What is "Walking in the Spirit"?

Tenchi said:

I've my own well-formed views on what Galatians 5:16 and 25 mean by "walking in/by the Spirit," but I'm curious what those who frequent this website think this "walking" is, what it looks like and how one comes to be walking in/by the Spirit rather than merely living in/by the Spirit. Thanks in advance for your comments.

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Means to submit to His leading, guidance, promptings and to honor and obey the scriptures

JonC said:

I do not believe Paul is making a distinction between walking in the Spirit and living in the Spirit.

In our speech and writings we typically use different words to say the same thing. In normal speech and writing people tend to avoid repeating words or phrases to convey a thought. It's just awkward.

Unless you are a Democrat, then it's common.

Seriously, though. Think about it.

"I have an amalgamation of chemicals. What do I do with this amalgamation of chemicals?" vs "I have an amalgamation of chemicals. What do I do with this mixture?".

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It's hard for me to see that what you're saying is the case. If Paul had meant essentially the same thing when he wrote of living and walking in the Spirit, he'd have needed only to write of one or the other state, not both. What's more, the language of Galatians 5:25 is very plain that two different states are in view:

Galatians 5:25
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

"Also" conveys the meaning "in addition to," or "as well," and serves in the verse above to add "walking in the Spirit" to "living in the Spirit." The term of contingency, "if," also confounds the idea that Paul meant to indicate that living and walking in the Spirit were essentially the same thing. "If" makes "live by the Spirit" a sort of necessary predicate for "walk in the Spirit," but this forming of a functional order serves to distinguish the two from each other rather than make them synonymous.

So, then, your grammatical analogy doesn't appear to me to fit with what Paul wrote in the verse above.

JesusFan said:

Means to submit to His leading, guidance, promptings and to honor and obey the scriptures

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How do you do this? Especially in light of Romans 7:14-24, Galatians 5:17, "I just do it" isn't a good answer. Imagine saying this to the Christian man who's addicted to porn, or drugs, or overeating. His whole problem is that he can't "just do it," right?

Tenchi said:

It's hard for me to see that what you're saying is the case. If Paul had meant essentially the same thing when he wrote of living and walking in the Spirit, he'd have needed only to write of one or the other state, not both. What's more, the language of Galatians 5:25 is very plain that two different states...

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I disagree. For an example, read a few Psalms.