Walking in Holy Spirit Authority
In January, my husband and I completed what was arguably one of the most impactful fasts we’ve engaged in, which can only be to the credit of God. We committed to the guidelines of the Daniel Fast as well as turning off our television for three weeks.
The first thing I noticed is that I could no longer run away from the hard things the Holy Spirit was revealing to me. As conviction started stirring up inside me, I couldn’t tune it out with my normal cocktail of distractions (hello, chocolate and Netflix). The alternative was deep prayer, spirited worship, and finding the face of the Father of Peace on a daily basis. It was truly awesome.
As a believer committed to following Christ, this shouldn’t be so out of the ordinary. Then again, I believe that’s why God tells us to fast. It’s a call to return to the place we should have been all along - engulfed in His presence.
It was there in His presence that He revealed to me the great authority that has been given to us in the person of the Holy Spirit. That's the revelation I want to share with you today.
“When I lift my voice and shout, every wall comes crashing down. I have the authority Jesus has given me. When I open up my mouth miracles start breaking out. I have the authority Jesus has given me.”
I was singing these words and I had to stop. I stopped singing, because I didn’t believe them. I began to tell God all of the reasons I thought I didn’t have this kind of authority.
I don’t see miracles happening around me.
I don’t know how to bring down the walls around my heart, and every time I think I have, they are built right back up by next Sunday.
Then, Pastor Mike got up and gave a word prompted by the Holy Spirit. It was God’s answer to my doubting heart.
"But whoever is united with the Lord is one with Him in spirit." - 1 Corinthians 6:17
That phrase "one with Him" comes from a Greek word that means to glue, cleave, weld together, designating the closest form of personal union (Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries)
F.B. Meyer puts it this way: "Let us keep joined to the Lord by one Spirit, that He may pour His own living energy into our nature."
In Robert Hawker’s words, "The same Almighty God the Spirit which anointed, filled, and made blessed the human nature of Christ; anointed, filled, and made blessed all his members."
“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” - Luke 10:19
This is mind-blowing if we really believe it's true! The exact same power of the Holy Spirit that lives in Christ Jesus also lives in us and it's not watered down.
This means for me to tell God I don't believe that I have authority given to me by Christ is like saying I don't believe that His death and resurrection was enough to set me free from my sin and receive His gift of the Holy Spirit.
“For God has not called us to impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8
When Jesus left this earth, He didn’t leave us alone to fend for ourselves in our sinfulness. He gave us the Holy Spirit, rounding out humanity’s experience with the Triune God.
Israel experienced the Father.
The New Testament believers experienced the Son.
We get to experience the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is no joke. He’s not this wispy reflection of God. He is just as much God as the Father and the Son, therefore He holds all of the same mighty power.
“He moves mountains without their knowing it and overturns them in his anger. He shakes the earth from its place and makes its pillars tremble. He speaks to the sun and it does not shine; he seals off the light of the stars. He alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.” - Job 9:5-8
Now, let’s recall THAT’S the power that has taken up residence inside you.
Literally.
This is not just a Christian-ese phrase to make you feel warm and fuzzy. This is the real deal. God showed me on no uncertain terms that Sunday morning that I do have authority to do all of those things we sang about and more because He has that authority.
This authority doesn’t come from my power or my goodness or my worthiness. As soon as I start to look at it that way, I step outside of any real power and authority. It’s a power given by my merciful God who loves me enough to give me this authority that has to be used in step with Him.
As soon as I try to abuse this authority for my own selfish purposes or believe it’s by my own power, that’s the second I step out of the real power source and fall on my face. The second I let pride take over, is the second I start drawing from my human well of authority, which is empty.
Rather, let’s draw from the Holy Spirit's well of authority.
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