The Fight (Spiritual Battle) Part 7
We are continuing our series on spiritual battle this week by talking about Holy Spirit.
Acts 1:1-8 (NIV)
1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Holy Spirit
The coming of Holy Spirit was in fulfillment of the new covenant.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NIV)
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
The Holy Spirit now indwells believers.
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.
The Holy Spirit empowers us to engage in the spiritual battle.
Acts 1:8 (NIV)
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Pentecost was the Opposite of the Tower of Babel
Lets jump to Acts chapter 2 and look at what happened on Pentecost.
Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
This is the opposite of what happened at Babel. At Babel, languages were confused. Now, at Pentecost the Holy Spirit enabled the followers of Jesus to speak in all sorts of languages. The people who had traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the holy feast of Pentecost were “Jews” (“Jews” was the name given to Israelites who lived in foreign lands having been scattered all over the known world during the period of the exile). They witnessed this miraculous outpouring of Holy Spirit and also heard about Jesus, the messiah, and what he had done.
And what they heard and saw impacted three thousand of those gathered who “called upon the name of the Lord” and were saved. Then they went back to the nations that they came from, the very nations which had been placed under the control of the fallen elohim at the Tower of Babel, and they began to tell people there was a way to be reconciled to God. These three thousand were the first wave of the spiritual battle.
Because of the events of the cross, resurrection, ascension and the outpouring of Holy Spirit, the time of the rulers and authorities is drawing to a close.
Colossians 2:13-15 (NIV)
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
The evil authorities, rulers, principalities were indeed defeated at the cross. Even though they are defeated, they are not departing without a fight. The spiritual battle continues, but by and through the grace of God and the outpouring of Holy Spirit we are empowered and equipped for the fight.
Steve Lawes is a church encourager and the lead pastor of Keys Vineyard Church.
