‘Steh auf und leuchte’ was one of the first congregational songs I wrote in German, and it still fills me with anticipation and awe regarding the work of the Spirit of God. Any power that we have been given is intended to reveal God’s Kingdom on earth and it comes from the Holy Spirit of God, who is the one who is here on earth with us and reveals God and Jesus to us.
He is the power source but it is our responsibility to do what He has authorized us to do. We are light and we need to know in ourselves that no matter how dark things get around us, when God’s word is in us and we remain in Jesus, we have the ability to do everything He has called us to do and we shine His light.
As believers we carry the Holy Spirit within us, but it appears that we have a completely different level of power and authority when we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself went into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil and only afterwards walked in the power of the Holy Spirit, even though He was filled with the Spirit beforehand. (see Luke 4:1-13)
No-one likes going through trials and temptations but if we trust God, like Jesus did, and hold fast to the truth the word of God reveals to us, then we might find that after overcoming a trial and temptation, we will also walk in a power that is more than we have walked in before. Knowing God’s word and knowing when and how to use it allows us to stand against the trials and temptations that we will encounter. I say, will encounter, because it is a certainty. Everyone encounters trials and temptations. But we will also overcome them when we follow the example that was laid out for us.
