Relying on the Power of the Holy Spirit
Lately the Lord has really impressed upon me the need to be much more reliant on the power of the Holy Spirit as we stand for the restoration of our marriages, especially when we’re standing for the deliverance of our spouses from the snare of adultery. And unfortunately, that is the case for the vast majority of the FAM Fellowship members, as it probably is for most other visitors to the site.
In a recent conversation with a woman struggling to understand the hold the NCP has on her husband (a pastor at the time his adultery began ), the Lord brought it to my mind that the hold and captive nature of sin is exactly why we refer to it as a trap or snare. And when we think about it in those terms, it really does shed a different light on it. For those of us who are not (and maybe never have been) caught up in the bondage of sin, we just can’t relate to it, and we tend to think our spouses should be able to see what they’re doing and just stop doing it! But if we really stop and think about it, we’d realize that’s not possible. The Bible always uses descriptive words very purposefully, so we need to start thinking of sin, especially sexual sin, just like the Bible describes it; as a trap or snare; a form of bondage or captivity. And Ecclesiastes 7:26 provides a very powerful illustration of that, because it says I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare. And, as we know, when an animal is caught in a trap or snare, it is NOT possible for them to escape. There’s nothing they can do to set themselves free. So why should we think our spouses can set themselves free of the trap and snare Satan intended to kill, steal and destroy them. And to dispel any doubt anyone might have about Satan’s intentions, Proverbs 2:18-19 says this about the adulteress; For her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.
So our spouses’ deliverance from the trap and bondage of adultery is a matter of life and death. And just as it was with our deliverance and salvation from sin when we were saved, relying on the name and blood of Jesus is what it will take to deliver our spouses from the sin and consequences of adultery. And since no one comes to Jesus without being drawn by the power of the Holy Spirit, we need to be a lot more focused on praying for the power of the Holy Spirit to move in their lives and hearts. John 6:44 confirms that, because it says “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. And we know god’s speaks to us through the power of the Holy Spirit, based on John 14:26, which says But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. So I hope this will help all of us recognize our need to be a lot more focused on the power of the Holy Spirit as we pray for our spouses to experience the conviction and repentance necessary to set them free from the sin that now holds them in captivity. And the following verses are just a few to help remind us that sin and death is overcome only through the power of the word and blood of Jesus Christ:
Romans 8:1-2
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
Hebrews 9:15
For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
Revelation 1:6
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Hebrews 2:14-15
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
As so often happens, despite reading it MANY times before, I was totally blown away when I read that last verse again tonight! Surely those of us standing in faith and obedience to the word of God for the restoration of our marriages CAN’T fail to understand and acknowledge the awesome importance and meaning of “sustaining all things by his powerful word”! Just think about that…and you’ll HAVE to be blessed and encouraged!
I thank and praise God for his powerful word delivered by his vessel Sis. Linda. This was a much needed post to me and the parable you used about how animals are caught in a trap and totally indefensible and unable to free themselves really helped me to get a grasp on the helpless state my spouse is in and it moves me to pity, not anger.
He’s like a poor sheep that has strayed away from the flock and now he’s surrounded by ravenous wolves. But, I thank God that Jesus is the Chief Shepherd and He leaves the 99 to go after my husband that one lost, wandering sheep.
It is a matter of life and death and if we the wives who by the grace of God don’t stand in faith, and in prayer we will never see our husbands delivered and set free. We are partners with Christ in this. IT is not God’s will for any to perish but to come to repentance. So, thank you for making the word of God plain and applicable. I will certainly pray more for a move of the Holy Spirit upon my husband and for the angels to hasten to respond to the prayers I pray in faith for him.
I love you all,
Standing, Waiting and Expecting, (SEWING)
in Virginia ….Paula
WOW Paula! I couldn’t possibly say it better! You are right on and how important it is for all of us to remember that our families are counting on us, just like Dan pointed out this morning! We need to stand in the gap for them no matter what preachers, teachers, friends and family think of and say about or stand…because we stand in faith and obedience to our Lord and Savior and for the deliverance of our spouses and the restoration of our families. And I for one think there needs to be a whole lot more SEWING goin’ on all around the world!
Linda,
That was a powerful message. Thank you. Definitely was an eye opener for me as a reminder of how I need to pray for my husband. I remember the feeling it was in my own personal life when the Holy Spirit came into my life, I cannot wait for the Holy Spirit to come into my husbands life as well.
As a prime example.. I stood, waited, and expected the holy spirit to move in my son’s life and all praise and glory to God.. My son has been touched. I am so excited about the transformation in his life. Even speaking with his teachers and pastors, just hearing how Michael is humble now. My son was a prodigal of anger and resentment.. Now he is a child of God…Wanting to continue his growth in the Lord and witness to others. Praise God.
Thank you, Jenn, for reminding us to look at the examples of how the Holy Spirit works that we’ve already witnessed, starting with ourselves. Because what the Lord did for us, He can do for our spouses, so we just need to continue praying for the power of the Holy Spirit to move in their hearts and draw them to repentance and change. And like Paula and Diane have reminded us, we need to remember to call on the angels to work on our behalf to perform the word of God in their lives too. And thank you for sharing the transformation you’ve seen the Lord work in your son’s life too. What an awesome testimony Michael has, which will make him a very useful and powerful vessel in the work God is calling him to! I’m listening to Creflo Dollar right now, and he’s talking about angels, trust and deliverance…just like Joyce’s message this morning! There’s that amazing confirmation again, especially in light of the message you shared on the private site last night! Hmmm…what do you think my post will be about today! LOL
The following message was posted by Jenn this morning on the ladies’ private site, and since it seems to tie into this so perfectly, I thought everyone else would appreciate it as much as I did. Thank you Jenn for your faithful obedience and for sharing this godly wisdom with us!
Have you ever tried to make something and had it turn out totally wrong and unusable? Only to then throw it away? What about a seamstress- She makes a beautiful dress only to see the last piece of fabric she is going to use is flawed. It’s a piece that is a large part of the dress so she can’t hide the flaw. So what does she do but throw the dress away.
The Natural world has become so disposable. If we don’t like what we have or see we throw it out or trade it in for something new. What happens when our children do something wrong and possibly end up in jail- do we throw them away like we never conceived them?
The story of the potter and the clay in Jeremiah 18 is a reminder that we are not disposable and neither are our spouses.
The potter was making a jar, but it did not turn out. Did he throw the clay out? NO. He bunched it back up into a ball and started all over with the SAME piece of clay. Did God throw Adam away and start all over when the child he created by dust sinned in the Garden of Eden? No. God could have easily said, “Well that didn’t work…Maybe I should try and create another being that will be stronger and will not sin”. But he didn’t. He became our potter that day in the garden, by not starting all over with a new piece of clay. He used what he had and reshaped the clay.
God is our potter. He is holding us in his hands to mold us. Shape us. Some of us have been like the jar, imperfect in the past, but God has brought us back together in a new lump and started all over. If he can do that for us. He surely can remold our spouses. What he will do for one, he will do for all.