Walking in the strength of the Holy Spirit is an incredible thing! It's a place where we live as overcomers not as those who are overcome. It’s where we operate in supernatural ability, not in the natural. And it’s the place where the enemy has no place!
As we grow and walk in the knowledge and revelation of God's strength and fullness our ability to walking in the realm of authority increases. Then the strength and might of God isn't just upon, but also in us.
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened [kratos] with might [dunamis] through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:14-21).
Live in the Place of "I Can Do"
Imagine waking every morning with the confidence that God's strength is in you. Imagine that you would be able to do all things through Christ who gives you strength (Phil. 4:13). And, this strength in you is according to His wealth, according to the riches of His glory, according to who He is! "All" means everything. It means everything that He has purposed for you. It’s above and beyond what you can think or imagine and it’s according to the greatness of His power that works within us so that Christ Jesus may receive ALL of the glory in the Church and [JM1] all glory for the ages to come.
We're living in a time where God is doing and will do, exceedingly abundantly above and beyond what we can ask or think, and He wants to do these things through us! His thoughts are far above ours. In fact, His thoughts and ways are so high that He wants to blow the lid off limitation in our life and release us into an entirely different and higher level of destiny in Him. God wants you to believe for your family, your neighborhood, your city and your nation! By the power of the Holy Spirit and His incredible fullness, you can think big!
An Abundance of God's Wealth
According to Paul, God bestows to us strength and power according to the riches of His glory (Eph. 3:16). His glory is abundant, it's bountiful and it's endless. We can never ask for too much strength and power because it's available to us in the same measure as He is glorious – it’s abundant and unfathomable! His abundance is the weightiness of who He is, His character, His nature, His strength and His power. He gives, imparts and bestows that in us, His beloved children. We cannot walk in the fullness of our destiny or calling until we know the strength of God, and live daily by the strength of who He is in our inner man. This strength comes only through the power of the Holy Spirit.
His Strength
The word Paul used for "strengthened" in Ephesians chapter three comes from the Greek root word kratos[i]for "power," and in biblical context means: dominion, strength and manifested power. God wants us to live by the strength of who He is in our inner man. Kratos especially signifies "exerted (applied) strength, power shown effectively in a reigning authority." More specifically, it primarily refers to God's kingdom authority, dominion, and majesty through the outward manifestation of His power. Kratos is used in God's dominion context also in Paul's letter to Timothy (I Tim. 6:13-16b)
Kingdom Dominion in Your Inner Man
The world, or natural realm, will no longer rule your life if you are being strengthened by kratos, that is, being strengthened by kingdom dominion in your inner man. Kratos applied gives you the strength to do what you couldn't do before Jesus came into your life. God's kingdom authority, dominion and majesty should reign in every believers’ inner man, for we must walk steadfast in the things of the Lord. We cannot waver if we want to ascend to the incredible levels that God wants to release right now.
When kratos dominates your inner man the enemy's lies won't hurt you; they won’t invade your thought process or hinder you. Jesus gave me a wonderful revelation about kratos. When the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews came for Him in the garden and asked for Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus answered, "I AM He." Such was His strength and His confidence that "they drew back and fell to the ground" (John 18:4-8). That, my friends, was Kratos in action -- the manifestation of kingdom dominion!
Paul prayed for us to be strengthened (kratos) with "might." This word in the Greek is dunamis (from which we derive words like dynamic, dynamo and dynamite) which signifies the inherent power of God. The Lord showed me a vision of dunamis. It was like swallowing a Holy Ghost hand-grenade which exploded in our inner man. Wow. God bestowed this power according to what? According to the unlimited riches of His glory! This dynamite explosive power reigns and rules by the strength of the Holy Spirit in our inner man. This is what He granted to us! It's ours. We can stand firm, hallelujah.
How to Live by the Strength of Who He Is
Listed below are five ways we can learn to live by His strength within us:
1. Become deeply rooted
We're encouraged to be strong in the Lord and His kratos power (Eph. 6:10). Read the Word and discover the fullness of this strength, power and love for you. Develop intimacy and friendship with the Lord by spending time in the secret place of His presence. Seek and come to know Him more than you have before. Those who abide in Jesus will know the anointing and will flow in it (John 15). When your roots grow deep you'll flourish (Ps. 92:13) and the Spirit of the Lord will be upon you in strength!
2. Acquaint yourself with what God would have you do, pray for wisdom
Paul prayed that the saints at Colossae might be fully acquainted with what God would have them do in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Col. 1:9-10). He offered a similar prayer on behalf of the Ephesians (Eph. 1:17-19). Wisdom and spiritual understanding awaken you to the reality of God's strength and power in you, working through you and flowing from you.
3. Plug into fresh oil daily
"But my horn you have exalted like a wild ox, I have been anointed with fresh oil" (Ps. 92:10). To be exalted as a wild ox is to be strengthened. Oxen are strong and powerful. It takes a lot to knock an ox down. Fresh oil releases the strength of the Lord in the inner man.
It is only by His Spirit (Zech. 4:6) that you are able to accomplish the mighty and impossible and take pleasure in infirmities, in reproach, in persecution and in distress for Christ's sake. For when you are weak, then you are strong (2 Cor. 12:10). So become as strong as an ox by tapping into the precious oil of the Spirit every day.
4. Trust in the Lord
We cannot walk in the fullness of our destiny until we know and trust God’s strength and live daily by the strength of who He is in our inner man. This strength only comes by the power of the Holy Spirit. David trusted God even though he was hunted and persecuted by King Saul. He said he wasn't plucked up or destroyed, but flourished like a green olive tree in the house of the Lord (Ps. 52:8).
5. Rejoice for Christ and His Mighty Strength in You
Rejoice that you can rule and reign in this life with boldness, confidence, strength, zeal and vigor. When Christ, your High Priest, goes before you, you can walk in the fullness of your inheritance. You can walk in every manifestation of power available to you, including kratos power. Rejoice around the throne and sing a new song of victory, for Christ in you and His mighty strength in your inner man! "Blessing and honor and glory and power [kratos] be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever, and ever" (Rev. 5:13b)!
