Bible Study Without the Holy Spirit, We Can Do Nothing.

[Tenchi]

"Principles for Spiritual Victory​

"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might" (Eph. 6:10).​

You can be victorious!

This month we've learned many things about spiritual warfare that I pray will better equip you for victory in your Christian life. In concluding our brief study of Ephesians 6:10-18, here are some key principles I want you to remember:

1. Remember that Satan is a defeated foe. Jesus came to destroy his works (1 John 3:8) and will someday cast him into eternal hell (Rev. 20:10).
2. Remember the power of Christ in your life. John said, "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). The same power that defeated Satan indwells you. Consequently, you are never alone or without divine resources.
3. Remember to resist Satan. You have the power to resist him, so don't acquiesce to him by being ignorant of his schemes or deliberately exposing yourself to temptation.
4. Keep your spiritual armor on at all times. It's foolish to enter combat without proper protection.
5. Let Christ control your attitudes and actions. The spiritual battle we're in calls for spiritual weapons (2 Cor. 10:3-4), so take "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (v. 5). Feed on the Word and obey its principles.
6. Pray, pray, pray! Prayer unleashes the Spirit's power. Be a person of fervent and faithful prayer (cf. James 5:16).

God never intended for you to live in spiritual defeat. I pray you'll take advantage of the resources He has supplied that your life might honor Him. Enjoy sweet victory every day!

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for His promise of ultimate victory in Christ.

For Further Study

Read Ephesians 6:10-18.

• Review each piece of armor.
• Is any piece missing from your personal defense system? If so, determine what you will do to correct the deficiency."

(From Drawing Near by John MacArthur)


Interesting read, eh? There's some good stuff in this summary devotional. But the statements in this summary really need a number of vital qualifications/clarifications.

Ephesians 6:10 is a great verse, repeating the truth of the necessity of divine life and power in Christian living that is found all across the books of the New Testament. Nothing is made clearer in the NT than that the Christian "walks with God," that is, "walks in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16, 25), by His power, not their own. Redemption, adoption, justification, sanctification and transformation are all a work of God bestowed upon the undeserving and impotent lost person, not achieved by them.

Philippians 1:6
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:13
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Romans 8:13
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

2 Corinthians 3:18
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31
30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Ephesians 3:16
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

And so on.

Strangely - and frequently - Christians acknowledge what the verses/passages above say about godly living being achieved by God's power and work in the believer but then they set out to "be godly" by their own fleshly effort. Applying their own powers of will, physical strength and intellect to the business of "walking with God," they attempt to advance spiritually, to go "deep with God." But as the verses above clearly indicate, God reserves the work of deepening us to Himself. Like begets like, you see: A cat only begets a cat; a dog only begets a dog; and you and I can only beget more of ourselves. If we want to be godly, God must work to "beget" godliness in us, which He promises in His word to do (see above).

1 Peter 5:10-11
10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jude 1:24-25
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:7-9
7 ...wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Continued below.

 

[Tenchi]

"Yes, yes," you might say, "Of course God is the One who sustains and changes us. But we don't just sit on our hands waiting for Him to do it all for us. We are commanded to act, to do things, many, many times in the Bible." Well, hang on, here. Scripture makes it very clear that God is not merely a support to our efforts to please Him; He isn't just a Divine Assistant in our labor to be more like Jesus. No, Christ is our very Life, both physically and spiritually.

John 1:3-5
3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 14:5-6
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Colossians 3:4
4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

As Jesus said to the Twelve, "Without me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). We have no spiritual life, let alone power, that is our own. Apart from God, apart from the life and work of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9; Philippians 1:19), we are utterly without strength to be who God wants us to be; just consider what Scripture says about us when we were lost:

Romans 5:6
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Titus 3:3-5
3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,
5 he saved us...

