The Holy Spirit: A mighty power to break free

When God sent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, it took place with power, with a great noise and with fire. God wanted people to take notice that the Holy Spirit had come to the earth. This was a turning point, and God was marking that a completely new time had arrived.

Jesus overcame sin, Hades and death!

When God sent the Holy Spirit to earth, it was a declaration that the work that had been done in Jesus was finished. He had come in the flesh, as a human being, without ever being defiled or contaminated by His flesh. Not once! He loved His Father and He did the will of the Father in all things until He came to the cross on Calvary. And there on the cross He also had to commit Himself to the Father in faith. Because there was a great darkness that fell over the whole earth and that darkness also entered into His soul, and that was the first time that the Father had forsaken Him. Then the Son Himself had to commit His spirit to God in living faith. Then the work was finished.

Jesus Christ rose again on the third day as our Savior. And during those three days He was down in Hades (the kingdom of death) and He spoke to those who were in captivity, who hadn’t listened to or heard Noah’s warning to repent, and gave them hope and proclaimed that He had taken the keys of death and Hades. (1 Peter 3:18-20; Hebrews 2:14-15; Revelation 1:18) As evidence of that, He said to some of those present, “Stand there, while I break open the gates of Hades, the kingdom of death!” Then He broke open the gates, and some of them followed Him up. There were prophets and others that had lived hundreds of years earlier, and they appeared in the streets of Jerusalem. (Matthew 27:51-53) It was a mighty manifestation that Jesus’ work was completed.

The Holy Spirit: Power for us to break free

Then, on the Day of Pentecost, He sent that Spirit back to earth. He sent the Holy Spirit, who came with the sound of a rushing, mighty wind, and that was the manifestation that a new time had begun. Then we entered into our time, Jesus’ time, where we could be conformed to His image. That only takes place with help from the Helper, the Holy Spirit. He illuminates our inner man and gives us power to walk on that way. With the Holy Spirit we get the Spirit of power, and that is important in order to be able to break free from our sins, to break free from old friends. In order to break free, we need the Spirit of power, and that is contained in the Holy Spirit.

It can be compared to a rocket being launched into orbit. In order to break free from the earth’s atmosphere, it needs incredible force. There can be different stages and boosters, but finally it breaks free from the atmosphere and enters its orbit. Then it can be steered and guided without these powerful forces. In our spiritual life, this is where wisdom takes over, with a gentler guidance and development. God didn’t give us a spirit of discouragement. He has given us the Spirit of power, and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) That is the Spirit of wisdom, but first we also need power to break free.

Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit!

If you feel that you don’t have any strength to do God’s will and overcome sin, pray to God to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. You have to labor in your bondage until you come free, so that you give up all of your own will, and you give everything to God. The more you labor, the more you find that you just can’t manage it yourself. Then a cry arises from your inner man that you might receive the Holy Spirit as an indwelling power in your life. Then God can give that to you. And you know when you have received it: you get joy and peace. The kingdom of heaven becomes part of your life, and the Holy Spirit is the power that drives you, guides you, helps you and comforts you.