The power of the Holy Spirit – What is it?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Power is the ability to act effectively and the capacity to direct or influence others’ behavior or the course of events. These two definitions accurately describe the power of the Holy Spirit. Because the power of the Holy Spirit is literally the power of God, His ability to act and influence is infinite, unlimited, and eternal. In this way, the power of the Holy Spirit is different from any other kind of power.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon people to equip them for certain tasks. For example, Exodus 31 speaks of the Spirit temporarily in-filling Bezalel to create beautiful designs for tabernacle items. In Judges, the Spirit often came upon Samson to allow him to perform supernatural feats of strength (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14). The New Testament teaches that believers receive the indwelling Holy Spirit upon salvation (Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14). Because of the power of the Spirit, Christ’s disciples spoke boldly even amid persecution (Acts 5:29; 1 Corinthians 2:4-5). The Holy Spirit’s power indwells believers today and empowers us to stand strong in the faith.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Spirit's power was first seen acting effectively in the act of creation, for it was by His power the world came into being (Genesis 1:1–2; Job 26:13 KJV). The power in creation was unique because it produced everything from nothing. This raw, incomparable power could only belong to God, the Creator.
• The Holy Spirit empowered men to bring about God's will and foreordained plans. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power, enabling him to do wonderful things, sometimes under great hardship and persecution (1 Samuel 16:13).
• Although the Spirit did not permanently indwell God's people in the Old Testament, He worked through them and gave them power to achieve things they would not have been able to accomplish on their own. All of Samson's feats of strength, for example, are directly attributed to the Spirit coming upon him (Judges 14:6, 19; 15:14).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Spirit's creative power is seen in His creating new life in believers, producing spiritually alive beings out of those who were once dead in sin (John 3:6; Ephesians 2:1–2; Titus 3:5). To this day, salvation is a supernatural work only made possible by the Holy Spirit's power as He turns men from darkness to light.
• The power of the Holy Spirit enabled Christ’s disciples to turn the world upside down with the powerful preaching of the gospel. They could not have accomplished this in their own power. Jesus promised that the Spirit would come, live within them, and empower them in a miraculous way: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
• The disciples, who had been in hiding from the Romans after the crucifixion, became filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit's power was made manifest to a great number of people on the day of Pentecost , resulting in the conversion of about three thousand (Acts 2:41). That was the beginning of the indwelling power of the Spirit living within those He saves (John 14:17; Acts 2:1–4).
• The Apostle Paul gave all the credit and glory to the Spirit, whose power enabled his message to pierce the hearts of sinful men and bring them to salvation. He knew it was not his apologetics, hermeneutics, or persuasive ability that brought people to Christ: "My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God" (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).
• The power of the Holy Spirit to influence people and change the course of events is also seen in the early church through the dispensation of the spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7–11).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The Holy Spirit is still actively at work in the world today, carrying out God’s purposes in powerful and personal ways. He convicts the world of sin, helping people see their need for forgiveness and drawing them toward the salvation found only in Jesus Christ. For those who belong to Christ, the Spirit is both Comforter and Guide, strengthening us in times of weakness, reminding us of God’s promises, and leading us into the truth of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit empowers believers to live with boldness, equipping us with spiritual gifts to serve others and to advance God’s kingdom. The Spirit also produces fruit in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—that testify to His transforming work within us (Galatians 5:22-24). His presence is a constant reminder that God has not abandoned us but is dwelling in us, shaping us more and more into the likeness of Christ and giving us hope for the future when all things will be made new.

UNDERSTAND

• The Holy Spirit’s power is God’s power.
• Old Testament believers were in-filled with the Spirit temporarily while believers from Christ on are indwelt by the Spirit.
• The Spirit works within believers to make them new creations.

REFLECT

• How have you experienced the power of the Holy Spirit strengthening you in times when you felt weak or unable on your own?
• In what areas of your life do you need to rely more on the Spirit’s power instead of your own abilities?
• How does knowing that the Spirit’s power is unlimited and eternal change the way you face challenges or fears?

ENGAGE

• How do we see the Holy Spirit’s power revealed differently or similarly in the Old Testament and the New Testament?
• What does it look like to rely on the Holy Spirit’s power for ministry rather than just our own skills or strategies?
• How do the fruits of the Spirit show His power at work in believers?