Super Power

A couple months back, we signed up for Netflix. We can watch movies and TV programs on demand through a wireless Internet connection through our Wii console. (Isn't technology amazing!?!) A few weeks ago, I found the complete set of one of my favorite TV shows from my childhood: Lois and Clark. I have always loved the Superman movies, as far fetched as they may be. Today, after coming home from church, we watched 4 episodes...a regular Lois and Clark marathon! If you are up on your Superman trivia, you know that he came from the planet Krypton, and has powers that humans could only dream of. In a particular episode today, Superman was fighting villains from his home planet, who had the same power he did. At one point, the military of earth decided to try to defend against these villains, and it was a sad display of weakness compared to the superhuman forces of those from planet Krypton. Believe it or not, even in the middle of watching this silly series, I had a revelation. I said to Luis that the way the military of earth tried to fight the villains of Krypton is the same way mankind tries to fight the real forces of evil that exist in today's world. I respect our military and all they try to do for peace, but the ideals they are fighting against are unseen evil that has been around through the ages. Why do we try to fight evil with our man made weapons? Many don't even know there are other weapons at every humans' disposal. Many people have lived their life, without even giving God a first thought, much less a second one. Imagine what kind of world this would be if we laid down our man-made weapons and picked up the spiritual ones that were created for us to use? Weapons like praise and prayer, worship and the Word.  Imagine how much power goes wasted because we try to do things in our own strength. How much energy we exert trying to accomplish something that could have been solved so much more efficiently and effectively if we let God work through us to solve them His way. "How very simplistic", you might be thinking...but the more that I learn of God through his Word, the more I realize that we, many times, are completely missing the whole point of what our purpose of this life is. I'll be the first to say that I get it wrong...ALOT. The Bible says that "though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds" 2Cor. 10:3-4(Amp). So very clearly, God is letting us know there are more effective weapons than the earthly, man-made might that we have become accustomed to.

How, then, do we make the transition from physical weapons to spiritual ones? Obedience. First, by surrendering our life and our will to the Lord Jesus Christ. Accepting him as the supreme authority of our life, and acknowledging that it is through Him we "live, and move, and have our being". (Acts 17:28). That is a vital first step, one that can't be skipped or minimized. But we must realize that it is just the first step...the beginning of a larger process. Many people stop here. They realize that their destiny for eternity is secured, but they never move forward to the next step, and consequently live a life of little power, small vision, and battles with little or no defense.

After making that first move toward God, we must recognize that we have been conformed by everything that is around us. We are people who are consumed with our physical senses and, in effect, we have come to always rely on them. 2 Cor. 4:18 says, "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." To put it simply, the things that we see with our physical eyes (our senses) are here for a moment and will be gone, but the things that we do not see (that are spiritual) will last forever. Our human nature usually seeks logic, and the path of least resistance. So more often than not, what we see all around us with our physical sight gets our full attention and in essence, distracts us from the spiritual things that are of eternal importance. So how do we make the shift? How do we do away with our conformity of the physical world? We need to do 2 things. We need to change the way we think by learning through God's word (The Bible) how He sees us. (Romans 12:2 says. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.") and we need to ready ourselves for spiritual battle. (Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.)

Lastly, we need to walk with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus came, His mission was to redeem mankind from the eternal separation which resulted from sin. But Jesus himself says that He was the door through which the Holy Spirit would come to us. (John 6:7). The only thing that is able to empower us is living life full of the Spirit of God. We are reminded in Galatians 5:16-17 to "Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." This last part is probably the most difficult for those not following God to understand. It is so contrary to what we have been trained to do in every day life. Many people think of this step as something mythical...a scene right out of Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings...but why do you think these books and movies have become so wildly popular in today's secular world? It is because they contain an element of truth...the portrayal of the spiritual realm that is foreign to those who have not chosen to connect with their Maker.

If we could just wrap our brain around the amount of power lies on the inside of us, even those of us who already believe and walk closely with God would be even more amazed than we already are at how God can make the seemingly impossible, possible. I am convinced that we were created for such a far greater purpose than most people ever realize. Like Superman, we have been given the gift of "super power" though the Holy Spirit to fight against evil that exists in the spiritual realm. Imagine what could be accomplished if more of us lived up to the full potential that God has placed within each one of us.