Intro
We have been talking about the human spirit. Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers that they would be strengthened in the inner man (Eph. 3:16). It was said of both John the Baptist and Jesus that they became “strong in spirit.”i God wants our spirit to be strong. As we learned in previous studies, a Christian’s spirit is to be strong and lead the soul and body—not the other way around. Romans 12:11 exhorts Christians to be “fervent in spirit.”
The question we are seeking to answer in this message is HOW: How do we maintain a fervent spirit. How do we nurture our spirit so that we are “strong in spirit”? The answer is represented by the acronym POW: prayer, obedience, and word. These three essentials will keep your spirit strong. Each one requires further explanation.
I. PRAYER must be a priority in our lives if we are to stay strong in spirit.
Ongoing COMMUNION with the Lord is perhaps the most important aspect of our prayer life. First Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to “pray without ceasing.” Practice God’s presence.ii Throughout each day commune with the Lord in your heart. God is omnipresent, but people do not always live with an awareness of his presence. Wake up in the morning with Jesus on your mind. Go to sleep each night thanking him for his grace that day. And during the day partner with him in all your activities. Consciously dwell in his presence. I do not do that perfectly, but I seek that kind of communion with the Lord. Frank Laubach celebrated the value of living life moment by moment with a focus on God. He said, “Oh, this thing of keeping in constant touch with God, of making him the object of my thought and the companion of my conversations, is the most amazing thing I ever ran across.”iii
Jesus tells us in John 15:4: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” The key to fruitfulness is this abiding in Christ. What does that mean? The Greek word translated abide is meno. It is translated dwell in Acts 28:30. It is translated continue in 1 Timothy 2:15. The branch continually draws its life from the vine. “The daily inflowing of the life sap of the Holy Spirit,” wrote Andrew Murray, “is his [the Christian’s] only power to bring forth fruit.”iv The life of a Christian is to be one of connection and dependence on the flow of God’s life into his spirit through communion with God. This is our source of strength and vitality.
Another form of prayer that strengthens our spirit is praying in TONGUES. In 1 Corinthians 14:4 we are told, “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself.” The NLT says, “A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally in the Lord.” It is a mystery that we cannot fully explain, but when we receive the inspired word of God as it is given and exercise ourselves in this activity by faith, our spirit is empowered by the Holy Spirit. I cannot explain how this happens, but I can report to you that 1 Corinthians 14:4 is true.
In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul is not discounting tongues as invaluable. He is simply directing its use.
For the edification of the church, people must understand what is being said. But for personal
edification, God has provided this mysterious avenue of building up one’s spirit. It is a powerful
preparation for ministry to others.v Paul said in verse 15, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will
also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the
understanding.” In that context, praying with the spirit means praying in tongues. In fact, Paul
said in verse 18 that he prayed in tongues more than any of them. If we want to be strong in
spirit, we should not neglect praying in tongues.
Additionally, exercise your spirit in INTERCESSION for others. Romans 8:26-27 addresses this
form of prayer: “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we
should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings
which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit
is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
Sometimes intercession for others comes in the form of deep groanings in our spirit that are not
uttered in words. At other times we can express our intercession in words. But even in those
times, we do not just pray from our mind alone. We learn to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit
in our spirit, enabling us to pray according to the will of God.
Just as the human body must be exercised, the human spirit is also to be exercised. It is to be
active in knowing and executing the will of the Father. The human spirit is to actively direct the
soul in the fulfillment of God’s revealed will. Many of you know by experience that intercession
is a strenuous activity even though it is empowered by the Holy Spirit.
We are to CONTEND with our adversary in spiritual warfare. Ephesians 6:10-12: “Finally, my
brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God,
that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Wrestling “against the
rulers of the darkness” is strenuous exercise for the human spirit. Wrestling is not a passive
activity. But those who contend with the enemy in spiritual warfare gain strength as they draw
upon God’s grace to win the battles.
While instructing believers to put on the whole armor of God, Paul says in verse 18, “praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all
perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” The praying is to be “in the Spirit,” and that
happens through our human spirit. His instruction is to pray “with all prayer and supplication.”
We should not be one dimensional in our prayer life.
WORSHIP in all its expressions builds up the human spirit. True worship proceeds from our spirit to God who is a Spirit according to John 4. In worship we are properly exercising our spirit and receiving grace from Lord at same time. To maintain a strong spirit, we must interact with God in prayer and worship. Much more could be said about all this, but we must move on to our next point. To maintain a strong, vibrant spirit we must live a life of prayer, and we must live a life of obedience.
