Years ago I read “Point Man” by Roger Helle. He described how the point man went ahead of his platoon to check for concealed landmines. It took experienced discernment to detect any nuance of changes on the ground. For instance leaves that were in an unnatural pattern. 

Hebrews 5:14 says, “…those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” The Greek words used indicated discrimination, constant use, habit, practice, perception, and judgment.

1 John 1:6 says, “If we say that we have fellowship with Hm, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” As we practice truth, we learn to discern. Discerning takes attentiveness, being alert, and watchful. They are all action words. We don’t discern by osmosis. Walking in the Spirit teaches us to pay attention to every nuance.

Luke 4:4 Amplified says, “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word and expression of God.” 1 Corinthians 12:10 says that discerning of spirits is a manifestation of the Spirit. That means it is given by the Holy Spirit.

Truth is a Person, not a concept from print on a page. I want to go back to Abraham. Though he obeyed the Lord in leaving his country, he compromised and fell into the devil’s deceptive traps. First through Sarai’s scheme. Second from fear. 

He told the king of Gerar that Sarah was his sister. The king took her, but God met him in a dream. Genesis 20:3 says, “…Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”

Abimelech asked Abraham his motive for what he did. Verse 11 says, “…Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will kill me on account of my wife.” Note that the scheme came through a thought.

Let me remind you again from Ephesians 6:16. Not every thought we have is of our own origin. Any thought that goes against God’s way is a fiery dart to pull us off course. God intervened for Abraham and Sarah. We all need to discern the thoughts that come into our minds.

Abraham believed God, and Scripture records that it was accounted to him for righteousness. At salvation we are given His righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.”

Psalm 85:13 says, “Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.” Psalm 23:3 says, “…He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

The key word is leads. The Holy Spirit will lead us into truth. John 14:17 says, “The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells in you and will be with you.”

1 John 2:27 says, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.”

Luke 9:17 says, “…No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Lot’s wife looked back. We cannot face forward, and at the same time look back. It is either one or the other.

I want to pick up one other detail. Lot was instructed to flee to the mountains. He asked instead to do what he wanted to. Genesis 19:20 says, “See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?)…”

Have you ever compromised? The little city was too close. Lot’s wife looked back. Had they gone to the mountains as instructed, history might have been different. If you know the story, incest took place and two nations were born: Moab and Ammon.

What in your past negatively occupies your mind? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “…old things have passed away…” We cannot change one thing from our past. We fall prey to the enemy of our soul when we keep looking back.

Genesis 18:10 says, “And He said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son…” Sarah heard Him and laughed. If you are facing a seemingly impossible time, take these words into your heart.

Verse 14 says, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will…” Genesis 21:1 says, “And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.”

What promise are you waiting for? What is unfulfilled in your life? We need to take heed to what happened to Lot’s wife. In Genesis 19 we read about God’s plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He rescued Lot and his wife and two daughters first.

Verse 17 says, “…Escape for your life! Do not look behind you…lest you be destroyed.” Verse 26 says, “But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Destroyed. We look back every time we take our mind back into our past that cannot be changed.

Sarai schemed and convinced Abram to take her maid to obtain children. She didn’t wait for God to fulfill His promise to them. When Hagar conceived, Sarai became despised in her eyes. So Sarai dealt harshly with her and sent her away.

The Angel of the Lord met her, and told her to go back to Sarai. He explained she would have a son, and to call him Ishmael. Note what God said. Genesis 16:12 says, “He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him…” Hmm.

Verse 13 says, “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-The-God-Who-Sees; for she said, Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” Does that comfort you? I love Psalm 139. David’s words remind us that we are never out of the Lord’s sight, from conception to our last breath on this earth.

Abram was 86 when Ishmael was born. God made a covenant that He would establish with Isaac. Genesis 17:21 says, “…whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”

As we walk in the Spirit we subdue our flesh. Romans 6:16 says that when we present ourselves as submissive slaves to obey, we will walk in His righteousness. Verse 18 says, “And having been set free from sin, you become slaves of righteousness.” 

Verse 19 says, “…slaves of righteousness for holiness.” Verse 22 says, “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”

Paul often began his letters as being the bondservant of Jesus. Romans 1:1 says, “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.” We are called to a holy calling. 2 Timothy 1:9. 

2 Timothy 2:21 says that we are vessels of gold and silver, “…a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”

Walking in the Spirit is a command to obey. He will then lead us throughout our journey of progressive sanctification. The trials we go through are masterfully designed to conform us to Christ’s image.

As we walk in the Spirit, we reflect the character of Jesus. In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul described what that would look like. We can hold these verses up as mirror. It says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffereing, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control…”

What evidence do others see of this fruit in your life? Paul described love in 1 Corinthians 13. I will paraphrase. It suffers long and is kind, does not envy; is not prideful, not rude, not self-seeking, not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in others’ sins, rejoices in truth; bears, believes, hopes and endures all things. It never fails. 

1 John 4:9 says that God is love. His entire being is love. His thoughts and actions all come from His love. We cannot love like Him on our own. Romans 5:8 says that His love was poured into our hearts at salvation. Therefore His love dwells in us, and the Holy Spirit will lead us to live out that love as we follow Him. Joy and peace are irrevocable gifts at salvation.

Gifts are given ~ they  are not earned. Romans 4 was written about Abraham. Verse 3 says, “…Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Verse 16 says, “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace…”

Romans 5:21 says, “So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Does grace reign in your life? That answer is according to how much you walk in humility or pride.

James 5:6 says that God resists the proud. Pride is the fruit of our flesh. It is a lusting for things that block the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another…” Contrary. Picture two magnets opposing one another. There is a field of energy that keeps them apart.

God’s grace empowers us to do what He has called us to do and be. Humility acknowledges that apart from Him we can do nothing.

Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” The grace that saved us is the grace that empowers us to live continually in His abundance.

John 10:10 says, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they have it more abundantly.” The Greek word for abundantly means: superabundance, excessive, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, profuse, extraordinary, above the ordinary, more than sufficient. Does abundantly describe your life?

Ephesians 3:20 again says that God is able. That needs to always be our focus in every situation we face. The verse says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”

Paul described that power. Ephesians 1:19 says, “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” Verse 20 described it as the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead. Wow!