God has not given Christians a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind. The Holy Spirit, the essence of God's mind and the agency by which the Father and the Son live in the begotten Christian, is the power of the holy people where the church is concerned. More specifically, the church's power is God Himself, the Source of that Spirit. Jesus declared that all power had been given to Him in heaven and on earth. The power of transformation, turning sinful humans into spirit-composed members of the God Family, is God through the agency of His Spirit. If the church's power—Jesus Christ, living in us by His Spirit—were ever completely shattered, the gates of the grave would prevail against the church, and God's purpose would fail. Yet, we know that cannot be so. Even though the church of God may not always have an open door to preach the gospel powerfully to the world, depending on what God is doing at any point in time, we can have every confidence that the power of the New Covenant church will never be shattered, for that power is God Himself. Jesus Christ will lead and sustain His church with unwavering strength.

We are heading toward the worst period of mankind's history, requiring the greatest resources to navigate the troubles ahead. Our problems will often be physical, but primarily spiritual, necessitating supernatural spiritual help available to God's children through Jesus Christ. We have access to the source of the greatest power in the universe through our established relationship with the Father and the Son. Power belongs to our Father in Heaven, encompassing not just brute strength but also qualities of mind and character such as love, wisdom, mercy, intellect, judgment, and understanding. He distributes these powers as He wills, and His will is always accomplished. Strength is wealth, and wealth is power. As Deuteronomy 8 reminds us, we must not forget the LORD our God, for it is He who gives us power to get wealth to establish His covenant. Wealth represents all evidences of prosperity and well-being, including material possessions, good health, sound mindedness, education, understanding, and godly perception of world events. These are forms of power available to us, provided by God who opens doors and grants favor because power belongs to Him. No potential help is beyond His reach. Jesus declared in John 15 that without Him, we can do nothing, a humbling reminder from the One described as upholding all things by the word of His power. Psalm 121 affirms that our help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth, preserving us from all evil and guarding our souls. Romans 8 assures us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, reinforcing that if God is for us, no one can stand against us. He has the power and the will, never making mistakes or empty promises. God's power extends over all civil authorities, as seen in John 19 where Jesus tells Pilate that he would have no power unless given from above. Proverbs 21:1 illustrates that the king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, directed wherever He wills. Romans 13:1 confirms there is no power but of God, with all governing authorities appointed by Him worldwide. God's sovereignty ensures history moves in the direction He desires, regardless of human numbers or might. Jesus Christ Himself declared in Matthew 28:18 that all power in heaven and earth is given to Him, signifying authority granted by the Father, who holds greater power. Colossians 1 emphasizes Christ's positional authority over all creation, visible and invisible, as everything was created by Him and for Him. He is the head of all principality and power, triumphing over them openly as shown in Colossians 2. Even as a man, Jesus knew where power resided, turning to the Father for help, as seen in Matthew 26 when He spoke of requesting legions of angels. Hebrews 1:3 highlights that Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power, now seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. In contrast, satan's power is limited to what God permits, as evident in Job 1 and 2, where God sets boundaries on what he can do. Revelation 20 further shows that satan's power is entirely subject to God's control, bound and released according to His purpose. Jesus revealed in John 14 that the Father performed the miracles and inspired His words, demonstrating the synchronized relationship where the Father's power backed Him. This exemplifies our need to turn to God, the source of all power, for every strength required. God summons us, reveals Himself, grants repentance, faith, and His Spirit, justifies us, sanctifies us through His word, and provides gifts for our roles within the church, as seen across various scriptures like John 6:44, Ephesians 2:8-9, and I Corinthians 12. Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights, as James 1:17-18 affirms, underscoring that all power resides with Him and His Son, to whom we must turn in every need.

