As believers, there’s an inherited power in us – a power that lives inside of us once we accept Christ into our hearts, but just because it is there, doesn’t mean we are fully operating in it. We must understand what it is to activate God’s power in our lives.
In Ephesians 1:15-21, Paul explains it’s the same power that raised Christ from the dead that dwells in us – the power of the Holy Ghost, and it’s a power that exceeds/surpasses everything. Notice, he did not pray that they be given power, but that they recognize God’s power in them and that the eyes of their understanding be enlightened. They were believers already. They had faith in Jesus already, yet they were not operating in power. That’s what we must do – come to the revelation of the power in us. In the passage, he strategically lists how this power is far above everything else because we know there are other powers out there. The enemy has power, but none greater than God’s power.
In Ephesians 3:16-21, Paul reiterates his point by affirming the power resides in us. We see from both scriptures that it’s given to us, works within us, and dwells inside us. “Dwell” comes from the ancient Greek word for permanent home. The indwelling of Jesus is something for us to know by faith. He wanted them to be filled with all the fullness of God. Every good thing we can experience or even imagine, God can do it, even things beyond our comprehension or ability to imagine with our natural minds…according to the power that works in us. The things he prayed for in the previous verses: spiritual strength, the indwelling of Jesus, experiential knowledge of God’s love, and the fullness of God belong to us, if we can believe it.
Luke 10:19 says we have power and authority over all the powers of the enemy. It’s not power in our own strength; it’s a delegated power. When a policeman steps out in traffic, he puts his hand up, and cars stop – not by his own power, but by the authority granted to him. That’s the authority we have in Christ because we are backed by the power of God. Ephesians 6:10 says “be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might,” not ours.
In Mark 16:15-20, Jesus lists the signs that will follow believers. Verse 20 says, “they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.” God will confirm His Word, but first it must be put forth. He will bring the healing, but you and I as believers must lay hands on the sick by faith, believing that God will perform His Word. We have the power and the authority to take the Word of God, the name of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit and defeat the enemy.
Once we come to the revelation of God’s power working in us, we must know that it belongs to us. I think there’s a misconception that it’s only for certain individuals, such as pastors or those who hold offices, but in Acts 6:1-8, we see Stephen is described as “full of grace and power” and as a result, did “great wonders and signs among the people.” He was assigned to serve tables so the Apostles could devote themselves to preaching and prayer. The only thing that set him apart was that he was “full of faith and the holy spirit.” He was full of the same spirit that was in Paul, and the same power that is within us.
Once we understand that it belongs to us, we must know how to use it. When adversity arises, use your authority by speaking out what His Word says, using the Name of Jesus. Jesus made it very clear that His Name is the key to all authority: “Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). In Acts 3 when Peter & John encountered a lame man, they said, “In the Name of Jesus, rise up and walk,” and he did! It wasn’t their own anointing or power that raised the man – it was the authority in the Name of Jesus. That same authority belongs to us. Using the Name of Jesus is how we can tap into it, but we must have faith and believe it will work. Like the first passage we read, it is available to all believers, but we must believe it.
Prayer is also a vital part of relying on the power of God. Having a prayer life is essential to having a relationship with God. You can’t ask God for something if you’re not communicating with him. There’s also power in reading and knowing his Word, so when the enemy tries to deceive, we have God’s Word to use as a weapon. Satan doesn’t want us to operate in power, but that’s what God’s desire is for us. If we haven’t received that personal revelation, we can pray like Paul for the spirit of understanding, and for the eyes of our hearts to be enlightened.
Saved by Grace 
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