Ephesians • Depend on the Treasure of God’s Empowering Presence

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Living passively towards Christ or pursuing a sinful lifestyle as a believer does not change your identity. But it does change your usefulness to God and is a substitute way of approaching life. In the last article in this series, we looked at the treasure we have in being part of God’s church. This is post #7 in the Ephesians blog series. In this post, we will look at the treasure of God’s empowering presence in our lives and how He helps us to live successfully and worthy of our calling.

Listen to this post as a similar podcast from the Seek the Treasure Bible Study covering Ephesians in the New Testament. (8 lessons)

Functioning as God Designed

I know a young man who is verbally gifted, very creative, and has a minister’s servant heart. But he has been afflicted with a disease that affects his inner ears, leaving him dizzy and off-balance. For many days of his life, he can’t drive or even walk straight. He can’t function as he should. Several years ago, he tried a new treatment that increased blood flow to his brain and inner ears. Within a few weeks, he had less dizziness. He could walk and think straight. The power of that treatment helped him to live successfully as God designed him to do.

That’s what God’s Holy Spirit does for us. His power works within us so that we can function as God designed us to be. We can get out of the stupor of worldly thinking, cravings, and habits. Instead, we have clear thinking. We learn how to approach life God’s way.

God’s Empowering Presence

Strengthening the Inner Self

We learned this from Paul’s prayer in Ephesians chapter 3,

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, … Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, (Ephesians 3:16, 20)

The Holy Spirit strengthens your inner self with God’s almighty power—a power greater than any other power anywhere. God’s mighty power is at work within you to do the work God wants done in your life.

Paul spent the next 2½ chapters in this letter to the Ephesians describing God’s mighty power working within us to change us from the inside out. He does this so our lives will reflect our new identity in Christ and bring glory to the God who gifted us with His grace. This is how to live a life worthy of our God.

Power source for successful living

God’s Holy Spirit in your inner being does this. And God’s spiritual power is greater than anything we can try on our own, it’s available to every believer, and it flows from the person of the Holy Spirit. God’s empowering presence is our power source for successful living.

Paul described successful living in Ephesians chapters 4, 5 and 6. We’ll cover this in three parts. This article will cover what it means to live by God’s Spirit rather than by what your own flesh desires. The next post will cover godliness as a fruit of living by the Spirit. Then, we will cover the victory we have through living by the Spirit as described in Ephesians 6.

Our calling is to be like Christ. So the Holy Spirit fills you with Himself and transforms you from the inside out so that your character begins to look more like that of Jesus and your lifestyle glorifies God more than yourself. To be like Christ means that you approach life God’s way.

Yet, there is a substitute way for approaching life. You saw that substitute way in Ephesians 2. The Bible calls it “living by the flesh.”

Ready to find out what living by the flesh is and how to avoid it?

The Substitute Way of Approaching Life

Living by the flesh

Living by the flesh is a substitute way of approaching life. The flesh is the personality of a human controlled by sin and directed to selfish pursuits rather than the service of God. When you were saved, your spirit was given new life. But you are still living in the old body with your original personality. Your mind, emotions, and will are part of that original personality and are still influenced by that sinful nature.

We may not know what it is and where to find it, but we definitely know how the flesh works. It sends messages to the mind that are in conflict with the Spirit. Sadly, the flesh does not improve over time or change its nature as long as we are in our bodies! The flesh doesn’t become more “godly.” It’s not less temptable. Christians who believe that are prime targets for failure, because they tend to play with fire and let down their guard against temptation.

Flesh power is strong

The flesh gets a lot of help from the world, which is influenced heavily by Satan. Flesh power is strong. It always leads away from God’s way of approaching life to your own way or the world’s way. The result is ugly.

In Ephesians chapter 2, we learned that unbelievers live by the flesh—doing what the flesh directs them to do, gratifying its cravings, and following its desires and thoughts. Following the ways of this world also fits living by the flesh.

Read more about the darkness affecting unbelievers in the blog, “Ephesians • Remember the Treasure of Your Rescue from Darkness.”

Believers Don’t Have to Live by the Flesh

Paul described some of this ugliness in Ephesians chapter 4: lying, stealing, holding onto anger, speaking hurtful words, harboring bitterness and unforgiveness, exhibiting rage and meanness in word and action.

