Friday 21 December 2012

You’ve Got The Power

You’ve Got The Power

I have heard it said many times in church and outside of church – the devil made me do it. Satan is on my back. I could not help it, I did not mean to do it – God knows my heart; and lots of other common sayings that make us feel good about what we did wrong.  If we are truthful, most of these sayings comfort us in our excuse and aids us in not taking responsibility for our actions.  From the beginning of time man has done wrong things and has been intentional about these wrongs.  Some of the things we do we have no excuse for doing it. Cain killed Abel; that was the very first murder. Cain was intentional about the wrong he was doing.
The truth is satan has no real power over us.  He has the power of suggestion which meets our power of thought.  He has the power of deception but we have the power of action.  Temptation can’t be avoided because it’s there to show us how strong we are not how weak we are. Temptation comes in various forms – financial, sexual, physical but it is necessary, it empowers us. There is no temptation too big for us to handle (1 Corinthians 10:13). We've got the power!.
The enemy has the power of deception but we have the power to resist.  We can rest in the strength of the Lord.  If you don’t know the Word of God you won’t know you have the power.  There are no obstacles, challenges or tests that we can’t overcome because Jesus has already conquered them for us (John 16:33).  Tests and temptation are the fire that refines us. It is the process by which we are strengthened.  A blacksmith will hold his tools over the fire just long enough before it is ready for use.  We have the power to walk through the fire. It is easy to blame others or circumstances for our wrong doings, but we allow people and temptation to get to us.  We have the power to resist temptation and to make our own choices. Be intentional about your actions; the enemy is intentional about his actions.  He intends to kill, steal and destroy but we were created to overcome his temptations, we've got the power.  The enemy shows us the way to hell but God gives us the key to the way out (Psalm 119:105).  Bury Gods Word in your soul.  The power is in the Word.  Every trick or deceit can be destroyed by unleashing the Word.  Arm yourself with the power of the Word; wear the full armour (Ephesians 6:11).You've got the power! If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you are powerless, naked.  Know who you are and whose you are and then you will know the power you have.  When you know what you are you can act on what you know.  The enemy will try and hide the power but you don’t fight by might or strength but by the power of the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). You've got the power! 
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. You can only be tempted with what you like or miss and the enemy knows that.  Know your weaknesses and strengths, know what your kryptonite is and safeguard yourself against it.  Go into battle with a strategic plan; arm yourself.  The enemy has a strategy to deceive and suggest.  You need a strategy. You have the power to pull down his stronghold and arguments against God (Jeremiah 1:10)
Exercise the power…you've got the power.  Surrender to God and join forces.  There is strength in the Word.  To give up and surrender in the spirit is to be Christ like because with Him we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). You've got the power.  Jesus had the power to put an end to the work of the enemy and we are made in His image.  The enemy’s attempts could not kill Him, He put an end to the enemy’s attempts and said “It is finished”; He conquered the enemy…He had the power and now you have the power.  You don’t have to be Bible scholars to have the power just surrender and you will be on the winning side…you've got the power 

1 comment:

Unknown said...

The sin which indwells me" makes me do it
"So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me"
"Nothing good dwells in . . . my flesh"
"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not"

"Flesh" is that capacity to serve and please self and leave God out of my life. It is the desire to please my own wishes, and exclude God. I glory in self instead of God. My flesh responds to sin's pull.

"For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me" The closer you get to Christ the harsher the reality of ever-present sin. Power, position, pride, passion, etc. comes clearly in focus.

Our sin problems boils down a simple formula: I, ME, MINE = SELFISHNESS.When you submit to the control of the Spirit, you gain victory over sin in your daily life. As you practice your position in Christ and reckon on Him you gain the victory over sin. Only the Holy Spirit can subdue the flesh. "We do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (8: 4).