“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Philippians 3:13 [NASB]
Many verses speak about the change, the re-creation, of a person who believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God for salvation. Paul encouraged and wrote to the Philippians about putting on the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:1-5). He wrote about being made new in the attitudes of your minds and putting on the new self, created to be like God in righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22-23). With Galatians 2:20, Paul stated he no longer lives, but Christ lives in him. The life he lived was by faith in the Son of God. John wrote in John 14:6 Jesus said he who believes in Him receives new life. Later, in John 14:23, Jesus said for the believer, the one who loves Him, He and the Father will love him or her and will make their home in him or her. Many other verses in the New Testament speak of the fact Jesus lives within each Christian through His Holy Spirit.
Let’s consider briefly what this means for us today. Before Jesus saved us, we realized we did not have the strength, power, or will to avoid temptation. We fell into sin by our weak old nature, our self-centered and rebellious approach to life. When we become believers in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as our Savior, His Spirit lives in us. This indwelling by the Spirit makes available to each believer God’s power to overcome temptation and be sinless, to gain victory over temptation and sin. Let me state it another way. We can do nothing of our own will, strength, and power to ensure we will not sin. Because of our fallen nature, we are susceptible to temptation and sin. This means discipleship, true growth of our closeness to God and being made in Jesus’ image, can occur only by the grace, strength, and power of God. Oswald Chambers said this similarly. He said, “Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God” (My Utmost for His Highest). Just as we can do nothing to earn or merit salvation and eternal life, we can do nothing in our own strength to gain power over temptation and sin. Humans are frail and weak.
Consider this. Though we are frail, weak, and rebellious, God had mercy on us. He gave us His grace, a gift we did not earn. God did not give us what we deserve. We possessed nothing within ourselves to gain a righteous relationship with Him. Paul said it this way in Ephesians 2:4-9,
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loves us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ, and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” [NASB]
The only way a person can have victory over temptation, sin, and death is by God’s supernatural (divine) power. Having God’s power only occurs when His Spirit lives in a believer and he or she seeks Him and His will, and lives believing and acting upon His power. Zechariah, in a time before Christ came to live on earth to die and rise again for our salvation, recorded God’s angel’s words about this. He said in Zechariah 4:6, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.” Only by living as Christians with God’s might and power dwelling within us through His Spirit can we withstand temptation and not sin.
Discipleship truly is built entirely on God’s grace and power. Nothing we can do can earn us salvation, and nothing we can do will make us strong enough to withstand temptation. Only by God’s grace, power, and might can we receive salvation from sin and death. Only by God’s grace, power, and might can we live victoriously over temptation. The latter is discipleship, growing in Christlikeness, knowing God more intimately, and standing victoriously over temptation and sin.
Lord, I am weak and a sinner. You have saved me and given me Your power and strength if I will call upon You and walk in Your way. Keep me strong. Grow me to be more like Jesus. Guide me in Your paths. Draw me closer to You. You alone are to be honored, glorified, and praised for You are almighty, victorious, loving, and merciful. Amen.
