Agreed. From what I see from what Paul generally teaches about being in the flesh, it seems to be that he defines it by trying to keep the Law in one's own strength, and walking in the Spirit is a total reliance on the finished work of Jesus on the Cross where one receives the righteousness of Christ as a free gift apart from any obligation to keep the Law.
I have heard this popular religious philosophy since my youth. I once had a lengthy Biblical discussion with a very nice, young Catholic Priest. He had completed all the necessary schooling to become "ordained" by the church, and he and I were discussing the difference between what Paul actually said, and what the religious sect who trained him taught that he said. Because there are so many contradictions that the Scriptures clearly point out, he finally stopped me, and reminded me that he was a "Catholic" priest, and the religious philosophy he promoted was "Catholicism". He then went on to tell me that if they taught what Jesus actually said, no one would go their church, and they wouldn't have a church, and all the great things the Catholics have done for this world and the people in it, would not have happened.
He also believed that everything he did and taught was directed by the Spirit of Christ. He told me if God wanted him to obey the Sabbath commandment, or many other of His Judgments by church traditions are transgressed, then God would have directed him to do them.
I found this fascinating. Because he was convinced that God created Laws that can only be obeyed by supernatural powers from God, and God withheld these powers from everyone except the Christ, even though HE punished those who transgressed. If he disobeyed God, it was because God didn't give him the power to obey Him. If he obeyed God, it was because God gave him power to obey.
In this religious philosophy, he was justified from all his behavior because it was God in him, directing his actions.
This is pretty much the same for all of this world's religions who "come in Christ's Name", as they preach that mankind has no obligation towards respecting or honoring God's "instruction in righteousness" on how to live Godly, Righteously and Holy in this present age.
So then, "many" men who call Jesus Lord, Lord, promote the philosophy that we Don't "Put on" the New man, we don't "Yield ourselves" servants to obey God. We don't "Labor that we might be accepted by Him", we don't "Deny ourselves", "Submit ourselves a living sacrifice", "Turn to God" or "Repent" because we have not been given the power from God to do any of these things.
While this is a great religious marketing strategy and has led to the creation of some of the wealthiest and powerful religious businesses this world has ever seen and absolves men of any participation or "self denial" in God's Salvation, it just doesn't align with what Jesus or Paul taught.
But it completely aligns with the warnings of Jesus and Paul regarding taking heed of the "many" who "Profess to know God".
Being born again of the Spirit of God means that we receive a new heart on which God's moral law is written, and as we are in the Spirit our new heart follows God's moral law as we are led by the Spirit, and our eyes are upon Christ.
Here is what the Jesus of the Bible says.
John 6:
62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
So the Spirit of God in my Mind, is the "Words" of God in my mind. The "words" spoken by the Same Christ who was "Up where he was before" nourishing the Children of Israel. At least according to Paul and Jesus.
Matt. 4:
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matt. 8:
16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
Matt. 13:
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
Rom. 10:
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
2 Cor. 5:
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word "of reconciliation".
So I am not going to Judge God or His Word as "moral" or "Immoral" as do the "many" who come in Christ's Name. I am led by the Spirit of God, which the entire bible teaches is the "Word of God". This is what the Jesus of the bible teaches.
This means that we are not condemned by our inability to follow the Law in our own strength.
There is one reason why men reject God's Word, and it is simply unbelief. The preaching that God doesn't give mankind the ability to "Believe Him" is absurd, and yet, this is the very foundation of many religious sects and businesses that come in Christ's Name. I advocate for men to stop listening to the "other voices" in the garden placed us in, and Cling to the "Word of God", like Jesus and all the Faithful in Scriptures did, and taught others to do as well.
In fact, we can freely acknowledge that we have sin, according to
1 John 1:8, and confessing that we are sinners depending on God's grace and our faith in Christ, we are forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness.
Here is what the Scriptures teach about men sinning after being "learned of God".
Heb. 10:
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Repentance means a lot more that just saying we have sinned. And as Jesus said to those HJE cleansed, "Now go and sin no more". I don't believe Jesus was deceiving men when HE told them to do this. But without the
Word of God, it is impossible to "go and sin no more".
So given these truths, when Paul says to "Walk in the Spirit", he means walking in the Word of God. There is no Law against the Word of God.