Not helpless

But he also gave us this great news:

So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. … That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:17, 20-24)

You as a Christian are not helpless against your flesh that is always trying to make you sin against God. God rescued you from being in bondage to sin by placing Himself inside you. You don’t have to live by the flesh.

God’s empowering presence living inside you is greater than the substitute power of your flesh.

Paul used the analogy of getting rid of old clothes and having a whole new wardrobe to wear. These new clothes are not made out of cloth or yarn but are new clothes for our minds and behavior. A new way of thinking. A new way of living.

Make choices

But we must make choices to put on those new clothes. Like old well-worn clothes, the old self doesn’t improve over time. Yet, our choices can change over time. This new way of living is called “living by the Spirit.” What does that look like?

Living by the Spirit

Living by the Spirit begins with desiring God’s way over your own way. It’s lived out as you submit to God’s Spirit to help you live out the life of Christ within you every day. For every situation you face, begin with this question, “What does God want me to do versus what do I want or feel like doing?” Living by Spirit power always leads to God’s way of approaching life.

By the way, no believer can be 100% living by the Spirit every day. It’s not possible until we get new bodies. In fact, you will probably be living by the Spirit in some aspects of your life while living by the flesh in others. I know I am.

You will be transformed step by step as the Spirit reveals to you where you need to change your way of thinking or living. Over time, you will recognize that you are living by the Spirit in some areas of your life while living by the flesh in others. As you grow in your faith, Jesus will teach you to trust Him in new or unexplored areas of your life. The result is that you will be approaching life God’s way more and more.

So let’s explore and learn how to live in God’s power in new places.

Living by the Spirit is God’s way of approaching life.

At the end of Ephesians chapter 3, Paul gave that fantastic declaration of God’s immense power at work within us. He followed that with an appeal to live according to the new identity we have been given. Then, Paul began to address thoughts and behavior.

Where would you expect him to start? Sex, greed, idolatry, right? The big 3. Instead, he begins with this in verse 2:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2-3)

Humility and gentleness

Overcoming the power of your flesh begins with humility and gentleness. Humility is a decision you make to recognize God’s authority over you and desire what He wants more than what you want. You know that you’ve made that decision when you are willing to trust in God’s goodness and accept His dealings with you as good without fighting Him on it.

Gentleness carries the idea of strength under control. You and I have the strength in our flesh to crush the spirit of someone, to cuss out, to cheat, to lie, and to steal. But choosing to put that strength under the Spirit’s control instead is something only God’s power can accomplish in us! And it’s the outworking of humility.

Patient and bearing with one another

When you start with humility and gentleness, then you can be patient with people and situations because you are trusting God about them. You can lovingly bear with other believers because that’s what God does as He bears with your mistakes and quirkiness.

Unite more than divide

You can be one who unites more than divides in your local church community. This is not ignoring real issues that must be addressed. It is more along the lines of not being picky, critical, and more interested in pleasing your own preferences rather than magnifying Christ. Living by Spirit power will promote unity.

Starting with the foundation of humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another, and keeping the unity of the Spirit gives you a basis to deal with two of the most challenging situations we face in relationships: anger and hurtful words. Both of these are substitute powers.

Overcoming 2 Substitute Powers

Anger as a substitute power

You and I both know that anger is a powerful force. We also know that not all anger is bad because God expresses the emotion of anger. And Christ felt anger in His time on earth (Mark 3:1-5). God’s anger is directed against sin and the hurt that sin causes. That’s called righteous anger.

But remember that God also describes Himself as “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth” (Exodus 34:6-7). God’s anger is always under control, and He takes the appropriate action when needed.

God has given humans the emotion of anger. Its purpose is to alert us to something that requires appropriate action. So what should you do for any situation that stirs anger in you? Start by asking yourself this question, “Why am I angry? What appropriate action should I take?”

In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:26-27)

The problem for us is that rarely does our anger stay righteous like God’s for very long before our sinful nature takes over. That’s why we need to deal with it quickly and get rid of it. Sinful anger leads to broken relationships. The action to take is reconciliation. Any time you give the devil a foothold in a relationship, you are giving way to a substitute for trusting God.

