Even with all the equipment, all the technology, all the knowledge – without the wind, your sailboat will not get you to your destination.
It’s like being without power – you are in the mercy of the tide, the current!
This is very much the same with our Christian life today –
life without power is a life that lives according to the currents and the tides of this world.
All the knowledge that we have acquired will be of no benefit to us without the wind or the function of the Holy Spirit.
CAPTION: If there is no wind, then paddle, who needs a gym.
The life of self effort, do it by works, do it yourself victory.
Who needs to be faithful?
Who needs God?
Gal 3:1a and 3
You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
Bewitched is the result of witchcraft.
Witchcraft means magical things that are done by witches thru the use of magical powers obtained from demonic spirits.
In the King James version the word for witchcraft is a familiar spirit, but in the Douay-Rheims, it is the word ‘python’.
A python is a very large nonpoisonous snake that squeezes and suffocates its prey – they take the breath out of their victims until they die, then they are eaten. The spirit of python is a demonic spirit that takes away the work and the power of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life.
It makes you do things out of your own effort to which the results are futile, ineffective, and of no useful purpose. Once the wind is taken out, the person is already dead – without the Holy Spirit “we may have a form of godliness, but we will have no power…” 2 Tim 3:5a
We are driven only by the currents of the seas, the ways of men. God the Holy Spirit is the power we need to have in our lives so we will not be driven by the currents of the world. The spirit of the python will squeeze you so he can take the breath of God out of you.
We have learned what the person who has no Spirit in him looks like. What they choose to do are results of the influence of the world, the end results of giving in to the temptations of the world.
2 Tim 3:1-5
But mark this: There will be perilous times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
The word ‘perilous’ is the Greek word ‘chalepos’ which means hard, bad, dangerous, evil and demonic. There will be a lot of demonic activities and influence in the last days with only one purpose – to squeeze and take away the Holy Spirit out of you.
We Must Make Sure That We Do Not Lose The Wind Of The Spirit So We Will Not Fall!
We need to follow the model of Jesus to overcome every and all temptations of the devil so we can live our purpose.
Luke 3:21-23
21 When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
23 Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.
The Holy Spirit was the identifying mark in the person of Jesus, for up to that time the devil didn’t know who He was! He was kept from age twelve (Lk 2:42).
The coming of the Spirit in His life also signaled the beginning of His ministry.
When we allow the Holy Spirit to fill our sails, we will be identified, we will be marked for testing and promotion, even attacks from the enemy! We are declaring who we are and to whom we belong – but by this, we will have our oil for the final round!
Gal 5:16-17
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.
Luke 4:1-2
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
We must be rooted in the Lord and be grounded in the Word so our relationship in the Lord will be strengthened, our hearts must be filled with the Word.
There are 3 kinds of temptations that the devil will throw at us…First:
Luke 4:3-4
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’”
- 1st kind of temptation that the devil will throw at us are in the things that we can do, never on what you cannot do.
Luke 4:5-8
5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”
8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”
- 2nd Lust Of The Eyes and the lust of the flesh!
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Luke 4:9-12
The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; 11 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ 12 Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
- 3rd Temptation of the devil: Your Tantrums!
Tantrums are often childish display of bad temper, making a scene, KSP! Often people engage on such tantrums hoping they will be noticed, or their demands would be met. It is a kind of civil disobedience that could lead to an all out rebellion and strife – it could lead to separation and death.
This kind of technique often works with human parents, even governments – but never to God. Jesus rebuked the devil by quoting the Word of God.0
But why is it that many would quote the Word of God but nothing seems to happen?
Because we speak it only by the knowledge we have in our minds and not by the power of the Holy Spirit! There is no wind in your sails – so nothing happens.
Luke 4:13
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
The devil left, he was defeated!
Luke 4:14
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
Matt 8:16
When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to Him, and He drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
Matt 12:15
Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. Many followed Him, and He healed all their sick.
Matt 14:14
When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick.
Matt 14:36
they begged Him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched Him were healed.
Power was manifesting in the life and ministry of Jesus – He was filled with the Spirit, He overcame the temptations of the devil, and now He is able to do His purpose on this earth.
Acts 10:38
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with Him.
Jesus relied on the power of the Holy Spirit – the more we should do the same!
Zech 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.