Taking Unto Us the Sword of the Spirit II: On the Holy Spirit; Who Is He?

And take… the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Eph 6:17)

SHIRAN: To whom does that Voice belong, that stops you in your tracks when you are about to sin? Who is responsible for what the world calls “coincidence”, when, for example, you get the urge to go and visit someone, and then they say that they have been praying for company all day long? How come that scripture that you read last night popped into your mind at a difficult point in your day, reminding you to be strong and go on? Who gives you the answers that silence unbelievers in a random argument that ensues during a lunch break? Whence do you get the sudden urge to stop what you are doing and pray for someone you haven’t thought of in a long time?

ZACK: You know Shiran, coincidence and luck are words that I am working out of my vocabulary since the profundity of this scripture hit home with me; And we know that in all things, God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28.) And to answer your questions there, the Spirit of God, I believe He rouses the saints then!

SHIRAN: Zack, most people refer to and think about the Holy Spirit as “It”! I was once like that. It took me a while to realize that the Holy Spirit is a Person, i.e. He has a personality, and is as much God as Jesus Christ and God the Father are.

ZACK: Worse than you there Shiran, before I received the Holy Spirit, I feared even the mention of Him. My perception of Him was of a ‘force’ that would make people shake and utter unintelligible words and basically not be themselves for a good amount of time. I dreaded that.

SHIRAN: Hahaha! I thought that, too, to an extent. That's funny... thank you for sharing; I am sure many soldiers will be consoled in realizing we all go through these moments - and grow from them! Go on...

ZACK: It was only until I began to study this subject further that I actually found out He (the Holy Spirit) actually has a personality and is really as Jesus said He is, the Comforter. Then I saw how enormously wrong I had been the whole while; I received Him almost immediately.

SHIRAN: Bless God for that revelation. The Holy Spirit, also known as the Holy Ghost, is not a “force” that people get when they are born again. The Holy Spirit thinks, feels, knows, IS. Remember Ananias and Sapphira? Quick story for those who don’t: Grab your Bibles (or click on the Bible in the sidebar if you can’t… tangible Bible is always better!) and check out Acts chapter 5.

(Zoom in:)

Ananias and Sapphira were married Christians. Their story is set just after Jesus ascended into heaven. The number of believers was growing steadily in Jerusalem. The believers were “of one heart and one soul” (Acts 4:32), just like we should be today! They shared their possessions, and those who had land and houses sold them and gave the money to the apostles. The money was shared “as everyone had need” (Acts 4:35).

So Zack, as you know, these guys decided to sell a possession so that they could also lay the money at the apostles’ feet. At some point, they must have conspired to give out just a part of the money they earned, instead of the entire amount. For some reason, this story right now reminds me of Adam and Eve and how they both hid from God after eating the fruit of the garden.

Ananias took the money to Peter, Jesus’ disciple. But Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost, and knew immediately that it was not the entire amount. He said to Ananias, “Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and keep back part of the price of the land?... Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.”

(Zoom out)

So, lying to the Holy Ghost is the same as lying to God.

ZACK: Definitely Shiran.

SHIRAN: Another piece of evidence? Paul tells us in Romans 8:26-27 that since we are men and do not know what to pray for as we ought to, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

ZACK: If we may, I’d like us to look again at that piece of scripture very carefully Shiran. Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth out infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Because I know how to pray doesn’t mean I know what to pray for. You know too often our prayers can be like the old farmer John’s: ‘Oh God, bless me and my wife and my son John junior and his wife, us four and no more’ [we might not all say the exact words but this is what it amounts to]. But this scripture here tells us the Holy Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered in articulate speech. This agrees with what Paul said in I Cor. 14:14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.

Shiran, when people pray in tongues, it is the Holy Spirit within them who gives them utterance to speak out of their spirit. In other words, when a person is praying in tongues, it is his spirit praying by the Holy Spirit who is within him. By this, the Holy Spirit is helping them to pray according to the will of God for things that should be prayed for. Which brings me to another point of the spiritual battle that we’re onto discussing through these series now; too often we think (erroneously) that we can fight a spiritual battle from only a mental or carnal perspective. This is wrong. Our physical bodies could not even last that long in such a battle, this is the reason why the Lord’s Holy Spirit comes to the rescue here (bails us out if you like) when He helps us to pray in the spirit. It is also important Shiran, that we know the Holy Spirit is not going to do the praying for us. He does not groan or speak in tongues apart from you. The Holy Spirit is sent to dwell in you. He is a helper, an intercessor –but He does not intercede apart from you. The way He helps us pray is by these groanings that escape our lips. They come out of our spirit, born of the Holy Spirit. Thus we can boldly say, ‘speaking in tongues’ is Holy Spirit-directed prayer. It eliminates the possibility of selfish prayer or inadequate prayer.