Ephesians 2:1-5
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

What God has called His children to in being His own is utterly beyond what they can achieve in their own fleshly, human powers. We absolutely need divine power to achieve a divine end. When we act to produce for God from our own reserves of will-power, physical strength and intellect what only He can produce, the result is fleshly and corrupt and entirely rejected by God, however "spiritual," however obedient to God's commands, it seems to be.

Galatians 6:7-8
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption...

Romans 8:5-8
5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Galatians 5:17
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Romans 7:18
18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

When, then, Christians tell each other that they can be spiritually "victorious," they tell the truth. But if they go on to locate that victory in the actions, the powers, of their flesh (intellect, willpower, physical strength), they horribly mislead one another. As Paul wrote, "In me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing." A godly end, therefore, cannot be achieved by dint of flesh-centered, human power.

Continued below.

 

[Tenchi]

1. Remember that Satan is a defeated foe. Jesus came to destroy his works (1 John 3:8) and will someday cast him into eternal hell (Rev. 20:10).


Yes, Satan is a defeated foe. But a Christian can still subject themselves to his power, they can "give place/ground/opportunity to the devil" (Ephesians 4:27) in their lives and be brought into bondage to him. This happens when children of God depart from God's authority and control and begin to "chart their own course." In this condition of rebellion toward God, they have no hope of "resisting the devil"; for as a rebel toward God, the believer has God as their opponent, too.

James 4:6-7
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Submission to God MUST precede resisting the devil. A believer living out from under the control of their Maker is a rebel toward Him (there is no other option) until such time as they come again under His control. So long as this is so, the Christian faces not only the opposition of the devil, but of their heavenly Father, too.

1 Peter 5:5-9
5 ... “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
9 Resist him, firm in your faith...

Here, also, the apostle Peter echoes Paul, putting submission to God before resisting the devil, and reminding the Christian believer that God is the opponent of any who are proud before Him, as every rebel is.

So, yes, remember that the devil is a defeated foe. Remember also, though, that the unsubmitted believer, the rebellious believer, is "devoured" without difficulty by the "roaring lion" and is opposed by God Himself while they remain out from under the constant control of the Holy Spirit.


2. Remember the power of Christ in your life. John said, "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). The same power that defeated Satan indwells you. Consequently, you are never alone or without divine resources.

But this "power," the Person of the Holy Spirit, acts on behalf of the believer, teaching, strengthening and changing them, only as they agree to his doing so by their conscious, explicit submission to him throughout each day. Only as this is the case are the "divine resources" of the Holy Spirit exerted by him upon the born-again person.


3. Remember to resist Satan. You have the power to resist him, so don't acquiesce to him by being ignorant of his schemes or deliberately exposing yourself to temptation.

Yes, we must all as children of God "resist the devil." And, yes, the Holy Spirit has the power to enable us to do so. But see above. If we attempt to "resist the devil" under the wrong circumstance spiritually, we will be quickly and badly overcome, opposed by two far greater powers, one of them God Himself. God demands of us that we restore the right spiritual circumstance with Him by three steps and if we don't, we will continue to be "easy meat" for the Evil One:

1.) Repentance (changing our mind about our sin and the lies we've told ourselves that bring us into sin) - James 4:6-10; Revelation 2-3.

2.) Confession (agreeing with God that the lies we've accepted and sin we've committed are lies and sin) - 1 John 1:9.

3) Submission (yielding ourselves consciously and explicitly to the control of the Holy Spirit) - Romans 6:13-22; Romans 8:14; Romans 12:1.


4. Keep your spiritual armor on at all times. It's foolish to enter combat without proper protection.
Jesus, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, is our armor. All of the "spiritual armor" - the "helmet of salvation," the "breastplate of righteousness," the "belt of truth," the "sandals of Gospel readiness" and "the shield of faith" - are all ultimately Christ himself.

Jesus is our salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 John 5:11-12).
Jesus is our Righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 2 Peter 1:1).
Jesus is The Truth (John 14:6).
Jesus is the Center of the Gospel (1 Timothy 2:5; John 1:12; John 3:16-19).
Jesus is the Source of our faith (John 12:32; Romans 12:3; Philippians 1:29).

