Every believer is in a spiritual battle. Our battle is against the world, the flesh and devil. 1 John 4:4 states, “4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” In the context of this passage, the One who is in us is the Holy Spirit. The ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer gives us hope for victory in the spiritual battle.
The book of Ephesians reveals four positional truths with reference to the Holy Spirit: we are sealed with the Spirit (1:13-14), we have access to God through the Spirit (2:18), we are indwelt by the Spirit (2:22) and we are united with other believers through the Spirit (4:3-4). These resources from the Spirit are ours by virtue of being born again (John 3:1-8). They guarantee our security in Christ, our eternal inheritance, our access to God and our unity with other Christians. This spiritual foundation gives the believer hope for victory in the Christian life.
Ephesians also exhorts the believer to deeper obedience to the Holy Spirit’s empowering and sanctifying ministry. There are resources, through the Holy Spirit, for the believer to grow spiritually and to experience victory over the world, the flesh and the devil. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:16, “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.” Available to the believer is the power of the Holy Spirit. When appropriated, this power enables the believer to say no to sin, to witness for Christ, to experience intimacy with the Father and to rebuke Satan (Rom 8:12-14, Eph 1:16-20, Acts 13:9-11). In Eph 5:18-21 the believer is commanded to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. This filling of the Holy Spirit results in “…speaking to one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord and always giving thanks for all things…” The filling of the Holy Spirit produces spiritual renewal within our lives. We are filled with the Holy Spirit by faith, as we obey His Word and His leading. Eph 6:17 commands us “…and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” God’s Word is the Spirit’s sword, defending us against false doctrine and satanic temptation (2 Tim 4:1-5, Luke 4:1-13). As the believer takes up the Word of God, he is able to win the battle for the mind because the truth of Scripture exposes and defeats the lies of the enemy. Concluding Paul’s explanation of the Spirit’s resources in Ephesians, chapter 6 verse 18 says, “…prays at all times in the Spirit…” Available to the believer is the Spirit’s empowering and guidance in prayer. In particular this prayer is in the context of the spiritual battle. As we depend upon the Spirit, He guides us and empowers us to pray so that we win against the temptations, accusations and deceptions of the enemy.
Living moment by moment in the power of the Holy Spirit is a divinely powerful weapon that God has provided to help us win the spiritual battle. God promises victory to the believer who trusts in and depends upon the Spirit:
Gal. 5:16-18
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Rom. 8:12-14
12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Why don’t you surrender your life to the Holy Spirit’s control right now? Ask Him to help you, to empower you and to give you victory over the world, the flesh and the devil. Jesus gave us this great promise in Luke 11:13,
13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”