Power

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)

My power works best in weakness.

God Almighty never endows a saint with raw power. When the Lord Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit, God's power from on high, He was not referring to raw power. The Holy Spirit works best in broken and weak vessels. God's power is throttled by natural strength. This is why the Bible says God hated Esau while He loved Jacob. Esau was a rugged man of the land, while Jacob, deceitful as he was, lived by faith. The natural strength of the carnal man hinders and limits the outward flow of the power of the Holy Spirit. That is why the Apostle Paul says that when we are weak, we are strong (2 Cor 12:10).

The adage that absolute power corrupts is very true. Lucifer, who became Satan, was endowed with raw power and beauty. He was second only to God and the Lord Jesus Christ in beauty, splendor, and power (Ezekiel 28:12-15). But that was not enough for him. Satan wanted all of God's glory and power. Raw power creates a craving for more power. It becomes an insatiable lust for power. The power of the Holy Spirit that God gives us works best in broken vessels devoid of natural strength or clay jars (2 Cor 4:7).