In light of these truths, we "put on Christ" and all the spiritual "armor" that he is when we are saved.

Galatians 3:27
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Romans 13:12-14
12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
There is, then, no putting on and putting off one's "spiritual armor." If one has put on that "armor," if one has "put on Christ," and thus been saved, there is no taking him off, which is to say, undoing one's salvation (Hebrews 13:5; John 10:27-29; Romans 8:31-39).


5. Let Christ control your attitudes and actions. The spiritual battle we're in calls for spiritual weapons (2 Cor. 10:3-4), so take "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (v. 5). Feed on the Word and obey its principles.
Let Christ, that is, the Spirit of Christ, control all of you. Every born-again person is to be a "branch in the Vine" (John 15:4-5), a "vessel sanctified and prepared for the Master's use" (2 Timothy 2:20-21), a "bond-servant to righteousness" (Romans 6:22), and as such has yielded up all rights, goals and desires to God. The great Bible commentator, Dr. Albert Barnes, wrote the following on this point:

“A living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). - A sacrifice is an offering made to God as an atonement for sin; or any offering made to him and his service as an expression of thanksgiving or homage. It implies, that he who offers it presents it entirely, releases all claim or right to it, and leaves it to be disposed of for the honour of God. In the case of an animal, it was slain, and the blood offered; in the case of any other offering, as the firstfruits, etc., it was set apart to the service of God; and he who offered it released all claim on it, and submitted it to God, to be disposed of at his will. This is the offering which the apostle entreats the Romans to make; to devote themselves to God, as if they had no longer any claim on themselves; to be disposed of by him; to suffer and bear all that he might appoint; and to promote his honour in any way which he might command. This is the nature of true religion.” - Albert Barnes

There is no real "Christian living" under any other circumstance than that of being a living sacrifice to God. If one is not such a sacrifice all day, every day, one is not truly walking with God and they certainly aren't able to wage successful spiritual warfare.

6. Pray, pray, pray! Prayer unleashes the Spirit's power. Be a person of fervent and faithful prayer (cf. James 5:16).

And most importantly, when you pray, be a holy person, a righteous person, who does not indulge willfully in what they know to be sin. It is the fervent prayer of a RIGHTEOUS person that avails much with God. It isn't the quantity of our prayers that is important to God but the quality of them.

Psalm 66:18
18 If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear;
Isaiah 59:2
2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

1 Peter 3:12
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

 

[JLB]

"Principles for Spiritual Victory​

"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might" (Eph. 6:10).​

You can be victorious!

This month we've learned many things about spiritual warfare that I pray will better equip you for victory in your Christian life. In concluding our brief study of Ephesians 6:10-18, here are some key principles I want you to remember:

1. Remember that Satan is a defeated foe. Jesus came to destroy his works (1 John 3:8) and will someday cast him into eternal hell (Rev. 20:10).
2. Remember the power of Christ in your life. John said, "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). The same power that defeated Satan indwells you. Consequently, you are never alone or without divine resources.
3. Remember to resist Satan. You have the power to resist him, so don't acquiesce to him by being ignorant of his schemes or deliberately exposing yourself to temptation.
4. Keep your spiritual armor on at all times. It's foolish to enter combat without proper protection.
5. Let Christ control your attitudes and actions. The spiritual battle we're in calls for spiritual weapons (2 Cor. 10:3-4), so take "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (v. 5). Feed on the Word and obey its principles.
6. Pray, pray, pray! Prayer unleashes the Spirit's power. Be a person of fervent and faithful prayer (cf. James 5:16).

God never intended for you to live in spiritual defeat. I pray you'll take advantage of the resources He has supplied that your life might honor Him. Enjoy sweet victory every day!

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for His promise of ultimate victory in Christ.

For Further Study

Read Ephesians 6:10-18.

