INTRODUCTION
The previous message explained how one may receive the ‘Spirit of Truth’ by being “born again” unto salvation by the Spirit of God to overcome the fleshly passions. The next set of messages will identify principles of how to rely on the Lord ‘s Strength to guide one’s heart and conduct when we face of opposition or temptation. Today we begin with the principle of “Faith in God’s Salvation” as Strength.
Satan’s ‘strength of evil’, usually fueled by pride, hatred, anger, jealousy, fear, greed etc. embolden individuals to attack or conspire against those who endeavour to do the will of God (Psalm 83:3-5; 64:2-5; 71:10; Nehemiah 4:7-9). The question then to ask is how should a believer who receive Jesus Christ and believe on his name resist the force of evil strength without using like evil passions? It is to have Faith in God’s salvation and His Spirit.
1. FAITH IN GOD’S SALVATION
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
To enhance your faith in God’s salvation when you face evil strength, a believer must first understand that “God is a Spirit” and ‘faith’ is a “fruit of the Spirit” of God in you. (John 4:24; Galatians 5:22; 2 Corinthians 4:13). God’s Holy “Spirit of Truth” dwells “with” you and is “in” you and “he may abide with you forever”. (John 14:26-17).
1.1 Faith in the Spirit of God
So, your faith in God’s salvation is to believe that the “Spirit of God” that personified in in Jesus Christ, and the Spirit that raised him from the dead is the same Spirit that is born in you and dwells in you when you believe on Jesus and are saved. This Spirit guides your “walk in newness of life” that is not flesh but Spirit. (Romans 6:4; 8:11).
For example, it is to have the mind that spiritually, “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20). Therefore, “… though we [live] in the flesh, we [should] not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through [the divine power of] God to the [bring down] strong holds [of opposing forces]…”(2 Corinthians 10:3-4). Faith in the Spirit of God that come by salvation is our strength!
2. THE LORD’S SALVATION IS OUR STRENGTH
The Lords Salvation [i.e. the deliverance wrought through Christ and the Power of His Holy Spirit in us) is our strength to withstand opposition occasioned by an evil strength. To condition one’s mind to this ‘spiritual truth’ and enhance one’s confidence in God it is useful by prayer to affirm Gods Strength in His word namely that:
“The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him”. (Exodus 15:2; Psalm 118:14). “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). “He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved… In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God” (Psalm 62:2,6-7); “The LORD is [my] strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed”. (Psalm 28:8). “[I] shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall [I] rejoice!” (Psalm 21:1).
The idea here is that those who have giving their hearts to God to believe in his salvation, who worship by the Spirit of God and boast in the sacrifice of Christ, should have no confidence in the flesh or their human powers, but must rejoice in the power of GOD that is in His salvation. (Philippians 3:3).
3. OVERCOME ‘FLESH’ WARS AGAINST THE SPIRIT
We must also be constantly aware that the exercise of faith in God’s salvation when we face opposition is a spiritual endeavour because faith itself is under attack. Since “faith” derives from the Spirit of God, sowed as a “fruit” in believers, it is prone to lust against one’s flesh or worldly tendencies, as the flesh also lusts against the spirit; and both are contrary one the one to the other (Galatians 5:17).
So that when we are faced with an opposing force of evil strength, the immediate desire is to sow or rely on our human strength to react negatively. We must be aware that the war between ‘fleshly lust’ (to act negatively) and the “Spirit of faith” (to act positively) when faced with opposition could enhance or break one’s spirit depending on the resilience of one’s faith. (Hebrew 11:6).
3.1 Rely on the sufficiency of GOD’S GRACE
Brethren the tendencies to wield evil passions should not prevail over us since faith in God’s salvation justifies us from sin and we have peace with God. Therefore, God’s Grace is sufficiently available to enable us to withstand any opposition or attack; and we have access by faith into God’s Grace.
We should therefore not rely on fleshly powers which may pressure or provoke us to react negatively to the opposition (e.g. by anger, pride, hatred etc.). (Matthew 5:44). Also, although one’s positive action towards the adversary (e.g. of love, forbearance or forgiveness, etc) may make you look weak in the eyes of our adversary or attacker, note that, it is in the seeming weakness that God’s “power is made perfect” in us as our spirit of faith matures and becomes resilient to oppositions. (Romans 5:1-2; 2 Corinthians 12:9).
4. SUBMIT YOUR WEAPONS OF POWER
Thus, brethren, we must submit our own weapons of power including pride, anger, revenge, rancour, blaming, stubbornness, and striving when faced with opposition. So that, in our weakness, having disarmed our ‘weapons of power’, we may allow God’s power to manifest in us and through us. Also, we should endeavour to “Glory” and “rejoice in the Lord always” when in trials, so that the power of Christ may rest upon you. (Philippians 4:4; Peter 1:6-7).
Remember always that God’s spirit of faith in you is completely devoid of a reality experienced by sight! It rests on the conviction of the unseen truth that GOD IS POWERFUL TO ACCOMPLISH ALL THINGS! The next message will examine the principle of trusting in God’s power. Do not dwell on the opposing force or seek to rationalise the attack by human means.
PRAYER
Almighty father, thank you for your word and we Praise you for your Grace.
May “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen”. (2 Corinthians 13:14). I make this prayer in JESUS NAME.
Have a blessed week!
Lots of Love, P. Schwartz (SOG), 04/08/2019
