“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but the Holy Spirit who gives us mighty power, love, and self-discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7

As I prepare to publish a new post, I always ask the Lord to confirm what he has placed in my heart, and he always does. About 2 months ago as I prayed the words of 2 Timothy 1:7, the Lord revealed a whole new meaning to me. This is a well-known scripture in most Christian circles. I’ve known this scripture since childhood and have repeated it numerous times but the perspective I’m sharing with you here wasn’t on my radar at all. I also found it unusual that the enlightenment wasn’t received while I was studying the bible or meditating on the word. I was praying with a fellow believer who was facing a tough situation and spoke the words of the verse over her. Talk about the word being quick (life-giving) and powerful.

Here’s some of what God showed me. To begin, the word ‘but’ is used to connect two opposing sentences: “God has not given us a spirit of fear” and God has given us “the Holy Spirit who gives us power, love and self- discipline.” Fear is identified as the opposite of power, love, and self-discipline. In many instances in Scripture, fear is stated to be the opposite of faith: Matthew 8:26, Matthew 14:3, Mark 4:40, and Luke 8:25 are a few examples. Let’s parallel faith with power, love, and self-discipline since they are both direct opposites of fear. We can, therefore, deduce that the scripture is saying, “God has not given us a spirit of fear but faith”. As believers in Christ, our relationship with God is based on faith, Ephesians 2:8a says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith.” We live each day as Christians by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” We live lives that are pleasing to God based on faith, “…and without faith … it would be impossible to please God.” Faith is the foundation of our belief, as followers of Christ. 

Consider the disciples in the upper room in the book of Acts. While they waited, they received power when the Holy Spirit, the same third person of the Godhead who gives us power, love, and self-discipline, came upon them. Through the Holy Spirit, God has given us “power…over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). In scripture, the enemy (Satan) is referred to as, ‘the god of this world’ (2 Cor. 4:4), ‘the ruler of darkness’ (Eph 6:12), and ‘the prince of the evil authorities of the unseen, immaterial world’ Eph 2:2. Since the Lord has given us power over the enemy’s power, it can, therefore, be concluded that we have power over this world, all the powers of darkness of this world, and over all the unseen, immaterial forces of the devil (Satan). Are you beginning to grasp the magnitude of power that we have through the Holy Spirit?

As believers, we are called to be ‘light in this dark world.’ Matthew 5:16 says, “let your light shine before men.” As ‘lights’ in this world, we have power from God, through the Holy Spirit, to influence this world for Christ. Light always conquers darkness, whenever both are present, light always triumphs. According to John 1:5, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” Just as natural sunlight brings life through photosynthesis, and helps to kill certain bacteria and viruses, we have a responsibility to bring life to this sick, dark world, by allowing the light of Christ to shine through us. When we walk in the power that we have through faith we are unstoppable: we can move mountains, call the nonexistent into being, and do everything necessary to shine in the world’s darkness.

Power, if unbridled can be self-serving and even dangerous. That is where love comes in. Love keeps power in check and prevents it from being selfish and destructive. Christ, our example, had compassion on the outcasts of society; those considered to be unlovable and unlovely. He showed genuine love and concern for people, and as a result, they sought after him and followed him. He kept company with tax collectors and sinners. Some of the men He selected to be His disciples, were people who no aspiring leader today would even consider for the job as their right-hand men. 1 Corinthians 1:27 says that “God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.”

God’s love causes us to be humble instead of boastful and proud, and everything done in His name must be done in love. The church has often been referred to as a ‘Holy Ghost hospital’, where people can come to receive rest and healing in an atmosphere of unconditional love. If the abundance of power that God gives us through the Holy Spirit is not restrained by love, we will ‘wound’ people out of the Kingdom, as we attempt to love sinners into the Kingdom. Remember that John 13:35 says, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” In John 15:12, Christ commands us, “Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” On the cross, He sacrificed Himself for the benefit of all mankind, and He calls us to do just as He did. His main aim was to do the will of God. Paul explains it to the Philippians in this way in chapter 2 verse 3, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” He wasn’t encouraging them to have low self-esteem, he was instructing them to have the attitude of Christ. When Christ came to the earth he was God and possessed limitless power yet, a result of His love for us, He chose to lay aside His deity and pay the price of our redemption with His life. That is the ultimate sacrifice! 

1 Corinthians 13 says, “… love believes, bears, and hopes all things.” 1 Peter 4:8 says, “love covers a multitude of sin.” Consider this: love, as we all know can be a flakey emotion. People have done many ludicrous things in the name of love including believing lies, enduring abuse, and closing their eyes to what they knew was wrong and destructive. Love, if not constrained by self-discipline can be self-destructive and even deadly. In Romans, Paul speaks about the battle between the flesh, (the old man) and the Spirit (the new man). He says, “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.” Paul later explains why this happens, “I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin,” my sinful nature, “living in me that does it.” The flesh is innately self-serving, so even love can be fleshly and self-serving. The question is, how does one win the battle with the flesh? The answer is, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:2 explains that “ the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” When we ask Christ to become the Lord of our lives, we relinquish our right to feed the flesh, and “God declared an end to sin’s control over us…” as “the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.”

Power, love, and self-discipline embody spiritual balance. We have power through the Holy Spirit to fulfill our purpose. Love balances power, and prevents it from being self-serving, while self-discipline balances love, preventing it from becoming extreme and self-seeking. In conclusion, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them.” Romans 12: 9-13a. This scripture beautifully sums up how we can achieve the balance that these three virtues offer.

Originally Published on Tuesday, July 15, 2008