“But to all who receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).
With that statement comes power and authority. God, through Jesus Christ, gives us this power through His authority as our Lord and Savior. We, as believers, have to learn, over time, that we have power over Satan and the world. Do we always use this power to our advantage? Satan would like for us, as believers, to think that we are limited in our scope and our abilities. We, as believers, should see that there is a difference in the world. There should a distinction between the believer’s world and the world we live in. Satan knows that believers have authority in Jesus Christ, but he wants us to think that we do not have power. God wants us to not only live in His authority, but also to recognize His power. We have to learn to use the power that God has given us in order to step forward, progress, and grown in Christ.
Do you know the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within you (as a believer)? We cannot live on our own accord without the Spirit giving us direction to live according to God’s will. Without the Spirit, we live in our own strength and in the flesh. “So many Christians live not knowing the power of the Holy Spirit.” —Adam Rogers
Living as a believer requires an ongoing conditioning. God is looking at our conduct and our behavior. “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).
“Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those whose lives are according to the flesh think about the things of the flesh, but those whose lives are according to the Spirit, about the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-5).
The difference between a Christian (powered by the Holy Spirit) and a non-believer (without the power of the Spirit) is a person who desires to fulfill the will of God and one who desires to have his or her own way and operates on their own strength. In our own strength, our energy will have limitations. In that difference, God uses the person who relies upon the Spirit and operates in God’s power. When you are after what the Spirit desires, you realize that you are unable to operate in the flesh. It has to be accomplished in the Spirit, and the power of the Spirit operating within us. There are scores of Christians who are not operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is evident by the lives that they live. “The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him” (John 7:38). The believer’s life for Christ will reflect God’s power, and it will be evident to others that they come into contact with (Acts 4:33). To be used of the Spirit is to be used by God in accomplishing His glory. The Christian who gives His life to the Lord and allows the Spirit to work in their life will show the true power of Christ to others. In this area, people will see evidence through your works. People will see more than just one’s words; they will see God working in their actions (James 1:22-25). We are a testimony of the living God!
Being a Christian requires a transformation by the Holy Spirit. We cannot change, or transform ourselves, in our own ability. Being a Christian in obedience to the Lord provides us with power and freedom through the Holy Spirit, which guides you and goes beyond the following of only rules and regulations. In this power, there is a joy in our life as we listen to Him, serve Him, and step out in faith. “The Spirit is the One who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (John 6:63). “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance…” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). “Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread throughout the entire vicinity. He was teaching in their synagogues, being acclaimed by everyone” (Luke 4:14-15). See also Luke 4:18-19. “But as for me, I am filled with power by the Spirit of the Lord, with justice and courage, to proclaim to Jacob his rebellion and to Israel his sin” (Micah 3:8). Note that you have the power and authority to proclaim God’s message and to live accordingly.
In our own flesh, we are powerless. Without the Spirit’s power we put:
1). Style over substance
2). Image over reality
3). Perception over performance
All are the outer works of the flesh.
We should not allow the flesh to do the work. The Spirit must be the source of God’s power (Luke 9:25; John 6:63; 1 Corinthians 1:29; 2 Corinthians 5:11-16). With God’s power comes the ability to yield to the actions of the flesh (Ephesians 4:30-32; Psalm 127:1). “For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Galatians 5:17-18).
God has given us the authority in Christ, and with that authority comes great, limitless power. Do not let the world tell you otherwise. God loves you and wants to use you for His glory and purpose. We, in response, need to allow the Spirit to operate in our lives in order to see God’s will in our own life. He will be faithful to us as we are faithful to Him. There is power through the Holy Spirit that empowers us to live the abundant life in Jesus Christ.
Akron Alliance Fellowship 