The key to living a victorious and abundant Christian life is being led by the Holy Spirit. But what does it actually mean to be led by the Spirit day by day? How do we submit to God’s will and allow the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, words, decisions and actions?
In this post, you’ll learn the biblical definition of being led by the Spirit, what it means to properly reflect God’s image through the Spirit’s work in your life, and most importantly – the practical steps you need to take to experience the Spirit’s leading.
What Does It Mean To Be Led By The Holy Spirit?
To be led by the Holy Spirit simply means surrendering your will to God’s perfect will and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide, direct and influence you.
As our Lord Jesus said in John 5:19, “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”
Just as Jesus looked to His Heavenly Father for direction and fully submitted to His will, when we are led by the Holy Spirit, we look to Jesus’ example and the Spirit’s promptings rather than our own wisdom or desires.
Being led by the Spirit impacts every area of our lives. It means allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts, words, decisions, relationships, career choices – everything big and small.
We were never meant to live independent from God, relying on our own reasoning ability. But rather to live dependent on the Spirit’s guidance as He conforms us to the image of Christ.
As Christians, the Bible tells us that we are called to be proper reflections of God’s marvelous light to the world. We are not the source of the light – Jesus is the source. But through the Spirit’s sanctifying work, we reflect Christ’s love, grace and truth to everyone we interact with.
The more we are led by the Holy Spirit, the more we will shine for Jesus and point others to salvation in Him.
So in essence, being led by the Spirit means saying “Yes” to God as Mary did when she uttered the words, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true” (Luke 1:38).
It means laying down our will and aligning our desires with God’s perfect desires for our lives.
Sound intimidating? It’s not if you take it step by step.
Here is a practical 3-step plan for how you can experience the Holy Spirit’s leading in your daily walk with God.
1: Know God’s Voice Through His Word
In John 10:27, Jesus said “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
As sheep learn to recognize and follow their shepherd, we as Christians need to learn to recognize God’s voice and Spirit’s prompting. We follow Him by submitting to His Word and will.
The primary way we come to know God’s voice is by reading His Word – the Bible. The Bible is how God speaks to reveal Himself and His truth to us.
That’s why in John 15 when Jesus talked about abiding in Him, He immediately mentioned the importance of His words abiding in us:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing…If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:4-5, 7)
We abide and remain in Christ by continually reading, meditating on and obeying God’s Word. As we do, the Holy Spirit uses Scripture to sanctify us and conform us to be more like Jesus.
In theology, this is called the “transforming power of God’s Word.”
You see, the Bible is not just a book filled with principles and historical stories. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword.”
The Spirit takes the living words of Scripture and uses them to transform our hearts and minds. This leads to changed thoughts, behaviors, character and actions that align more and more with God’s will.
That’s why simply having intellectual knowledge of the Bible is not enough. The Pharisees knew Scripture inside and out, but they didn’t obey it. Many Christians today are the same.
If we want to be led by the Spirit, we need a revival of reverence for Scripture. We must believe it, treasure it, meditate on it, obey it and allow it to become part of our very being.
When that happens through the Spirit’s work, it attracts us to godliness and spiritual things. Just like a magnet, we are drawn to what is compatible with our new inward nature.
Being led by the Spirit starts with abiding in God’s Word and allowing it to abide in us.
So commit today to reading Scripture for at least 20-30 minutes daily. Meditate on what you read. Write down key verses. Most importantly, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal how you can apply and obey God’s Word.
As you do, the Spirit will transform you more and more into Christ’s image and you will find yourself seamlessly following His leading in all things.
2: Make Obeying The Spirit Your Top Priority
The second step to being led by the Holy Spirit is making obedience to His voice an urgent priority.
You see, delayed obedience is essentially disobedience. Partial obedience is also disobedience. That’s why we need to adopt the attitude that when the Holy Spirit speaks, we respond promptly and fully with childlike faith.
Consider what Jesus said to His disciples in Luke 9:23 – “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
Following Christ’s example through the Spirit’s empowerment means denying ourselves daily. It means saying “No” to our natural preferences, comforts and desires to say “Yes” to God’s will.