• Review each piece of armor.
• Is any piece missing from your personal defense system? If so, determine what you will do to correct the deficiency."

(From Drawing Near by John MacArthur)


Interesting read, eh? There's some good stuff in this summary devotional. But the statements in this summary really need a number of vital qualifications/clarifications.

Ephesians 6:10 is a great verse, repeating the truth of the necessity of divine life and power in Christian living that is found all across the books of the New Testament. Nothing is made clearer in the NT than that the Christian "walks with God," that is, "walks in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16, 25), by His power, not their own. Redemption, adoption, justification, sanctification and transformation are all a work of God bestowed upon the undeserving and impotent lost person, not achieved by them.

Philippians 1:6
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:13
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Romans 8:13
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

2 Corinthians 3:18
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31
30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Ephesians 3:16
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

And so on.

Strangely - and frequently - Christians acknowledge what the verses/passages above say about godly living being achieved by God's power and work in the believer but then they set out to "be godly" by their own fleshly effort. Applying their own powers of will, physical strength and intellect to the business of "walking with God," they attempt to advance spiritually, to go "deep with God." But as the verses above clearly indicate, God reserves the work of deepening us to Himself. Like begets like, you see: A cat only begets a cat; a dog only begets a dog; and you and I can only beget more of ourselves. If we want to be godly, God must work to "beget" godliness in us, which He promises in His word to do (see above).

1 Peter 5:10-11
10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jude 1:24-25
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:7-9
7 ...wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Continued below.

Do you believe the Promise of the Father, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is for today?

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”Acts 1:4-5


But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8


Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. Acts 2:33


For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:39

• the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call

This promise of the Father is for all!

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is God’s power to live the Christian life.





JLB

 

[Tenchi]

Do you believe the Promise of the Father, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is for today?

Yes. The "baptism" of the Spirit is the means of the "second birth" of every child of God by which they are placed in Christ, spiritually.

Titus 3:5
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Romans 8:9-11
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

This promise of the Father is for all!

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is God’s power to live the Christian life.

Is it the baptism that is the important thing? Or the indwelling Person of the Holy Spirit? It is, after all, the Spirit who does the baptizing, right?

And what's to be done with all of the many instances of criticism and correction levelled at born-again believers throughout the letters of the New Testament (1 Corinthians 3, 5, 6, 11, Galatians 3:3, Ephesians 5:1-13, Revelation 2-3, 1 John 1:8-9, etc.)? If it was a foregone conclusion that Christians would live properly simply because they are born-again (i.e. baptized into Christ by the Holy Spirit), all of the correction and criticism of them in the NT would not have been necessary.

Unfortunately, many Christians give little evidence that they are indwelt by the Holy Spirit in the character of their practical living, being unholy, biblically ignorant, often unaware that they are on a spiritual battlefield all the time, and bound, therefore, in various deceptions and sin. Though they "live in/by the Spirit" they know next to nothing of "walking in/by the Spirit." But all children of God are commanded to do both.

Galatians 5:25
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

 

[JLB]

Is it the baptism that is the important thing? Or the indwelling Person of the Holy Spirit? It is, after all, the Spirit who does the baptizing, right?

The Spirit does the baptizing when a person is born again.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13

We are born again by the Spirit.



Then there is baptism in water, which is done by man.

But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Acts 8:12-13

Samaria believed the message of salvation and were born again.

Then they were baptized in water by Phillip.

However they had not been baptized with the Holy Spirit.


The baptism with the Holy Spirit is where Jesus Christ is the Baptizer.

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:11


Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:14




JLB

 

[Tenchi]

The Spirit does the baptizing when a person is born again.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13

We are born again by the Spirit.

Right.

Then there is baptism in water, which is done by man.

But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Acts 8:12-13

Samaria believed the message of salvation and were born again.

Then they were baptized in water by Phillip.

However they had not been baptized with the Holy Spirit.

