"He Who is in You"

“… for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4 ESV)

 One of the most beloved verses in all of the Bible today’s verse comes from 1 John. Every believer needs to take comfort in this truth: we are all victors in the battle with the evil one; we have overcome Satan because of who lives (abides) in us, not because of who we try to be.

We relish in this truth that God the Father, our Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit abide and have taken up residence in each and every believer. How freeing is that? We do not have to fight the battle against Satan alone, we do not have to run the race of faith alone, and we do not have to struggle with overcoming the burdens that so easily weigh us down (entangle us) alone.

We have God, not just on our side; Jesus is not just an advocate for us; the Holy Spirit is not just a comforter to us, but they all three live every day within us. They are with us when we get that dreaded news from the Doctor, when we get that unexpected bill in the mail, or that call from a sick loved one who so desperately needs help. We are not alone. We need to remember this truth: we have the God of the universe living in us. We do not have to go to some physical location to find Him; we don’t have to repeat a prayer 10 times to get His attention; He knows each and everything that we are going through. And He lives in us! That is the truth of 1 John that we need to remember. No matter how hard this life gets, no matter what the evil one throws at us, “… we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

Now, the other side to this marvelous truth that God resides in us is that God resides in us. That means that wherever we go, God goes. Whatever we read, God reads. Whatever we watch, God watches. Whatever we say (even to ourselves), God hears. The letter to the Hebrews says, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). God is always with those of us who have put our faith in our Savior, the Lord Jesus. We can no longer live our lives like those who do not know Him. He forever changes us and now lives in us no matter where we go or what we do, He is always with us! This truth has to change us.

When we start remembering that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are residing in us, it has to change the way we conduct our lives. I know that personally, sometimes, I expose my Jesus to things I know He does not want to be exposed to. I am sure you do as well. Whether it is an angry outburst, language you would never intentionally use in front of God, something you look at twice, or a thought that seems to separate you from a holy God. We all take our Jesus to places that He doesn’t want to go. For that, we need to apologize, accept His forgiveness, and set our intention on doing better.

When we remember that no matter what happens to us, God is right there with us, do you not agree that this has to change the way we live our lives?

"Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"