II. OBEDIENCE
On the positive side, we are to hear God’s leading in our spirit, and from our spirit direct our whole being to fulfill that instruction. Romans 8:14: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons [huioi] of God.” In the Greek, Paul does not use the word for infants (nepios) when he says, “sons of God.”vi Baby, immature Christians are not led by the Spirit. They are led by their own thinking. But more mature sons are led by the Spirit. They follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit that are given in their human spirit. This is also good exercise for the human spirit: hear God’s promptings and lead the soul in obedience to God’s leading.vii
Of course, obedience to God’s written word is essential as well. The more we exercise ourselves in obedience to God, the stronger our spirit becomes. As we have already said, Prayer is vitally important. But prayer without obedience is just a vain religious exercise. We pray so we can obey. I went to Bible School with a brother who wanted to be used in miracles. He spent hours upon hours in his prayer room. The miracles never came. His marriage fell apart. And he lost ground, rather than gained ground. He should have prayed, but there were responsibilities that he needed to obediently fulfill as well. Sacrifices of prayer are not an acceptable substitute for full obedience. “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam. 15:22).
On the negative side, disobedience grieves the Holy Spirit. Our communion with God is hindered, and the flow of God’s strength is restricted. Ephesians 4:30 tells us to “not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” Some of the activities that grieve the Holy Spirit are mentioned in that chapter: lewdness, greediness, lying, stealing, corrupt communication. Verses 31-32: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Unforgiveness poisons the inner man with bitterness. The list in Ephesians 4 is not exhaustive, but the examples given inform us on the kinds of activities that grieve the Holy Spirit and hinder his empowerment in our lives.
Second Corinthians 7:1 tells Christians, “Beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” I wish Paul would have explained more fully what he meant by “filthiness of the flesh and spirit.” Since he is calling for a cleansing of “all” filthiness, he probably means all corruption in bodily behavior and in internal thought.viii Adultery is “filthiness of the flesh.” Lusting in the heart toward adultery is “filthiness of the spirit.” It’s not enough to avoid the act, the heart must be pure in the matter as well. Murder is “filthiness of the flesh.” That behavior obviously grieves the Holy Spirit. But in Matthew 5:22 Jesus also condemned hatred in the heart against a brother. That too is defiling.
Paul reinforces his instruction when he adds, “perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” Many of our churches have lost their appetite for holiness. In doing that, they have lost their strength for spreading the gospel. Leaders in past generation did not avoid the call to holiness. In his sermon on 2 Corinthians 7:1 Spurgeon said, “Were I allowed but to utter one sentence, and then must die, I would say to you, members of this church, ‘Be holy!’ Whatever you are do seek to be holy. And if you will not be holy, if you have a mind to keep your sins, do us the favour to lay down your profession. If you will have your sins, and go to hell, you can do it so much better outside the church than you can inside.”ix
That stands in stark contrast to the indulgent message heard in may of our churches to day. That is much different than the church growth efforts that will compromise truth and purity to get one more head count in the church auditorium on Sunday morning. Spurgeon was not after a large audience, although he had one. He was set on making genuine disciples of Jesus Christ. That should be our aim as well because that is what Jesus told us to do in the Great Commission. “Beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” If we don’t do that, we grieve the Holy Spirit and quench the fire of God in our own spirit.x So to stay strong in spirit, we must practice obedience to God’s leading in our hearts and the boundaries he sets in his word.
III. WORD
To be strong in spirit, we must feed our inner man with the word of God. “Man shall not live by bread alone,” Jesus said, “but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4).xi Life is more than just taking care of the body. We must feed our spirit and soul with God’s word. We must take care of our spiritual wellbeing as well as physical. In the physical realm, exercise and a healthy diet are essential. The same is true for our spirit. We have talked about exercising our spirit by prayer and obedience. We also need to feed our spirit with God’s word. In John 6:63 Jesus said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” “That is,” says Arthur Pink, “they are spiritual, and employed by the Holy Spirit to impart life.”xii God’s word is not just for intellectual understanding. It includes that. But God’s word is inspired, and because it is God-breathed, it has the power to impart life to those who receive it.
To maintain a strong spirit, we need to prayerfully READ God’s word. Reading Scripture helps us gain an overall understanding of how God works. Our minds are enriched. But while we are reading inspired Scripture, our spirit is fed as well.