??? There is no being "born-again" except one is "baptized" by the Spirit into Jesus Christ. Read Romans 8:9-14; 1 John 4:13; Titus 3:5. At the moment of conversion, the Spirit unites the saved person, spiritually, with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection and in so doing brings them into "newness of life" in him (Romans 6:1-6; 2 Corinthians 5:17). One cannot, then, be saved, - that is, born-again - except by being "baptized" into Jesus Christ, spiritually, by the Spirit. For you to say that those who believed in Acts 8 were saved but not baptized by the Spirit is, therefore, very...peculiar, to me. The former necessarily requires the latter.

Not until Peter and John laid their hands on the believing people of Samaria were they actually born-again, which is to say, saved. Why did the Holy Spirit wait on these two apostles to lay their hands on the believing people of Samaria before indwelling them and thus spiritually regenerating them? Is there anywhere in Scripture that explicitly teaches that such laying on of hands by an apostle is typical or necessary to a person being saved? No.

It seems to me that this instance of laying on of hands by the apostles was simply a means whereby God established the spiritual authority of the apostles; it was one of several such supernatural demonstrations in Acts that they were truly in service to Himself. But this conferring of the Spirit upon the Samarian believers was not an essential element of being well-and-truly saved.

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:11

And so it was in Acts 2. Nowhere else in all of Scripture, however, does the Holy Spirit descend upon people in the manner of Acts 2. Only the apostles in the upper room had cloven tongues of fire resting upon them and heard a sound "as of a mighty, rushing wind" when the Holy Spirit came upon them. The apostle Paul, in contrast, makes no mention whatever of such an experience as part of his conversion, nor does Luke in his record of the Acts of the Apostles indicate such a thing happening to Paul. Did the converted people of Samaria have cloven tongues of fire resting upon them when the apostles laid their hands upon them and the Holy Spirit indwelt them? No. Was there a sound of a mighty, rushing wind accompanying the conversion of the believing Samaritans? No. But the Spirit did come to dwell within them, nonetheless. This indwelling is the key thing, the thing that is the essence of being "baptized" by the Holy Spirit which is to be saved, not outward supernatural signs, or the laying on of hands.

And so, when the means of salvation is described in the New Testament, never are things like apostolic laying on of hands, or tongues, or falling down to the ground in a fit of "spiritual" hysteria, ever said to be necessary to a person being saved, or to be expected in accompaniment of conversion. Instead, a person is saved by means of the following:

Romans 10:9-13
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

John 3:14-16
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 5:24
24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

John 3:36
36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Ephesians 2:8
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

Acts 16:30-31
30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

And so on. Where is any mention of apostolic laying on of hands in these verses? Nowhere. Where in these verses are external, supernatural signs made necessary to salvation? Nowhere.

It's really important, I think, for Christians to understand when reading God's word that description doesn't equal prescription. Nowhere in Acts 2 (or anywhere else in the NT) are we told that the events described of the "second birth" of the disciples in the upper room are prescriptive for every conversion. This prescriptiveness is entirely assumed by those who hold it to be so. The same is true for the events in Acts 8 concerning the believing Samaritans. What is described of their actual salvation through Peter and John is never said to be prescriptive for all conversions.

 

[JLB]

There is no being "born-again" except one is "baptized" by the Spirit into Jesus Christ.

Agreed. My point, however is the Spirit is the Baptizer.

When it comes to being baptized in water, a human is the baptizer, such as John the Baptist or the Apostles or today it may be a pastor or evangelist.


Now we come to the baptism with the Holy Spirit, where the Baptizer is Jesus Christ.


And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5


Here are a few points I would like to make from this passage.


The baptism with the Holy Spirit is called the Promise of the Father.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is distinct and different from baptism with water.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is for those who already believe and are saved; born again, and have the Holy Spirit in them.


So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20:21-23

Same thing happened in Samaria, where they believed and were saved, then baptized in water, but had not been baptized with the Holy Spirit.


But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Acts 8:12-13

At this point, these folks were saved and baptized in water.