Real power and strength reside in deep-seated faith in God's reality, understanding of His promises, and trust in His powers and willingness to save, which are absolute essentials for the Christian. God's power is not merely brute strength but encompasses love, mercy, wisdom, foresight, discernment, and intellectual genius, combined with His readiness to use it for those called according to His purpose. Through the fulfillment of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He demonstrates His power by acting for the benefit of the Israelitish people, endowing them with many powers. Jesus declares in John 15:5, "Without Me you can do nothing," emphasizing that His power enables our spiritual efforts and growth into His likeness for entry into the Kingdom of God. God's power is underscored in Romans 8:31-32, affirming that if God is for us, no one can stand against us, as He freely gives us all things through Christ. God possesses the necessary powers to act as He sees fit for His purpose and for us, watching over every circumstance of our lives with absolute certainty of His providence. His power ensures that no one can successfully hinder the completion of His purpose in each of us. Jesus Christ holds all authority in heaven and earth, as stated in Matthew 28:18, with the term authority translated from exousia, indicating jurisdiction, privilege, capacity, freedom, influence, force, and right, equipping Him to handle our needs in diverse situations. This authority is given by a greater Being, the Father, as revealed in I Corinthians 15:25-28, positioning Christ above all other beings and institutions. In contrast, Satan's powers, though significant as a mighty being, are limited to what God has created in him and permits him to use for His purposes, as seen in Job 1:6-12. The power to perform spiritual works, overcome challenges, and produce the fruit of God's Spirit comes from above, as Jesus illustrates in John 15:5, emphasizing our dependence on Him. God empowers us in salvation by drawing us to Christ, granting repentance, grace, faith, justification, peace, access to His presence, love through His Spirit, and the resurrected Christ as our High Priest to save us, as detailed in various scriptures. Additionally, God provides gifts to each of us to perform our functions in the church and His purpose, aiding in the works of sanctification.

True power, the ability to exercise authority effectively, belongs to God alone. In scripture, the only true strength is the omnipotent sovereignty exercised by God. No one has power unless God allows it. Jesus Christ shares this power, and members of God's church do too. In the Old Testament, power and might are attributed above all to God. His power is shown in the fact that He created the world and sustains it. His power is also seen in His mighty acts of salvation. Some of the names of God point to His power: El Shaddai, Abhir, Omnipotent, and so on. When God delegates His authority to human beings there is a certain power that it provides. Mankind has a great deal of God-given power over the earth to care for and properly use it. Although God has given limited authority and power to mankind, He still often actively intervenes showing His power in miraculous works. In the New Testament, the emphasis of God's use of His power shifts more to the spiritual. Christ had all authority given Him by His Father, and He used it to forgive sins and to cast out evil spirits. He gives authority to His disciples to become sons of God and to share in His work. God's power is constantly flowing. The greatest show of His power of deliverance is in the area of individual calling and conversion to His truth. The power of God's Spirit became operative in the life of the church on the Day of Pentecost. The apostle Paul prayed for knowledge to be given so that the exceeding greatness of God's power toward believers could be known. Paul emphasizes the power of God in the saints rather than the power which God gives the saints. Salvation is the result of God's power at work in us and through us. The greatness of God's power is in us. The process of Christian conversion and ultimate salvation is a demonstration of the power of God in us. No human can make himself a Christian; God alone makes Christians. Christians are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. It is God who works in believers both to will and to do for His good pleasure. What makes us Christian is that we are a new creation. The power of God is the beginning and the end of salvation. In describing the power of God, Paul uses terms like the exceeding greatness of His power, the working of His mighty power. This power is the energy of the strength of the might of God. The energy of the strength of God's might has been manifested in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. By raising Jesus Christ from death, God has given a demonstration that the enemy has been conquered. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.