The disciples modeled this kind of surrender when Jesus called them. In Luke 5, after preaching from Peter’s boat, Jesus instructed him, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
Peter had been fishing all night and caught nothing. It seemed pointless to try again. But notice his response:
“Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5)
Despite seeming impractical, Peter surrendered his own expertise to obey Christ. And his obedience resulted in breakthrough and supernatural blessing!
Like Peter, God may lead you to do things by His Spirit that don’t initially make sense or seem relevant to you. But obedience always brings breakthrough!
And while following the Spirit’s guidance is ultimately fulfilling, it isn’t always easy or comfortable.
When Jesus was about to go to the cross, He prayed in deep anguish, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me. Yet not My will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) Jesus submitted to the Father’s will even though it meant unimaginable suffering.
We too must surrender to God’s plan for our lives even when it’s difficult or painful. The joy will always be greater than the temporary discomfort. But we have to trust God’s character and timing.
So today, identify any areas the Holy Spirit may be prompting you where you’ve been hesitant or made excuses about full obedience. By His grace, decide to surrender those areas to God wholly without looking back.
As you make pleasing Christ your top priority, you’ll be amazed at how clearly you recognize His voice leading you. Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart and guide you continually! (Psalm 37:4-5).
3: Cultivate The Fruit Of The Spirit
The third vital step to walking in the Spirit is cultivating His fruit in your life.
When someone is filled with the Holy Spirit, it naturally shows up in Christlike character and actions.
Apostle Paul wrote, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
The real evidence of being led by the Holy Spirit isn’t just hearing God’s voice or spiritual gifts. It’s growing in godly virtues that reflect the nature of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The more we take steps with the Spirit by obeying His Word, the greater these virtues manifest in our lives by His power. Our relationships improve. We’re becoming more loving, more peaceful, more patient and kind.
The Holy Spirit may still speak to us about specific situations but the primary way He leads is by the inward fruit He produces. As we yield to Him, we become less selfish and prideful. Self-control replaces impulsiveness. Hatred is replaced with love. This fruit is what guides our daily decisions and aligns us with God’s will.
It’s been said that you can know a tree by its fruit. In the same way, you discern true Spirit-led believers by Christlike moral qualities evident in their lives.
My encouragement today is to do a fruit check. Examine the kind of qualities and character your daily thoughts, speech and actions reveal. Where is the Spirit graciously producing fruit? Is there still room for growth?
Then pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit to cultivate greater harvest of spiritual fruit that reflects Jesus. Developing Christlike virtues is a lifelong journey, so don’t get discouraged. Just keep surrendering to the Spirit’s pruning and He will continue His transformative work.
As you walk by the Spirit in this way, you’ll shine brighter for Christ everyday through the fruit produced in and through you. You will show the world the beauty, wisdom and power of the gospel!
In Conclusion…Walk Confidently In The Spirit
Living a life led by the Holy Spirit is the key to walking in victory as a believer. Through His transforming work, we become more like Christ and advance God’s Kingdom.
But being Spirit-led isn’t a mystical, confusing concept reserved for a select few passionate Christians. As you’ve learned, it’s available to all believers who humbly surrender their will to God’s and start applying these practical steps.
Everything boils down to this – Stay forcust on the word of God, submit to what you’re learning with childlike obedience, and allow the Spirit to cultivate His virtuous fruit in your character.
Do this persistently and you’ll be amazed at how seamlessly you start to discern and follow God’s will in all things. It becomes a glorious adventure with Jesus every day!
The best part is you have the Creator of the universe living inside you to empower you each step of the way. He loves you unconditionally. He delights to lead those who follow Him wholeheartedly.
So walk confidently by the Spirit today! Trust His guidance. Yield continually to His Lordship. Drink deeply from His living waters. As you rely on His strength during difficulties and praise Him enthusiastically in victories, you will fulfill your destiny as His vessel to impact the world.
Hunger and pursue the Holy Spirit’s direction like never before. Be determined through His amazing grace to become more like Christ every single day.
You were created for such a time as this – to shine brightly for God through the work of His Spirit within you. May His Kingdom come and will be done through your surrendered life!