We should STUDY the Bible as well. As we gain understanding in the soul, our spirit is fed as well. Paul told Timothy to be diligent about this. Second Timothy 2:15: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” To rightly divide the word of truth, we must study it comparing scripture with scripture. We must learn from others who have diligently studied, just as Timothy learned from Paul. The miner who digs into the rock to find gold is marvelously rewarded with he finds the treasure he is looking for. Likewise, the student of God’s word who digs deep into Scripture, is rewarded by the treasures of wisdom and encouragement that he discovers.
Later in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Paul adds, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The Bible not only equips your mind for service unto God, but it feeds your spirit with divine nourishment. Our study of Scripture is not just an intellectual pursuit. It is an equipping for life in service to God.
We should also MEDITATE on God’s word. Memorizing Scripture facilitates the meditation because it becomes readily accessible at all times. God told Joshua, “This Book of the Law [which was the Bible available to him at the time] shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Josh. 1:8).
The Hebrew word translated meditate could be translated to muse or mutter.xiii Its primary meaning is a low sound as if someone quietly quoted the passage.xiv Bartholomew Aswood says, “Meditation chews the cud, and gets the sweetness and nutritive virtue of the Word into the heart and life. . . .”xv We find the same word in Psalm 1:1-2: “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates [hagah] day and night.” The wisdom received from God’s word is a tree of life for those who receive it (Prov. 3:18).
We should SHARE God’s word with each other. It makes for excellent, edifying conversation. The weather is of some interest to all of us. Politics matter. Some may enjoy talking about sports or their favorite hobby. But the conversation that is most profitable centers on God and his word. This is one reason we come together in gatherings like this one.xvi We want to encourage one another with the promises in Scripture. We want to receive fresh manna from God’s word. Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” In these last days, church attendance is in decline in our nation. But according to that word, it should be “so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Conclusion
So, the formula for being strong in spirit is POW: Prayer, Obedience, and Word. As we commune with God in prayer, we draw upon his strength in our spirit.xvii As we obey the leading of the Holy Spirit and allow our human spirit to direct us in the will of the Father, we grow stronger in the Lord. Our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit is heightened, and our human spirit dominates our soul and body. As we feed upon God’s word, our spirit is nourished and equipped for the ministry God has for us. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10).
ENDNOTES:
i Luke 1:80; 2:40. The imperfect tense in both verses indicates increasing in strength or becoming strong. All Scripture quotes are from the New King James Version unless indicated otherwise.
ii For an extended explanation see Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach, Practicing His Presence (Sargent, GA: SeedSowers Publishing, 1973).
iii Frank C. Laubach, Letters by a Modern Mystic (Syracuse, NY: New Readers Press, 1979), 23 as quoted by Richard J. Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home (New Yirj: HarperCollins, 1992), 216.
iv Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ (New Kinsington, PA: Whitaker House, 1979), 36.
v This is one reason praying in tongues is not selfish. The stronger our spirit, the more effective we are in ministering to others.
vi See 1 Cor. 3:1.
vii We quench the flow of God’s Spirit when we disobey his leading (1 Thess. 5:19).
viii Spurgeon equates “filthiness of the flesh” with outside sins visible in the behavior. He identifies “filthiness of spirit” with “a spirit defiled with evil thoughts.” Charles Spurgeon, “Our Position and Our Purpose,” sermon 3245. Accessed at The C. H. Spurgeon Collection on CD-ROM (AGES Software, Inc., 1998).
ix Spurgeon, “Our Position and Our Purpose,” sermon 3245. Accessed at The C. H. Spurgeon Collection on CD-ROM (AGES Software, Inc., 1998). A “profession” of being a Christian can be genuine or false. In this quote, Spurgeon is confronting those who profess to be Christians, but their lifestyle does not support the profession (Matt. 7:22-23; 1 John 2:29; 3 ;7). For more explanation see Richard W. Tow, Authentic Christianity: Studies in 1 John (Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2019), 170-172.
x Cf. 1 Thess. 5:19.
xi Cf. Deut. 8:1-3.
xii Arthur W. Pink, Exposition of the Gospel of John, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1981), 357.
xiii Strong’s Concordance, OT 1897.
xiv TWOT, Vol. 1, haga (467), 205.
xv Bartholomew Ashwood’s Heavenly Trade, 1688, quoted in C. H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David: An Expository and Devotional Commentary on the Psalms, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978), 7.
xvi In 1 Cor. 16:18 talked about other believers refreshing his spirit. Cf. 2 Cor. 4:16; 7:13.
xvii His love is poured out in our hearts (Rom. 5:5). That enables us to God with all our being and love our neighbor as ourselves (Matt. 22:37-40).
