Governed by the Spirit
Freedom in the Spirit is not directionless—it’s the joy of being gently led.
Devotional Credit: T. Austin-Sparks, “The Arm of the Lord,” Chapter 8
Photo Credit: Unsplash
The enemy is subtle, and his strategy is often to push us from one extreme to another. In the churches of Galatia, Satan first pressed the people toward legalism—using law to control and burden. But when Paul, by the Spirit, revealed that believers are not under law but under grace, the enemy adjusted tactics. If he couldn't bind them by legalism, he would tempt them toward lawlessness—license dressed as liberty.
Today, T. Austin-Sparks reminds us that Galatians is not just a letter about freedom from law, but about life in the Spirit. Freedom, in the kingdom of God, is never freedom to indulge the flesh—it is freedom to walk in step with the Spirit. Real liberty is found in submission to God's indwelling government, not in casting off all restraint.
True spiritual liberty is not reckless; it is reverent. The Spirit of God never leads us away from God’s principles. He forms in us a deeper sensitivity to what is holy, what is good, and what builds up. As Sparks affirms, “We are only free when we are governed.” This beautiful paradox leads us to the liberating joy of Spirit-governed living—not bound by law, not driven by flesh, but walking in harmony with the Spirit of Christ within.
✍🏼 Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I have not freed you from the law so you could drift without anchor. I freed you so you could walk with Me—not under pressure, but under peace. My liberty is not careless—it is careful. It cares for what is holy. It listens. It yields. It follows.
I do not push you toward extremes, for I am not a spirit of confusion but of wholeness. The flesh always leans toward imbalance—either clinging to rulekeeping or collapsing into self-indulgence. But I dwell in you to govern gently, steadily, always in love. My governance is not heavy—it’s holy. My leading does not tighten chains—it lifts burdens.
You are not lawless; you are Mine. You are not untethered; you are rooted. You are not free to please yourself—you are free to live through Me, and I through you. And I will never violate the Father's heart in you. I will guide you in step with truth, producing fruit that reflects Christ. For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom—and that freedom looks like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Come, walk with Me—not striving ahead, not lagging behind, but in the quiet rhythm of surrendered freedom.
Scriptures referenced: Galatians 5:13–25; Romans 8:1–14; 2 Corinthians 3:17
🧭 Real-Life Analogy
It’s like cruise control on a car. You’re no longer pressing down on the pedal, trying to maintain your own pace, yet you’re not coasting aimlessly either. You're being carried—not passively, but purposefully—at the right speed, in the right lane, under the wise regulation of something greater than your own foot. Freedom in the Spirit is like that: no longer fueled by effort, but not without direction. It’s restful motion under reliable guidance.
🙏🏼 Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that I am no longer bound by legalism, nor left vulnerable to lawlessness. In Christ, I have all I need. Your Spirit leads me with gentleness and guards me with peace. I rest in the confidence that I am not left to figure life out on my own. I rejoice that Your governance is grace-filled and Your boundaries are love-shaped. I walk today not by fear, nor by flesh, but by the Spirit who lives within me. Thank You for the beauty of a life governed by You.