What they were lacking was the baptism with they Holy Spirit... for power!


8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

 

[Tenchi]

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is called the Promise of the Father.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is distinct and different from baptism with water.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is for those who already believe and are saved; born again, and have the Holy Spirit in them.

Well, again, description doesn't equate to prescription. For the reasons I outlined in my last post to you, the third of the three points you make in the quotation above just doesn't follow from the passage, nor is your assumption that it does explicitly prescribed anywhere else in the NT. So, as far as I can see, your third remains an unfounded assumption.

So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20:21-23

Same thing happened in Samaria, where they believed and were saved, then baptized in water, but had not been baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Well, sort of. Jesus was no mere man, as the apostles were, and so, was breathing upon them his own Spirit (Romans 8:9; Philippians 1:19). This was not the case for the apostles in the instance in Acts 8, who, in laying their hands on the Samaritan believers, were not establishing a necessary feature of salvation but merely demonstrating their spiritual authority as apostles of Jesus Christ.

Also, the "breathing" of the Spirit upon the disciples was not a full/permanent impartation of the Spirit, apparently. If it had been, the event of Acts 2 would have been nonsensical; for how (and why) would the Holy Spirit come upon and indwell men in whom he was already entirely present? And why would Jesus call the event in the upper room the "baptism of the Spirit" when he had essentially already baptized them in Spirit in the instance in John 20?

Perhaps, in light of these things, you can see why I can't subscribe to your thinking concerning these two occasions involving the Holy Spirit.

But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Acts 8:12-13

At this point, these folks were saved and baptized in water.

But your conclusion here isn't what is stated in the passage in Acts 8. The passage only indicates that the Samaritans believed, not that they were saved. This fact comports entirely with those places in the NT that explicitly make being born-again, being saved, synonymous with the Spirit indwelling a person.

Romans 8:9
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

1 John 4:13
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

Titus 3:5
5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

 

[Hopeful 2]

"Principles for Spiritual Victory​

"Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might" (Eph. 6:10).​

You can be victorious!

This month we've learned many things about spiritual warfare that I pray will better equip you for victory in your Christian life. In concluding our brief study of Ephesians 6:10-18, here are some key principles I want you to remember:

1. Remember that Satan is a defeated foe. Jesus came to destroy his works (1 John 3:8) and will someday cast him into eternal hell (Rev. 20:10).
2. Remember the power of Christ in your life. John said, "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). The same power that defeated Satan indwells you. Consequently, you are never alone or without divine resources.
3. Remember to resist Satan. You have the power to resist him, so don't acquiesce to him by being ignorant of his schemes or deliberately exposing yourself to temptation.
4. Keep your spiritual armor on at all times. It's foolish to enter combat without proper protection.
5. Let Christ control your attitudes and actions. The spiritual battle we're in calls for spiritual weapons (2 Cor. 10:3-4), so take "every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (v. 5). Feed on the Word and obey its principles.
6. Pray, pray, pray! Prayer unleashes the Spirit's power. Be a person of fervent and faithful prayer (cf. James 5:16).

God never intended for you to live in spiritual defeat. I pray you'll take advantage of the resources He has supplied that your life might honor Him. Enjoy sweet victory every day!

Suggestions for Prayer

Thank God for His promise of ultimate victory in Christ.

For Further Study

Read Ephesians 6:10-18.

• Review each piece of armor.
• Is any piece missing from your personal defense system? If so, determine what you will do to correct the deficiency."

(From Drawing Near by John MacArthur)


Interesting read, eh? There's some good stuff in this summary devotional. But the statements in this summary really need a number of vital qualifications/clarifications.

Ephesians 6:10 is a great verse, repeating the truth of the necessity of divine life and power in Christian living that is found all across the books of the New Testament. Nothing is made clearer in the NT than that the Christian "walks with God," that is, "walks in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16, 25), by His power, not their own. Redemption, adoption, justification, sanctification and transformation are all a work of God bestowed upon the undeserving and impotent lost person, not achieved by them.

