Power To Overcome

by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

Every true Christian knows by experience that the Holy Spirit does not, upon saving us, take possession of us and thenceforth supernaturally cause us to live lives pleasing to God. Rather, as with salvation, so with the Christian life, He operates in the believer “by grace through faith”.

Powerful assistance to overcome sin is freely provided by grace, but this help must be appropriated by faith in each individual case. There is no blanket provision for continuous victory throughout our whole life. We must look to Him in faith for the help we need in each separate battle.

Thus the Scripture teaching with regard to victory over sin is not that it is not possible for the believer to sin, but rather that in any given case it is possible for him not to sin. Thus too, the question in times of temptation is generally whether we truly desire to overcome, for deliverance is freely provided by grace if we will but appropriate it by faith.

But just how is deliverance provided? The answer is: BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. No longer need the believer remain enslaved to sin; for the Holy Spirit within, who imparted spiritual life to begin with, will also impart strength to overcome temptation. When tried and unable even to pray as we ought, “the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities” and “maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:26). When weak and ill, we may be “strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16). Indeed, the Spirit even strengthens God’s people physically to overcome sin, for we read:

“But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [strengthen] your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11).

And the following verse goes on to say:

“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh” (Romans 8:12)

The thought is that, since believers have the Holy Spirit to help them overcome sin, they are debtors — and not to the flesh, but to God, to live pleasing to Him.

The Power To Overcome

By Ken Pullen

ACP

Monday, February 17th, 2014

I have written in the past on “A Crooked Path” of my personal experiences and journey in this life. Of joining a Christian church in my early 20’s and the circumstances surrounding that, and of my being excommunicated and leaving that church only a couple of years later. I was immature and unwise and also ignorant. While I did not believe my baptismal experience would be as baptisms were chronicled in Scripture, the church I became a member of did observe the laying on of hands in which I was instructed was to impart the Holy Spirit into me.

And nothing happened. I felt nothing. Except overwhelmed, numb, and then wet and cold. On a whirlwind.

As I’ve written I became lost and wandering and ever sinful upon leaving the church and being excommunicated before I was even 24, 25 years old. I was a wanderer in my education, in the jobs I would take, in my employment – in life.

After leaving the church and being excommunicated, as I have written, I believed I was lost for eternity. Condemned to hell no matter what I did. So I did nothing of a spiritual nature and lived in and of this world as a daily massive sinner. Unrepentant. I believed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. I believed in God as Creator. I believed the Bible. But I was not a true Christian. I was a Christian taken in name only, a worldly Christian who had never been renewed of mind and spirit.

Yes, God and His power and the Holy Ghost ARE Supernatural! And the power of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit in their Supernatural powers above all powers can do anything. And if we ARE true Christians while we may not feel something supernatural within us, we don’t have some worldly knowledge type force field around us, some super powers given to us which makes sin roll off us as if we were covered in the greatest Teflon, IF we have faith, IF we are true Christians, IF we turn to God and place our trust in Him and in the power of the Holy Spirit we can overcome ANY AND ALL temptation and sin THROUGH OUR FAITH and THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

I now know this. I also know it is something Supernatural but not in the way the world thinks of and defines supernatural. It is the power of God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus Christ alive, living, and residing within us and working within us.

I now know this.

I didn’t know this 35, 40 years ago.

I would hear preachers stand on pulpits and talk about it, but I never understood it. I never experienced it. I didn’t know. Hearing and knowing are two distinctly different things. We can hear something, we can read something, but unless something works within us to know and understand what it is we are hearing, what we are reading? We continue on foolish, ignorant, dumb, deaf, and blind.

Now I do know what the power to overcome means. And while we may not be taken possession of in a worldly understanding of supernatural occurrence and thus some visible power is seen in us or through us, what happens IS Supernatural in that the Spirit of God works in us IF we allow it, IF we seek it, IF we believe, and IF pleasing God is more important than pleasing ourselves or someone we know. Why? Because we cannot overcome sin on our own. We are powerless of our own volition. We can only overcome through the power of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

I never knew that or understood that until about 4 years ago.  I now know just how much a debtor I am to God and His mercy and grace, and the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Lord and live each day to not be a debtor to the flesh, but to overcome the flesh in the pursuit of the spirit, in the pursuit of God.

And I thank God each day that I do.

Because on my own? Of my own doing? Of my own thoughts and power? I would not be able to do much of anything let alone good in the sight of God our Father, let alone be pleasing to God our Creator, and to be pleasing to Jesus Christ the Lord, and to be pleasing to and not grieving the Holy Spirit.

It is only when I place my FAITH and trust in God and the Holy Spirit and yield, and turn away from sin and temptation and turn to Them that this power can be known and understood. And spiritual wisdom and discernment come as a result.

Thank God.

For not giving up on me and for teaching me the most important things in this life providing eternal life.