The Spirit That Quickens

Devotional

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.” John 6:63-66

Yesterday was awesome! Lots of powerful testimonies. We learnt that the key to victorious Christian living is a radical shift from dependence on human ability to total reliance on the divine power of the Holy Spirit. That was the secret behind Jesus’ own miraculous life and ministry. Our text says that “the flesh profiteth nothing” (John 6:63). The “flesh” represents human wisdom, strength, schemes and resources. Relying on these leads to spiritual deadness, limitation and ultimately nothing of eternal value. It cannot produce true life, satisfaction or godly results.

“It is the Spirit that quickeneth”. The term “Spirit” here has a multifaceted meaning. It refers first to the Holy Ghost, who is the personal power and presence of God within the believer. It also refers to Jesus as the Quickening Spirit; as the “last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45), He is a life-giving Spirit who reverses the death brought by the first Adam. Jesus’ words are “spirit and life”. God’s word in us carries inherent creative and life-giving power. The word “quicken” means to make alive. The Spirit gives life to our mortal bodies, our faith, our ministries and to dead situations, as it is written: “he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11).

This truth connects directly to what we learned about the indwelling spirit. The first man Adam was made a living soul and was ruled by his intellect, emotions and will. He failed because he depended on the flesh to live. After the fall, every natural emotional behaviour became perverted into a dangerous spirit. Anger is a natural irritation for error or wrong but becomes destructive rage. Fear is a natural reflex to possible danger but becomes a controlling force, a stronghold.

But God has given us a different spirit. As the scripture declares: “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” 2 Timothy 1:7. When the Spirit comes, He quickens us to become everything God intended. We are no longer limited to being living souls ruled by perverted natural emotions. We become spiritual beings who can overcome all things through the sound mind that the Spirit provides.

Prophetically, we are now entering a season where the Holy Ghost will take centre stage after a long period of the flesh’s dominance in the Church. This new season will be characterised by unusual transfers of spiritual mantles and anointings, as God raises up unknown men and women with rare and powerful unctions. It will be marked by an aggressive pursuit of the Spirit through fasting, prayer and radical obedience, with believers sold out to God like never before. We will witness a rapid multiplication of results and resources for ministry, with God’s grace accelerating His work in our time. This move will bring a renewed emphasis on radical holiness and purity, where the priority of believers is right living above material prosperity. Ultimately, we will see a divine takeover where God Himself fights our battles and meets our needs, superseding our own striving and labour.

Knowing this profound truth demands a practical response. We must learn to walk this out daily through a committed relationship with the Holy Spirit. This begins by learning to discern His voice through the faithful preaching of the word and by consciously tuning the inner man to recognise His specific promptings. We must cultivate constant communion with Him through a life of prayer where we talk to the Holy Ghost and listen to Him. This relationship is solidified through immediate and full obedience to His word and His instructions. Finally, we become conduits of His power, imparting to others through ministry and service, ensuring that the life we have received flows out to a world in need.

This is a call for a decisive rejection of self-reliance and a wholehearted, active dependence on the life-giving Holy Spirit, promising a life of supernatural power and impact for those who obey. The flesh always fails and leads to death. The Spirit always quickens and gives life. We must choose daily to depend on the Quickening Spirit rather than our fallen flesh. When we yield to the Spirit, He transforms us from mere living souls into spiritual beings who can overcome fear, anger and every other perverted natural emotion. The Spirit gives us power, love and a sound mind to replace what was lost in the fall. This is God’s complete work of redemption, to make us alive in Christ and transform us into His image through the indwelling Holy Spirit.