Have you lost the edge? Reclaiming Your Spiritual Power
Have you ever felt like you're just going through the motions in your faith? Like the fire and passion you once had for God has somehow dimmed? You're not alone. Many Christians find themselves in this place, wondering where their spiritual edge went and how to get it back.
The Difference Between Having the Spirit and Being Filled
When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit immediately takes up residence in your life. But there's a crucial distinction we must understand: having the Holy Spirit living in you is different from being filled with the Holy Spirit. At the moment of salvation, you were completely filled with the Holy Spirit. Remember that incredible feeling of walking on air? That overwhelming sense of God's presence? That was the fullness of the Spirit at work in your life.
Why Don't We Feel That Way Now?
The reality is that even though the Holy Spirit lives in every believer, we're not always filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 commands us to "be filled with the Spirit" - and in the original language, this was meant to be continuous. We are to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul uses a powerful comparison: just as alcohol controls a drunk person's actions, emotions, and decisions, the Holy Spirit should control the Christian's life. When you're filled with the Spirit, you're no longer in control - the Spirit is.
What Does Spirit-Filled Living Look Like?
The verses following Paul's command to be filled with the Spirit give us practical examples:
• Wives can be submissive to their husbands by being filled with the Holy Spirit
• Husbands can love their wives as Christ loves the church by being filled with the Holy Spirit
• Children can obey their parents by being filled with the Holy Spirit
God Wants His Best, Not Your Best
Here's a truth that might challenge you: God doesn't want your best. Your best has never been good enough in God's eyes - if it were, Jesus wouldn't have needed to die for your sins. God wants His best to shine through you, and that can only happen when you're filled with the Holy Spirit.
Why Churches and Christians Lose Their Power
Many churches today operate more by routine than by the Spirit. People come to worship without any intention of letting God shine through them. They go through the motions, never asking God to forgive their sins or fill them with His Spirit before they serve, teach, or worship.
The Real Problem: Unconfessed Sin
What keeps us from being filled with the Holy Spirit? Sin. Ephesians 4:30 warns us not to "grieve the Holy Spirit of God." When we don't confess our sins, the Holy Spirit's level in our souls goes down like fuel in a car. We often use our freedom in Christ as an excuse to sin, but Paul makes it clear that sin should no longer rule in the Christian's life. When we let sin interrupt our relationship with God, we lose our spiritual power.
The Story of the Lost Axe Head
In 2 Kings 6:1-7, we find a seemingly simple story that illustrates this spiritual truth perfectly. Students of the prophet Elisha were cutting down trees to build a larger meeting place. One student had to borrow an axe because he couldn't afford his own. While working, the iron axe head flew off the handle and sank into the Jordan River.
It Was Loaned
The axe head represents spiritual power - and all spiritual power is borrowed from God. Everything you have in life is on loan from Him: your abilities, your intellect, your physical strength, and your spiritual possibilities. When you were saved, God loaned you the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says you can do all things through Christ, but like those students, you must remember to check your "axe head."
It Was Lost
The young man got so busy working that he forgot to check if his axe head was secure. This sounds exactly like many Christians today - so busy doing good things that they forget to check their spiritual condition. Like Samson, who went out to fight "as before" not knowing the Lord had departed from him, we can lose our power without realizing it. We settle for our best when God intended His best through us.
It Was Located
When the axe head was lost, there was nothing the young man could do to retrieve it from the turbulent Jordan River. But Elisha cut off a stick, threw it in the water, and miraculously made the iron float. That stick represents the cross of Jesus Christ. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, when we confess our sins, He intercedes for us before God's throne. First John 1:9 promises that "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
How to Reclaim Your Lost Power
Reclaiming your spiritual power requires genuine broken-heartedness over what you've lost. The young man cried out, "Alas, Master!" with real emotion and desperation.
The Power of Confession
The only thing standing between you and the fullness of God's power is unconfessed sin. Not just a general "forgive me my sins" at the end of a prayer, but specific, personal confession before God's throne. When you confess your sins, Christ cleanses you and fills you with His Holy Spirit. Then you can let God's best shine through you instead of struggling in your own strength.
Life Application
This week, commit to checking your spiritual "axe head" daily. Before you engage in any form of worship, service, or Christian activity, take time to:
1. Ask God to reveal any unconfessed sin in your life
2. Specifically confess those sins to Him
3. Ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit
4. Allow His power to work through you rather than relying on your own strength
Ask yourself these questions:
• Am I just going through the motions in my faith, or am I truly letting the Holy Spirit control my life?
• What percentage of God's power am I actually utilizing in my daily walk with Him?
• When was the last time I felt the overwhelming presence of God like I did when I first got saved?
• What unconfessed sins might be grieving the Holy Spirit and limiting His work in my life?
Remember, you cannot live in God's power if you don't confess your sins. Stop trying to cut down trees with just a handle - reclaim the axe head through confession and experience the fullness of what God has for you.