WALKING IN THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit living in you is the greatest blessing God could ever give to any person.  He is more than a power or influence within you.  The Holy Spirit is God Himself who has come to live in and through you (2 Cor. 6:16).

Failure to recognize, seek, and yield to the Holy Spirit is the reason why Christians struggle with sin in their lives.  The Holy Spirit is the only person who can enable you to live the Christian life, and the only one who can control your strong desires and drives. Paul said, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh"
(Gal. 5:16).  Therefore, it is imperative that you surrender your life fully to the Spirits control.

I. Understanding the Holy Spirit’s Work with You

A. Before you come to Christ, The Holy Spirit works "with" you (John 14:17).  He is drawing you through the conviction of your sin, the revelation of God’s righteousness, and the truth that there is a judgment to come. (John 16:8-11).

B. When you receive Christ, He regenerates and renews you (Titus 3:5). This is what it means to be born again or born from above  (John 3:3-5).

C. After you receive Christ, the Holy Spirit now dwells in you (John 14:17) (1 Cor. 6:19) (Rom. 8:9).  He also imparts to you God's divine nature (2 Pet. 1:3-4).  This new nature is what gives you godly desires and thoughts to obey God.  However, this is where a new problem begins.  These new godly desires and thoughts are in conflict with your old desires (Rom. 7:22-23).  Your new nature desires to do what is right, but your old corrupt nature of sin still tries to control you too (Rom. 7:18-20).  This battle can only be won by the Holy Spirit enabling you to do what is good (Rom. 8:2).

D. This is why you must be continually filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus told His disciples that this empowering of the Holy Spirit was essential to enable them to follow Him.  In John 20:22, when Jesus first met with the disciples after His resurrection He said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit".  This is where they were born again and Jesus came to indwell them.  However, ten days later He told them to wait in Jerusalem to be endued with power from on high (to be baptized with the Holy Spirit) (Luke 24:49) (Acts 1:4-5).  Jesus told them that, the Holy Spirit was to come upon them to enable them to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). The word baptize means to cover completely, to engulf, or to overwhelm.  God wants to completely engulf you and overwhelm the power of sin in your life by engulfing you with His power.

II. How Does the Holy Spirit help you?

A. The Holy Spirit will satisfy and control your desires within you (Eph. 5:18).

B. The Holy Spirit enables you to obey God's commands (1 Pet. 1:22).

C. The Holy Spirit enables you to put to death the deeds of your body (Rom. 8:13).

D. The Holy Spirit will give you strength in your inner man to continue in the right direction (Eph. 3:16).

E. The Holy Spirit will set you free (Rom. 8:2).


III. What Steps Can You Take to Apply These Truths?

A. The next time you sense your sinful desires beginning to control you, stop and make a choice.  Choose to resist these desires and reckon yourself dead to sin (Rom. 6:11).  Choose at that moment to yield to God (Rom. 6:12-13).

B. Acknowledge your desire to sin, use drugs, get drunk, live an immoral life etc., as sinful and displeasing to God.  Confess your sin and receive His forgiveness (1 John 1:9).

C. Ask the Holy Spirit to come and fill you to overflowing 
(Luke 11:13) (Eph. 5:18).

D. Begin immediately to thank Him for answering your prayer and filling you 
(Phil. 4:6).

E. Wait upon Him with complete expectancy.  Believe that He is doing just what He promised (Is. 40:31).

F. If later in the day, you sense the same old desires returning, surrender yourself and ask God to fill you again with the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is your answer to a victorious Christian life.