Not By Might or Power, but by My Spirit

March 10, 2025

A minister is walking through the jungle when he comes upon a hungry lion. As the lion attacks, the minister prays, “Lord, please fill this beast with the love of the Holy Spirit.” The lion stops, and a bright light begins to glow around him. He looks to the sky, folds his paws in prayer, and says, “Thank you, Lord, for this meal.”

What kind of alcohol do you find in church? Holy spirits! Many Christians talk about the Spirit, but don’t know much about the person and work of Holy Spirit. The Spirit is often given credit when things happen people can’t explain, but that is about it. I hope this brief description and Biblical guide will be of help. I am indebted to the six manuals of Brad Long’s “The Dunamis Project” for my Biblical theology on Holy Spirit. Book #1, Gateways to Empowered Ministry is a great introduction.

Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, fully God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son. Unlike a vague force or impersonal energy, Holy Spirit is a distinct person with attributes like intellect, emotion, and will. Scripture shows this in places like John 16:13, where He “speaks” and “guides,” or Ephesians 4:30, where He can be “grieved,” indicating personal qualities. He’s not just an extension of God’s power but God Himself, present and active in a unique way.

At Creation, Holy Spirit was active in bringing order to the world. Genesis 1:2 says He “hovered over the waters,” demonstrating His involvement in shaping creation. He is the Inspiration of Scripture (II Peter 1:21). Before someone becomes a believer, Holy Spirit Convicts them of sin, (John 16:8), and moves them to accept Salvation (John 3:5-6). Once we give our lives to Christ, Holy Spirit Dwells Within Us (1 Corinthians 6:19) and gives us Spiritual Gifts (I Corinthians 12). We are to use these gifts in humble submission to God that God may use us to do His Miracles through the power of Holy Spirit (John 14:12). He also empowers us to live out our faith, Producing “Fruit” like love, joy, and peace (Galatians 5:22-23). Sanctification is His ongoing work of making believers more like Christ, chipping away at sin and building holiness (2 Thessalonians 2:13). Holy Spirit Unifies the Church (1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 2).

When I first moved to LaGrange we were a New Church Development. A church member confronted me with a scripture I knew nothing about, from Zechariah 4:6, “So he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.” It sounded good, but I didn’t have a clue what it meant. Over time I realized it was a challenge to the believer. Would we trust in our own power and might, or would we learn to trust in the power of Holy Spirit?

In the churches I knew from my past we always had lots of money and talent. We did lots of good stuff for God. We were mostly a power and might church, trusting in our money and talent, even when we gave glory to God. As affluent Christians, the temptation is the same. Trust in our money and talent, and give glory to God. But Holy Spirit will often have a different plan that will be much more challenging because then there is no way we can give glory to anyone but God. Everyone knows it wasn’t our money and power.

Consider the story of Gideon as a perfect example. He started with an army of 32,000 to fight the 135,000 men of Midian. God said it was too many, and weeded out Gideon’s army down to 300. Judges 7:2 tells us, “The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’” God wants to have the victory in our lives and in our churches.

Do you want to be in God’s little army, where He gets all the glory? Are you impressed with the power and might of money and human talent? How often do you trust the power of prayer to let God into the challenges and struggles of life? Do you seek God’s will before doing stuff or do you do stuff when you know you have enough money and the right talent? Does your church trust more in the power of Holy Spirit or money and power? May Holy Spirit be glorified as we humbly submit to Him, even if the journey is hard.

(To learn more about Al Earley or read previous articles, see www.lagrangepres.org. You can purchase my book, My Faith Journal, at Amazon.com, a compilation of 366 articles as a daily devotional).