The Power of Our Will
“But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices.”
Psalm 81:11-13
Many times in the Bible, the Israelites followed false gods because they had stubborn hearts. The power of their will was stronger than God’s will and they choose to follow their own sinful desires rather than obey God. One reason people choose their will is because they find things of the world more fulfilling than the things of God.
And my God will fully supply your every need according to his glorious riches in the Messiah Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 ISV) Christ is all fulfilling, he fills our soul with lasting love, peace, and joy, and, he provides for our worldly needs. The Lord renews our mind and changes our hearts as we learn his Word and live by his Word. He fills our soul with the Spirit which can be far more satisfying than anything from the world. And since our soul is filled with the heart of God and we have the mind of Christ, we are content and now free to truly enjoy the world. The more Christ-like we become, the closer we are to the Lord and the more fulfilling life becomes.
For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. (Matthew 13:15) Many non-Christians are thoroughly grounded in their own will that makes them unable to see or hear the Truth because our will is powerful and can harden our hearts. Ministering to people with hearts locked in their will can be very difficult and requires love, compassion, and patience.
Do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4:27) Satan reveals himself to Christians as an angel of light, tempting to get a foothold through our self-will. If Satan can get us to do something through our own will and we think it’s pleasing to God, then he has got a foothold. Christians can live many years unaware of Satan’s foothold thus Satan has scored a victory. Satan often achieves getting a foothold in our life by twisting the Word to fit our will like he did with Eve in the garden.
Sometimes it’s difficult to distinguish between our will and the Lord’s will because we are used to living by our will. If we take every choice to the Lord in prayer, it will help us to choose God’s will over our will; but, it can be difficult in choosing God’s will because our will is very powerful and is often justified in our subconscious mind. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. (Galatians 5:17) The problem is that our will can drive us to justify whatever we want, instead of following the Spirit.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:20) Satan’s goal is to make sure we are never crucified with Christ and that we always live justifying sharing our will with God’s will.
Today, be aware if your will takes power over God’s will. Pray and ask for guidance through the Spirit to follow the Lord’s divine will. Be still inside and seek choices from the Spirit.
Prayer: Lord I pray that my will does not keep me from doing your will. Whenever I make a choice, I pray the choice pleases you. In Jesus’ name, Amen