This study can be split into two: “knowing what you carry” and then “knowing how to channel it.” But in this blog post, I would be combining both. A more focused post may come out later on.
Christians carry weapons of warfare but many are ignorant of them. A key weapon Satan is using to destroy the church today is ignorance. God says it by Himself in Hosea 4:6 that His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. However, for some people, it is not ignorance that’s destroying them but their unwillingness to act on the knowledge which they have. Whether you are ignorant or choose to live ignorantly, the fact remains that you make yourself a weak and easy target for the enemy when you don’t use your power.
The power of a Christian is found in Jesus. This is simply because He alone has all the power. Power to heal, deliver, give life, create, protect, and all of that, lies in Him alone. And since He lives in you and He belongs to you and you to Him, you also have access to that power. In Luke 10:19 Jesus tells us that we have been given power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. The Holy Spirit within us is the power of God and also the power that works within us. (Matthew 28:18 AMP)
N.B: You may have strength but if you’re not careful, it can be used against you. The devil is that tricky. Remember when he tempted Jesus, telling him to turn stone to bread? It was a strength Jesus had…the power to do such a thing. But Satan was going to use that power against Him. (Matthew 4:3)
Now that you are aware of the power which you have, you must learn to channel it. We can channel this God-given power through prayer. There is a saying that goes a “prayer-less Christian is a powerless Christian” and this is true (James 5:16). Through prayer, we communicate with God and are therefore strengthened. Our spirit also aligns with the Spirit of God and so we are more in touch with things of the spirit realm, to which we belong. Do you know why Apostle Paul told us to pray ceaselessly? It is so that we would never be weakened. Prayer is communication with God and if you are on talking terms with God, when you know that whatever you ask for in prayer gets answered, you become more confident to stand against the wiles of the enemy. Even power to avoid falling into temptations lies in prayer Matthew 26:41; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 8:26; Mark 11:24.
Study the word. The word of God is a sword…and it is even sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17). But it is one thing to have something and another to use it. You must never let the Word be dormant. Study it, meditate on it and apply it. Like I said earlier, Satan is fond of using what should be a strength, against us as a weakness. The word of God is power to every believer but look at how Satan effortlessly twisted it to suit his narrative when he tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:6; Psalm 91:11). If you are unaware of what the word of God says, you would fall victim to the devil’s trickery. This is why many false teachings and doctrines are weakening and distracting the body of Christ today: they have the power which lies in the word but remain powerless because of inaccurate interpretation, negligence of study or simply letting the word remain dormant in them.
“The word of God is power to every believer…”
Romans 1:16
You can never talk about the power of a believer without referring to the Holy Spirit because He is the power at work in every believer. Out of ignorance, believers have side-lined the role of the Holy Spirit, thereby weakening themselves and making themselves vulnerable to the attack of the devil. You cannot raise the dead or heal the sick or cast out demons if you are not intimate with the Holy Spirit. He is the One that makes these things possible. At the point of salvation, we have received the Holy Spirit but He is a gentle Spirit who wouldn’t force Himself on anyone. Except you involve Him in things you do, you may not receive His input. So yes, you can have the fullness of God’s power (the Holy Spirit) in you but still, be so powerless. Believers make wrong decisions and open themselves up to the wicked attacks of Satan when they lose touch with the Spirit of God. Again, one thing about the Holy Spirit is that He reveals things to us. The ability to discern and make wise decisions is a totally different class of power. Imagine knowing every next move of your opponent before they make it…you would definitely dominate that game. (Luke 1:35; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 3:16-20)
So you see, it is not a matter of the church lacking power but a problem of being ignorant of it and unwillingness to harness it. And the very first step in harnessing this power is to know your identity (which is why we treated last week’s topic). David was able to channel the power of God to kill Goliath not because he ordinarily had the power, but because he was aware and confident of his identity (1 Samuel 17:43-50). “I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the Most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes”. Psalm 82: 6-7. From this we see the display of power; “gods”, “children of the Most High”. But a misplacement of identity will cause them to seem powerless and hence die like princes or men. That knowledge of one’s identity is key in walking in power. This is even evident in Jesus’ response to Satan’s temptation. Jesus used his power to overcome temptation by re-instating his identity to Satan. “Thou shall not tempt the Lord your God” (Matthew 4:7)
If you refuse to pray, study & apply the word, and channel the power of the Holy Spirit within you through intimacy with Him, you would only end up being like a soldier who is armed yet defenseless: empowered but powerless.
“If you refuse to pray, study & apply the word, and channel the power of the Holy Spirit within you through intimacy with Him, you would only end up being like a soldier who is armed yet defenseless: empowered but powerless.”
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So pray, study your bible and rely on the Holy Spirit. May we become Christians who are conscious of the power we carry in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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