SHIRAN: I am learning, Zack. I could not have put that any better.

The Holy Spirit, Paul says, gives us gifts as He wills. Different people have different gifts, but it is the same Holy Spirit who gives them. God is loving… and constantly giving to us, His children. Remember John 3:16? He loved us so much that He gave!

ZACK: Interesting there that you should talk about giving and gifts Shiran. But we’ll come back to that. Well, yes Shiran, the Holy Spirit gives different people different gifts, each as He wills. If I recall correctly there are nine different gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians. Some are given one, others more; Jesus in his life ministry on earth had all. But it’s important we note that phrase, ‘as the Spirit wills’. Well getting back to giving and gifts there… you know Shiran, there are a lot of misconceptions out there when it comes to receiving the Holy Spirit: some people say you have to do certain things, or somehow clean up your life before receiving the Holy Spirit. If this was the case then Christ would have shed his blood in vain. But a lot of people get the notion that they must do something to receive the GIFT (mark that word) of the Holy Spirit. I’m of the view that something ceases to be a gift if you have to work for it. What do you think there Shiran?

SHIRAN: I agree. For example, salvation is a gift - not of works, lest any man should boast.

ZACK: When you are born again, there’s a change that occurs on your inside. Your spirit is recreated. And if you’re saved, you’re ready to be filled with the Holy Spirit; you don’t have to do anything but ask to receive! When Jesus promised us the comforter before He ascended to heaven, all the waiting was done between the time of Jesus’ ascension and the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit was sent into the world as our Comforter on the day of Pentecost and it’s been upon believers to receive Him since then. See Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

SHIRAN: I like that word - "endued" - it does not have anything to do with forcing God to give us something. To endue someone with something means to put it on them. I am checking dictionary.com and one of the definitions is "to clothe"! Go on, Zack.

ZACK: After the day of Pentecost, there is no other instance in the Bible where people had to tarry (wait) for the Holy Spirit! Evidences: Acts 8 (Eight years after Pentecost, Phillip went down to Samaria and as a result of his preaching, people were saved and baptised in water. Then Peter and John went down from Jerusalem, laid hands on the Samaritans), verse 17: and they received the Holy Ghost. Without agonizing, without tarrying, without disappointment, without exception, they all were filled with the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10, Cornelius and his household were filled with the Holy Spirit without praying, without waiting, without exception. Also see Acts 19. God does not have any trial-and-error methods, He doesn’t have any method of coming, seeking and not finding, and then going away empty.

SHIRAN: That is very true, Zack. I had never really thought about it like that. My mind seemed to stress the fact that the apostles were commanded to wait, but you point out something very important there.

Paul warns us not to grieve the Holy Spirit, whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption (Eph 4:30).

Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. God destroys those who defile His temple. (Remember those strange fires?) We are bought with a price, and as such, we cannot carry ourselves like the world does (1 Cor 3:16-17, 6:19-20).

ZACK: Romans 12:1, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. I like the way the KJV puts that, “…which is your reasonable sacrifice”. Put in other words… a small price to pay for something as precious as God’s Holy Spirit indwelling our bodies.

SHIRAN: Before Jesus was crucified, He told His disciples that He would not leave them comfortless, or orphans. He promised to send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who would remind them of all things, and reprove the world, and show them things to come. (John ch. 13-ch.16.)That promise is available to us as well, for we are disciples of Christ. We will get into that a little later.

ZACK: Shiran, I’m sure we’ll be covering more on this when we get to tackling the other aspect of the Christian warrior’s armour - praying always in the Spirit with all prayer and supplication…looking forward!

SHIRAN: Me, too! I have realized that I am learning a lot more than I thought I would! But to answer the question, Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is God. Plain and simple. We daren’t joke around with Him. He is to be respected and revered. The Holy Spirit is God.

ZACK: Also He is our Helper, He is our Comforter and He is our Friend.

strange fires

Zack: My interpretation of the word “temple” had always been “a very magnificent building in which people went to pray to God.” I held that view until I came across the scripture in God’s Word that said that God does not dwell in temples made with human hands (Acts 7:48, 17:24). That was an eye-opener; then I knew there was another kind of temple; one built not by hands of men, but by hands of God (Gen 1:27, Gen 2:21-22).

“After those days… I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts.” (Jer 31:33-34.) When we invite Jesus Christ to come dwell in our hearts, we become that new temple. The temple of the living God. In God’s planning, every minute detail is as important as it is intricate. In retrospect, in the Old Testament paradigm which we were given, God gave Moses a detailed set of instructions for building His temple, which, because the Israelites were still in transit from Egypt to Israel, was mobile. (Exodus 25, 26, & 27). Very notable is the fact that everything used was the best of the best. Every instruction for the building of the temple had to be followed to the letter. Perhaps more notable was the fact that God commanded His people at the time to, once the lamplights of the temple were set on, keep them burning always. (Exodus. 27:20.)