Whenever you recognize unresolved anger, rage, and bitterness in yourself, you know you are living by the flesh rather than by the Spirit.

Read the blog, “Philippians 4:1-3 • Joy in Conflict” for help in resolving conflict.

Hurtful speech as a substitute power

You can recognize when you are living by the flesh not only by your angry behavior but also by the hurtful words that you say, especially when you are angry or disappointed.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)

Think about what you say to those around you and how you respond to them. Ask yourself: “What did I say that was building them up and beneficial to them? Or am I just blowing off steam in a mean way?”

Maybe you have fallen into a bad habit of mean words. Stop it. If a believer is mean to you, quote Ephesians 4:29 and say, “Want to try that again?”

Read more about this in the blog, “Ephesians 4:29 • Christian, Stop Rotten Talk!”

It’s so easy to blame people or circumstances for our anger. Yes, what people do can stir up anger. But people and circumstances do not make you impatient, hold onto bitterness, or fly into fits of rage. They don’t make you speak hurtful words.

Your reactions to people and circumstances usually reveal where you are living—by God’s empowering presence or by your own flesh power.

Your reactions to people and circumstances are like pH paper in science revealing an acid or a base. Bitterness, rage, anger, slander, and malice become substitutes for trusting God.

The answer is…

The answer is to go back to what you need to do to live a life worthy of the Lord. As Paul wrote at the end of Ephesians 4,

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Put off all that bad stuff—bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and malice. Put on the good stuff—kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. In fact, you are called to be as forgiving as God. Only God’s Spirit power can make you that forgiving!

Read more about overcoming a mean spirit in this blog, “Overcome the “Mean Spirit” Button.”

God’s Spirit will help you find scriptures that deal with any of these bad responses and lead you back to trusting God with that situation and the results.

Resisting God’s Empowering Presence

But what if you don’t want to change? What if you would rather live by the flesh in a few areas? Sadly, it is possible for believers to live by the flesh so that their lives look like those of unbelievers.

Paul called the Corinthians “worldly” Christians because they were living by the flesh and the world. You know some people like that.

You need to know some truths about choosing to resist God’s Spirit and live by the flesh:

Submitting to the flesh always leads away from God’s way of approaching life to your own way or the world’s way.

Because of your faith in Christ, God’s grace is continually forgiving you of sin. But you don’t have permission to intentionally sin without consequences. Intentional sin does not fit with who you are as a forgiven Christian with a new life to enjoy. You can wear those old clothes, but they don’t really fit any longer.

You are free to choose to sin—to choose to wear some of those favorite old clothes. But you are notfree to choose when or how the consequences of that sinful behavior will hurt you or will hurt those you love.

Living passively towards Christ or pursuing a sinful lifestyle as a believer does not change your identity. But it does change your usefulness to God and definitely the enjoyment of your spiritual blessing jewels in Christ. You will not be living successfully as a believer in Christ and definitely not worthy of your calling.

Read more about choosing to live by the flesh and the fruit of that choice in this blog, “Pathway #4: Choose Whom You Will Serve.”

Would you rather live successfully as a believer?

God’s Power Source for Successful Living

The Holy Spirit is God’s power source for successful living.

You know you are living by Spirit power when you step out in obedience to God’s Word, depend on God’s Spirit for the ability and power to do what He asks you to do, and trust God with the results.

The normal goal of human childrearing is to raise our children to become more independent over time. God’s goal is to raise His children to become less independent over time and more dependent on Him. He gives us everything we need to do this. Remember Ephesians 3:20?

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, (Ephesians 3:20)

God takes our rubbish and turns it into treasure. He says, “Look what I can do in a human life.”

To see how God gives us victory over the flesh, read this blog, “John 8 • Adulterous Woman, Jesus satisfies your heart with VICTORY.”

Do you want to live successfully? You can live successfully in the power already available to you through God’s Spirit who is greater than anything you could substitute for Him. That’s the treasure of God’s empowering presence.

In the next post, we will look at how to live out the treasure of godliness.

Let Jesus satisfy your heart with the confidence that the treasure you have in Him is more powerful and valuable than anything you could substitute for Him.

All of the above information is covered in the Seek the Treasure Bible Study covering Ephesians in the New Testament.

Other Resources