Filled with the Holy Spirit

“God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5)

We live by the Spirit. When we are filled with the Spirit, we will not fulfill our own desires, but those that God has given us. We are talking Son Power here, power that enables us to accomplish all that God has for us to do and be.

Paul said it well in his letter to the Corinthians: “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.’ But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets” (1 Corinthians 2:9–10).

You and I are like ink pens. An ink pen is an instrument to be used by another. Without ink, the pen is useless. A pen without ink is left on the desk. Only with ink is it fit for use by the writer and prepared for the mission it was designed for. The Spirit is the “ink” in us. In order for us to be instruments God can pick up and use to continue “writing his story” in our world, we need to be filled with the ink of the Holy Spirit. When we are filled, we can flow with the Spirit into our daily lives with his power. This Son-powered life overcomes our sinful nature. For as Paul said in his letter to the Galatians, “Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit” (Galatians 6:8).

In what ways is Son Power currently giving you strength to persevere?

Son Power enables you to accomplish all that God has planned for you.

Link to chapter 9 “Facing Spiritual Opposition Head On” and/or article “Facing Spiritual Opposition Head On” under Supernatural Power

Use the Armor of God

“Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10–11)

Ephesians 6:12–18 presents one of the most powerful truths in the Bible: we have the ability to protect ourselves against the attacks of Satan.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. 

This passage identifies the various pieces of armor that will protect us from Satan’s attacks: belt of truth, body armor of God’s righteousness, shoes of peace that come from the Good News, shield of faith, helmet of salvation. All of these represent defensive armor. When we are under attack, we often don’t think about using God’s truth, righteousness, peace, Good News, faith, or salvation. These words seem to lack power. But we need to remember they are not words; they are tools in the hands of the Holy Spirit to empower us.

There is one offensive item listed in this passage, and that is the Word of God. Paul calls it the “sword of the Spirit.” It is the weapon used to aggressively counter the overtures of Satan as he attempts to ensnare us in his strategies of stealing, killing, and destroying. It is only when we soak our hearts in the Word of God, so much so that it actually becomes a part of our spiritual DNA that we will be able to use this weapon effectively. God has given us an incredible weapon that can and does thwart the enemy’s attacks. Therefore, we constantly need to be soaking our hearts and minds in the Word of God because it will work on our behalf when we allow it to be used as the sword of the Spirit.

Which piece of God’s armor do you need to specifically focus on today?

Son Power employs the weapons of the Holy Spirit for protection against Satan’s attacks.