Power itself is neither good nor evil but can be used rightly or wrongly depending on the approach taken toward it. Humanity exhibits a dual response to power, both drawn to its capacity to accomplish goals and repelled by its corrupting potential, as reflected in varied quotations that range from cynical to optimistic. Americans in particular distrust political power because of the nation's founding response to perceived tyranny, which led to constitutional checks and balances, yet they readily affirm the power of money, commerce, ingenuity, and celebrity while often feeling personally powerless in daily life. Christians therefore turn to God, who possesses all power and promises to supply what is needed for living, overcoming, and growing spiritually, with the further assurance that this power will be shared in His Kingdom. All power flows from the Father through Jesus Christ as Mediator and High Priest, who received all authority in heaven and on earth and now distributes it to His people. This authority was displayed when Jesus commissioned His disciples, assuring them that His limitless power would accompany their mission. Specific demonstrations of this power include the ability to command nature, as when a word healed a centurion's servant at a distance and another word stilled a storm on the Sea of Galilee, because creation obeys its Creator. Jesus also possesses power to cleanse from sin, forgiving the paralytic and the leper while proving His authority through healing and ultimately through His sacrificial death and resurrection. He further holds power to destroy the works of Satan, defeating the devil's temptations, conquering death, and releasing believers from bondage to evil and fear. In addition, Jesus exercises power to teach and clarify, presenting God's law with direct authority, magnifying its intent through both instruction and example so that its spiritual application becomes plain. He also sees into human hearts, discerning thoughts, motives, and weaknesses with perfect clarity because He is sinless, enabling Him to provide precisely the help needed. Finally, He can accomplish the impossible, walking on water and enabling Peter to do the same when faith is exercised, thereby showing that commands such as perfection or future glorification become attainable through the power He supplies. These powers, and others like them, remain available through the same Jesus Christ who now sits at the Father's right hand, interceding and empowering believers by the Holy Spirit to overcome and grow.

Power belongs to God in a comprehensive sense that encompasses every faculty and resource needed for action, influence, or capability, whether physical strength, intellect, wisdom, authority, or mercy. This possession is not merely an attribute that God holds in abundance but the exclusive ownership of all power, which flows from Him alone and is distributed according to His will to accomplish His sovereign purposes. Because He directs events toward their appointed conclusion, recognition of this fact supplies the foundation for a relationship in which believers receive enablement through His Spirit to discipline themselves, overcome circumstances, and remain faithful rather than merely endure. The development of this theme proceeds through scriptural examples that illustrate both the necessity and the results of relying on divine power. In the account of Belshazzar, the sudden appearance of the handwriting demonstrates that human power is subject to immediate divine intervention. Paul's statement that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him shows reciprocity: human faithfulness meets divine faithfulness, allowing Christ, the Mediator, to channel God's power. David's experience in Psalm 59 reveals rising confidence when he attributes his defense and strength to God's superior might over nations and individuals alike, combining that strength with mercy. Psalm 62 expands the same conviction by repeatedly identifying God as rock, salvation, defense, glory, and refuge, culminating in the explicit declaration that power belongs to God and that He renders to every person according to work. This establishes God as the only reliable source when trouble of unprecedented scale arises, leaving no human refuge. The broader message therefore centers on protecting the relationship with God now, before events render human resources useless, so that His power may be received for growth, witness, and deliverance.

Power belongs to God as the supreme and only reliable source of strength in every circumstance, a truth David repeatedly affirms in Psalm 62 by declaring that salvation, defense, stability, refuge, and glory all flow from Him alone. This conviction arises from David's experiences, where he learns that human resources prove worthless by comparison and that only God's power combined with His mercy guarantees deliverance. The same principle appears in Exodus 15, where Israel celebrates that the Lord is their strength because He acts on their behalf, and in John 15, where Jesus explains that apart from abiding in Him no spiritual fruit is possible. Paul reinforces the point in Philippians 4 by attributing his ability to endure abundance or need to the strength Christ supplies, showing that genuine enablement is spiritual rather than merely human discipline. Far from being limited to brute force, power encompasses intellect, wisdom, authority, persuasion, forgiveness, and every faculty needed for life and service. God distributes these powers according to His sovereign will, rendering every person dependent upon Him. This understanding directly addresses the intensifying troubles prophesied for the end time. Because power resides with God, believers are urged to seek His help rather than human alternatives, to trust His righteous judgment instead of retaliating, and to cooperate with the process of sanctification that conforms them to Christ's image. By relying on the powers He provides, including the opportunities and resources lavished upon modern Israelitish nations, they can grow, overcome, and witness faithfully until Christ's return.