In our day when we are the living temples of God, it’s God Himself that sets that fire in His temple (our bodies) with His Spirit. Again as in the Old Testament paradigm, we shouldn’t let this fire go out. That is our primal responsibility…to keep this fire burning. Exodus 30:8-9 show us God’s commandment to Moses to keep this fire burning and not offer any other incense of it, except that which was commanded, for our praise is as incense to God.

Shiran: Very true! Jesus said we are the light of the world, as a city on a hill, which cannot be hidden. We are candles, which people light and put on candlesticks, that they may give light to the house. (Matt 5:14-15). Jesus also said He is the Light of the world. That might seem confusing until one reads Genesis 1:16 (brackets added): “And God made two great lights; the greater light [sun] to rule the day, and the lesser light [moon] to rule the night…” Christ is the Greater Light. We are the lesser lights, and just like the moon, we are supposed to reflect Christ’s light in this dark world.

After the temple was built, God instructed Moses to appoint as priests the tribe of Levi. Moses’ brother Aaron and his four sons, Moses’ nephews Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar were selected for this office. The priests were to offer sacrifices to God for the people’s sins. These were known as atonement offerings. They were also to offer thanksgiving sacrifices and wave-offerings, among other sacrificial duties. They performed certain medicinal duties such as testing people for leprosy. Each sacrifice had specific instructions for the way it was to be carried out.

Zack: Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before God in his temple. When they did, they were consumed by fire from the presence of God. (Lev. 10:1-2.) They henceforth serve as examples to us - as temples of living God, we, too, should be very careful not to bring strange fires into God’s house.

Shiran: Still during this sojourn in the wilderness, Moses sent twelve men to go and search the land of Canaan, and see what lay in store for the Israelites when they got there. (Numbers 13). The men went and searched out the land, and ten came back very discouraged. They felt they were unable to conquer it. It was, as God had promised, a land of milk and honey. They even brought back samples – grapes, pomegranates and figs, how delicious!

“Nevertheless,” these men said, “the people be strong that dwell in that land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.” (Num 13:27-29)

Stop!

Who? The children of Anak, the Amale-what? The Jebu-who?

Anak was a giant. His descendants, also known as the sons of the Anakims (Deut 1:28), or the children of the Anakims (Deut 9:2). So if Anak was a giant, his descendants probably were, too. This frightened the men.

Amalek was Esau’s grandson (Genesis 36:12). According to Bible Topics, the Amalekites were a wicked, oppressive, warlike and cruel people, as demonstrated throughout the Bible. God ordered king Saul to utterly destroy the entire people of Amalek (1 Samuel 15:18).

The Jebusites, descendants of Noah’s son Ham (Genesis 10:6, Genesis 10:15-16), were a Canaanite people who lived in and around the area called Jebus, which king David later conquered by miraculous means, and renamed Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 5:6-7).

The Amorites were also descendants of Ham (Gen 10:6,15-16). Bible Topics uses scripture references to describe them as of gigantic strength and stature, with many strong cities. They were profane and wicked and idolatrous. The LORD “destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath (Amos 2:9).”

Shiran: Anyway… Ten men came back discouraged. How about the remaining two?

Zack: Two of these men, Joshua, the son of Nun, and Caleb, son of Jephunneh, had faith in their God when they said unto the children of Israel, “…The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land…” (Num. 14:7-8.) Their ten contemporaries had brought back a very negative and greatly disheartening report. A report of fear, a report of doubt. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of love, a spirit of power and a spirit of a sound mind.” (2 Tim 1:7.) Fear and doubt to us, children of God living under the new and everlasting covenant are a sin, a strange fire in God’s temple. God still hates the strange fires. We should be careful what we set up in God’s temple. The two sons of Aaron and the ten contemporaries of Caleb and Joshua weren’t so lucky; their judgement was as sudden as was God’s fury at their disrespect for what He has set aside as holy unto Himself. The latter [ten contemporaries] didn’t make it into God’s promised land. You and I are still under the mercy of God, we can still change…will you be of the mindset of the sons of Nun and Jephunneh or will you continue to fear the sons of Ala’k?

Shiran: Like David slew Goliath, so can we, with God on our side, overcome any mountain, any giant, that tries to intimidate us. Fear and doubt must be overcome by faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 12:3 says that God hath dealt to every man a measure of faith. That means you have faith. With each miracle, faith increases. I echo Zack’s question: will you be of the mindset of the sons of Nun and Jephunneh, or will you fear the sons of Anak?