So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6)

It is so easy to rely on our own might and strength. Truth be told, many a time we have walked in our own human power rather than the power of Christ.

That righteous right hand has a whole otherworldly power that is often unexplainable. His dear voice can come quietly on the wind of His Word and cause you to become almost breathless.

I’ve labored in my own strength often to find myself exhausted in a couple of hours and, likewise, labored on my feet pouring Him into others for many hours and felt nothing but full strength when I’m done. His power offers sustainability, endurance, and carries you through.

It is a constant effort to move by His Spirit. It certainly takes some practice as we learn more and more how to walk with Christ. “By His Spirit” will often bypass the human intellect. It doesn’t mean we are ignorant of the scriptures but at times we will feel quite ignorant as His ways are not our ways. He will cause the wise to be confounded, very often.

Often, I find you believe what you can explain rather than believing His word in its entirety. We also interpret the scriptures based on what we have been taught or can understand, based on our own experiences. We love to reason it all out until we declare quite inaccurately, “YES! That must be it!” In actuality, it’s not “it” at all.

Christ is anything but reciting words, performing rituals, and constant law-keeping. There is a good life in The Word, and The Spirit, together. Both are required.

If not cautious, the law will sneak back into your life in a way that “seemeth right” but will lead to a slow, and often confusing, death. It will keep you from the intended freedom of Christ. Jesus was a complete lawbreaker in many ways. Or maybe I should say “the law fulfiller.” It infuriated the law keepers. They held to what was “true” but not what was “right.” Fasting with no caring for the poor. Knowing scripture without knowing the nature of its author. Presenting outward holiness that was far from Him. Keeping laws became more important than the “keeping” of humanity. Jesus was a beautiful healer and shepherd.

Fear of counterfeits labels much “by the Spirit” as “of the devil.” Scary place to be considering the possibility that we may be wrong and find ourselves opposing one sent by God who is anointed by God. Let us not get caught up in the spirit of man rather than the spirit of God. Guard your hearts here.

The “by the Spirit” we see in the Bible would wreck us in our modern church society. We would call Elijah a heretic and stone Deborah for even thinking about leading an army in the name of Christ. We would send John the Baptist to be evaluated by doctors regarding his mental health and tell Esther to wait until she’s old enough to understand the ways of Christ better.

We would likely be the same Pharisees who accused Christ of casting out demons in the name of the devil- committing the same blaspheme today.

We read well the scriptures but seem to fall short in our human doctrines and dialogues of what “by the spirit” actually means. We have fallen into a man-made limited gospel that preaches a Jesus we can be ok with. A Jesus we can fully understand and grasp. One we can explain. A Jesus who is more natural than supernatural.

If that’s the Jesus you want, feel free to follow him, but it’s not the Jesus of the Bible who says “not by might not my power but by MY SPIRIT.”

By His Spirit may come a sound

Quiet as quiet can be

Stop the hustle and look around

Bow low to bended knee.

For many a man has heard the sound

A voice on whistling winds

The Voice of Many Waters

Still gladly speaks to men.