he does things in confusion, he makes you doubt and doublethink, he pressures you to say and do things, he uses everything opposite to the fruit of the spirit.

He uses the word of God but to cause you to sin, take shortcuts or do things outside of God's will for your life. He is tricky and will seek to trap you to do things. He moves in stress, he is loud, demanding and causes you to feel overwhelmed and tired.

Our flesh can do the same. It can be loud especially if we have been backsliding. It can be deceptive, when you do things that aren't spirit-led, you feel tired, frustrated, anxious, fearful, unsure, worried, tired but when you follow the spirit. He leads you in peace, in wisdom, pints back to God's word and he leads you. He will tug in your heart but won't pressure and force you. His tug is gentle and we can often miss it with we aren't sensitive. The enemy though pushes us.

I struggled so much understanding whether it was God telling me to do something or the enemy and this short video gave me a better understanding.

-Etty