YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV)
While the children of Israel journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land, there was none among them that was feeble, physically weak or debilitated. The presence of God among them renewed their strength day by day.
Psalms 105:37-39 – NKJV
37 He also brought them out with silver and gold, And there was none feeble among His tribes.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed, For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, And fire to give light in the night. (NKJV).
Although under the Old Covenant, yet Caleb retained his youthful passion, vigour and strength till old age. At eighty-five, he was still eager and ready to confront and defeat giants occupying the hill country with fortified cities and to possess their land as his inheritance.
Therefore, Caleb demanded for his inheritance from Joshua.
Joshua 14:7-12 – NKJV
7 “I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart…
10 “And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.
11 “As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.
12 “Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.”
Sadly, many believers today who are under the New Covenant which is infinitely better, stronger and superior to the Old Covenant are spiritually, physically and emotionally feeble, weak and debilitated and thus unable to appropriate, enforce, demonstrate and manifest the victory that Christ has won for them and to possess their inheritance in Christ.
If the presence of God among the children of Israel in the wilderness could prevent anyone of them from being feeble or weak under the Old Covenant, how much more now under the New Covenant when every born-again believer is God’s temple and has the Spirit of God permanently residing or dwelling in them?
Before leaving this world, the Lord Jesus promised His followers that He would send the Holy Spirit to dwell in and abide with them forever.
John 14:16-17 – NKJV
16 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever–
17 “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
The abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in and with you simply means that supernatural life, anointing, wisdom, strength, might, or power is always available within you and at your disposal to fulfil God’s purpose for your life and to deal with and triumph over every challenge, adversary or adversity you may face in life (Acts 1:8).
Apostle Paul attests to this truth in his epistles.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 – NKJV
21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
Philippians 4:13 – NKJV
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
John the Beloved also testifies to this truth.
1 John 2:21 – NKJV
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
1 John 4:4 – NKJV
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
By virtue of the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in every New Covenant believer, no believer should be a weakling spiritually, physically, or emotionally. Every New Covenant believer should exude greater boldness, courage, confidence, strength, might or power, and do greater exploits than Caleb or any of the Old Covenant saints.
Why then are many believers today spiritually, physically and emotionally feeble or weak?
Why then are many believers today cringing in the face of adversities and adversaries?
Why then are many believers today not possessing or appropriating their inheritance in Christ, fulfilling their purposes and doing great exploits in life?
First, Ignorance and Unbelief:
Many believers today remain spiritually, physically or emotionally feeble or weak because they are still seeking and striving to earn, merit or deserve God’s Spirit, presence, power or anointing by their works. This may be due to the ignorance of the truth that God now lives in them in His fullness by His Spirit, or it may be due to unbelief.
The truth is that every born-again believer has received the Holy Spirit at the New Birth. Therefore, every believer in Christ has been thoroughly anointed, enabled or empowered to live a godly, triumphant, prosperous and fulfilled life just as Christ did by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Apostle Paul affirms this truth in his epistle.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 – NKJV
21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God,
22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
Ephesians 1:13-14 – NKJV
13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Sadly, many ignorant believers today are still going everywhere seeking and striving by their works to earn, merit, deserve, or receive a divine empowerment or “a double anointing” from some servants of God.
This is the Old Covenant mindset!
The New Covenant believers are already empowered and anointed by the abiding presence or indwelling of the Holy Spirit from the point of the New Birth.
Until you know, recognize, acknowledge and believe this truth, you will not be able to appropriate, flow or walk in the supernatural power or anointing which is present at all times in your born-again spirit (1 John 2:20, 27).
Second, Unrenewed or Carnal Mind:
Although you have received the fullness of God at the New Birth, yet you will not see the supernatural manifestations of God in and through your life if you fail to renew or reset your mind to align with, to receive, and accept these spiritual realities or truths of God’s Word.
While it is absolutely true that God has given you in your born-again spirit all the spiritual power or anointing you will need to live a godly, overcoming, successful or prosperous life, the measure of God’s power or anointing you will appropriate, experience or manifest is directly proportional to the degree to which you have renewed your mind according to the truths of God’s Word (Rom. 12:2, Rom. 8:6, 1 Cor. 2:14).
Third, Walking in the Flesh:
It takes the Holy Spirit having you and not just you having the Holy Spirit to appropriate, draw from, manifest, or demonstrate the power or the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Many believers today are not flowing in the power of the Holy Spirit simply because they are not walking in the Spirit – yielding to, following, and obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16-25).
The Scripture commands, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Gal. 5:25 NKJV).
Beloved, it is not more of God’s Spirit, power or anointing you need to live a godly, triumphant, prosperous and fulfilled life, for “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” (2 Pet. 1:3 NKJV).
Rather, what you need is to increasingly renew your mind according to the truths of God’s Word, to continually present, yield or surrender more of yourself to the Holy Spirit, and to increasingly appropriate by faith divine resources in your born-again spirit (1 Cor. 3:21, 2 Pet. 1:3, Phil. 1:6, Eph. 1:18).
With the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in you, you are presently having in your born-again spirit all the supernatural resources you need to live a godly life and fulfil your purpose in life.
Therefore, stop seeking and striving to earn or merit by your works the supernatural power or anointing you already got. Rather, start renewing your mind, yielding to the Holy Spirit, and appropriating by faith everything that God has given to you as you step out to do all the things that God has called you to do.
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sealing and anointing me with the Holy Spirit at the New Birth. My Dear Lord Jesus, teach and help me to walk daily in the Spirit, yielding myself increasingly to the Holy Spirit and operating increasingly in the power of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name. Amen.