Philippians 1:6
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:13
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Romans 8:13
13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

2 Corinthians 3:18
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31
30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Ephesians 3:16
16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

And so on.

Strangely - and frequently - Christians acknowledge what the verses/passages above say about godly living being achieved by God's power and work in the believer but then they set out to "be godly" by their own fleshly effort. Applying their own powers of will, physical strength and intellect to the business of "walking with God," they attempt to advance spiritually, to go "deep with God." But as the verses above clearly indicate, God reserves the work of deepening us to Himself. Like begets like, you see: A cat only begets a cat; a dog only begets a dog; and you and I can only beget more of ourselves. If we want to be godly, God must work to "beget" godliness in us, which He promises in His word to do (see above).

1 Peter 5:10-11
10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jude 1:24-25
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,
25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:7-9
7 ...wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
8 who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Continued below.

Thank God for keeping us free from sin !

 

[JLB]

Well, again, description doesn't equate to prescription. For the reasons I outlined in my last post to you, the third of the three points you make in the quotation above just doesn't follow from the passage, nor is your assumption that it does explicitly prescribed anywhere else in the NT. So, as far as I can see, your third remains an unfounded assumption.

So you are saying the baptism with the Holy Spirit is an unfounded assumption?

Also, the "breathing" of the Spirit upon the disciples was not a full/permanent impartation of the Spirit, apparently. If it had been, the event of Acts 2 would have been nonsensical;

People must be born again first before they are baptized in water or baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said to His disciples these words…

And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20:22-23

• Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.

This is not the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

This is the Apostles receiving the Holy Spirit and the authority to forgive sins.


The baptism with the Holy Spirit is separate from baptism in water.

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5

• for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

JLB

 

[Tenchi]

So you are saying the baptism with the Holy Spirit is an unfounded assumption?

No, God's word indicates that the "baptism of the Spirit" is the coming of the Spirit to a person to indwell them. When he indwells them, he "washes" and spiritually "regenerates" them (Titus 3:5), spiritually uniting them to, and placing them in, Christ (Romans 6:1-6; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 3:27), and making of them his "temple" (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20). As the verses I already cited plainly state, this indwelling is the means of being saved (i.e. born-again of the Spirit - John 3:3-7). They all indicate that if one is not indwelt by the Spirit, one is not a child of God. Here they are, again:

Romans 8:9
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

1 John 4:13
13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

Titus 3:5
5 He saved us...by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

People must be born again first before they are baptized in water or baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Not according to what God's word says in the verses above. There is no being "born-again" except by the Spirit indwelling a person. As Paul flatly stated, "If anyone has not the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him." Paul went on to write:

Romans 8:11
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

In this verse, Paul stated that, except the Spirit dwells in a person, they have no spiritual life; for it is only by the Person of the Holy Spirit that they obtain "new life."

Romans 8:10
10 If Christ is in you... the spirit is alive...

In the Person of the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, our spirits are made alive. Not by belief, not by depth of sincerity, not by clean living, but only by the Holy Spirit coming to dwell within can one be "quickened" spiritually (Ephesians 2:1 - KJV) which is to say, "born-again" by the Spirit. So it is that I find your separation of the baptism of the Spirit from being born-again very puzzling. The Bible denies this separation quite plainly.

And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20:22-23

• Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.

This is not the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

This is the Apostles receiving the Holy Spirit and the authority to forgive sins.

Right. I already said as much in my last post. What "impartation" the disciples were given by Christ in John 20 was not the same permanent indwelling and filling by the Holy Spirit that occurred in Acts 2 where the disciples were actually properly "born-again" by the Spirit.

