Battles lost and won

Do you ever wonder why Satan manages to outsmart and overpower you even when you know you're trying to do God's will? Perhaps we are trying to obey God under our own strength, fighting spiritual battles with our human resources instead of God's. Are we ignoring the Holy Spirit and living as though Pentecost never happened?

The executor of a "last will and testament" is someone who has been appointed to carry our the wishes of the person who wrote the will. In this same way, the Holy Spirit has been given to each follower of Christ to see that God's will is done. Only through the Spirit can we become all God wants us to be, and only through the Spirit can our work for the Lord be blessed, successful and fruitful. As Christians, we each have the Holy Spirit within us, so why aren't the battles won and why aren't our efforts bearing fruit?

Having the Holy Spirit within us and being filled with the Spirit are two different things. We receive the Spirit when we accept Christ as Savior (Romans 8:16-17), but we are filled with the Spirit as we allow Christ to be Lord of everything in our life. Ephesians 5:18 tells us to "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." While most of us are quick to agree that we should not be drunk, few emphasize the fact that we are supposed to be FILLED with the Spirit. Being filled is a continual process.

How do we know whether we are filled with the Spirit? We shouldn't have to ask! If we are merely witnessing and doing good deeds because God's Word says we should, we probably aren't being very effective. Are we motivated by God's command or by the Holy Spirit? To accomplish God's mission, we must utilize God's power. Is the Holy Spirit an influence we possess, or is it a person who possesses us?