Empowered, Enabled, Sustained | Not by Might, Part 4
Key Thought | The Holy Spirit enables me to live righteously, empowers me to make a difference, and sustains me while I wait for His return.
Key Scripture | Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. – Romans 8:12–14 NKJV
The Holy Spirit is not just the starting point of our faith. He is the sustaining presence throughout it.
He enables righteousness. Romans 8:13 says, “If through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” Notice the phrase: through the power of the Spirit. Holiness is not self-improvement; it is Spirit-empowerment. We are not left to wrestle sin alone. The same power that raised Christ now works within us.
He empowers impact. Paul tells the Corinthians, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:4). Paul was educated. He was articulate. Yet he intentionally leaned on the Spirit so that faith would rest on God’s power, not his personality.
The Spirit makes eternal difference through ordinary obedience.
And He sustains us daily. “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). The grammar implies ongoing filling, continual dependence. Not a one-time encounter, but a daily surrender.
From the moment we believe until the day Christ returns, the same Jesus who ascended in Acts 1:11, the Spirit, walks with us.
He strengthens us when we are weary.
He convicts us when we drift.
He comforts us when we grieve.
He empowers us when we feel inadequate.
The Christian life is not about trying harder. It is about staying filled.
Don’t reduce the Holy Spirit to a past experience. Invite Him into today.
Ask Him to guide your thoughts, guard your words, and shape your responses. Live aware of His presence. Stay filled. Stay surrendered. Stay expectant.
Prayer | Holy Spirit, lead me daily. Empower me to live in holiness. Strengthen me to make a difference. Sustain me as I wait for Christ’s return. Fill me afresh today. Amen.
Reflections
Key Scripture | Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. – Romans 8:12–14 NKJV
The Holy Spirit is not just the starting point of our faith. He is the sustaining presence throughout it.
He enables righteousness. Romans 8:13 says, “If through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.” Notice the phrase: through the power of the Spirit. Holiness is not self-improvement; it is Spirit-empowerment. We are not left to wrestle sin alone. The same power that raised Christ now works within us.
He empowers impact. Paul tells the Corinthians, “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:4). Paul was educated. He was articulate. Yet he intentionally leaned on the Spirit so that faith would rest on God’s power, not his personality.
The Spirit makes eternal difference through ordinary obedience.
And He sustains us daily. “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). The grammar implies ongoing filling, continual dependence. Not a one-time encounter, but a daily surrender.
From the moment we believe until the day Christ returns, the same Jesus who ascended in Acts 1:11, the Spirit, walks with us.
He strengthens us when we are weary.
He convicts us when we drift.
He comforts us when we grieve.
He empowers us when we feel inadequate.
The Christian life is not about trying harder. It is about staying filled.
Don’t reduce the Holy Spirit to a past experience. Invite Him into today.
Ask Him to guide your thoughts, guard your words, and shape your responses. Live aware of His presence. Stay filled. Stay surrendered. Stay expectant.
Prayer | Holy Spirit, lead me daily. Empower me to live in holiness. Strengthen me to make a difference. Sustain me as I wait for Christ’s return. Fill me afresh today. Amen.
Reflections
- Where do I need the Spirit’s enabling power most right now?
- How can I practice being continually filled?
- What difference might flow from deeper surrender?
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