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The Power of God

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.”
Luke 8:30–32
A Roman legion was comprised of more than six thousand soldiers. The maniac of Gadera was possessed by so many demons they referred to themselves as, “Legion,” yet they had no power against the Lord. Instead they came as beggars, asking not to be immediately sent to their final judgment but instead sent into the herd of pigs feeding nearby.
Dr. A. J. Gordon told of a visitor from England who traveled to see Niagara Falls with a pastor friend from America. When they arrived to view the mighty waterfall, the visitor said, “This must be the greatest unused power in the world.” The pastor replied, “No. The greatest unused power in the world is the Holy Spirit of the Living God.” God has all power and all authority, and He has given His Holy Spirit to all who trust Him.
We have within us all the power we need to overcome temptation, to witness effectively, and to fulfill the commands of God. He has not left us without the resources we need to accomplish the tasks He has given us. Jesus grounded the Great Commission on His divine power and authority. “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matthew 28:18–19).

Today’s Growth Principle: 

A Christian living and working in the power of God has no need to fear any force on earth.

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“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”   --John 14:27 If you and I are promised peace as our inheritance as Christ-followers, how come so many Christians today aren’t experiencing peace in their daily lives? It’s because we’re looking to the wrong things to give us peace! It’s actually kind of funny when you think about it. So many people, when they’re searching for peace, turn to so many things that ultimately don’t fulfill them. They try the peace of escape, the peace of drugs or alcohol, the peace of entertainment, the peace of pleasure. And why don’t these things ever fulfill? Because the peace they give is temporary! It’s fleeting! Only Jesus Christ can give true, lasting peace. I mean, think about it. Jesus was the only one who experienced peace in the middle of a stormy, raging sea. He was the only one who was calm, cool, and collected when he and his disciples had a shortage of food for the multitude. Jesus was the one who wasn’t frightened by demon-possessed people. And he was the one who was at peace and in total control through his own arrest, trial, and horrifically painful execution! So if Jesus exhibited complete and total peace during even the most stressful and extreme of circumstances, why would you and I look anywhere else for peace in our own lives? Here’s the bottom line: We must let the Prince of Peace rule in our hearts before we can know his peace. So let me ask you, are there areas in your life where you’re not letting the Prince of Peace rule? Because the more you are like Jesus Christ in every area of your life, the more you will experience his true, lasting, and fulfilling peace. WE MUST LET THE PRINCE OF PEACE RULE IN OUR HEARTS BEFORE WE CAN KNOW HIS PEACE.