What Christ did in John 20 was entirely unique to the Twelve and so cannot be made the standard for what is the case for all other believers. And nowhere in the NT is there any explicit and repeated teaching that it is the standard. As I said before, description is not prescription. The Bible describes many things that are in no way prescriptive for the NT believer: homosexuality, murder, rape, incest, war, hypocrisy, adultery, drunkenness, etc. If you want, then, to make the situation that transpired for the Twelve that is described in John 20 prescriptive for all believers in all times, you must find an actual biblical teaching to this effect, an explicit, or clearly implied, scriptural prescription for it. But there is no such prescription anywhere in all of the NT. What we see instead are repeated instances where salvation and "Spirit baptism" are said to be synonymous.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is separate from baptism in water.

No, this simply isn't so. See above. And my last post to you.

 

[JLB]

No, God's word indicates that the "baptism of the Spirit" is the coming of the Spirit to a person to indwell them.

I have given you the scriptures, if you choose to believe your denominational doctrine then so be it.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is poured out by Jesus as on the day of Pentecost.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is called the Promise of the Father.

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5

• for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now

This is not being baptized by the Spirit into Christ, as
1 Corinthians 12:13 describes.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is where Jesus Christ is the Baptizer, and we receive power.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:8


The baptism by the Spirit into Christ is where the Holy Spirit is the Baptizer.


There three distinct baptisms with three different baptizers.


Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 1 Corinthians 10:1-2

• all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

Moses = baptized into Christ

Sea = water baptism

Cloud = Baptism with the Spirit

 

[Tenchi]

I have given you the scriptures, if you choose to believe your denominational doctrine then so be it.

And I have explained those verses/passages both in their immediate context and in the light of other verses/passages both of which forbid your view. So, no, this isn't a matter of my denominational fidelity but of your poor handling of God's word.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is poured out by Jesus as on the day of Pentecost.

Simply repeating your error doesn't somehow make it not an error.

Jesus did not "pour out" the Spirit permanently upon the Twelve in John 20 but merely breathed the Spirit upon them temporarily. As Acts 2 indicates, the Spirit had not remained upon the Twelve but came upon them again while they were in the upper room, entering them and filling them in the permanent, spiritually born-again way typical of all who are saved. There aren't, then, two baptisms of the Spirit every believer must have, but only one, which is the instance of their being made forever a new creature in Christ.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is called the Promise of the Father.

Yes. So?

This is not being baptized by the Spirit into Christ, as
1 Corinthians 12:13 describes.

1 Corinthians 12:13
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

I have no idea how you read this verse and make the statement you have above.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is where Jesus Christ is the Baptizer, and we receive power.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

But where in Acts 1:8 is what you've asserted above actually stated? It just isn't.

The baptism by the Spirit into Christ is where the Holy Spirit is the Baptizer.


There three distinct baptisms with three different baptizers.

You haven't made a case for this conclusion even slightly. It appears you think what you've asserted is so plainly evident as to require no explanation but just the mere citing of your proof-texts. I can tell you, however, that your underlining and color emphasis don't make up for your lack of an actual, context-careful explanation of your proof-texts. Your three baptisms is not at all evident to me in the proof-texts you've offered and you haven't yet explained why it should be.

Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 1 Corinthians 10:1-2

• all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,

Moses = baptized into Christ

Sea = water baptism

Cloud = Baptism with the Spirit

See? Once again, you just assert things from a verse that offers no ground for your assertions. And the immediate context of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 doesn't support your assumed interpretation, either.

 

[JLB]

1 Corinthians 12:13
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

I have no idea how you read this verse and make the statement you have above.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 NKJV


For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 KJV


For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 NASB


The Holy Spirit baptizes us into Christ.

This is when we are born again. This is the work of the Holy Spirit.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. John 3:6


When we are saved, regenerated, born again it is the Spirit who baptizes us into Christ.

 

[JLB]

See? Once again, you just assert things from a verse that offers no ground for your assertions. And the immediate context of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 doesn't support your assumed interpretation, either.

Could you be a little more specific?

Are you not aware of shadows and types in the Old Testament ?


I will explain further if you like.


Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 1 Corinthians 10:1-2

• all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea

Which one of these baptisms do you not agree with?


JLB