In Scriptures, when we read about some poor individual being ‘possessed’ of a demon we are given some sort of evidence of that possession. There is an action taking place that gives rise to the notion that a possession, in fact, has happened.
Suppose I acquired an automobile. Not just any automobile, mind you, but the most powerful car ever made; the most beautiful and the most valuable car available to anyone. Immediately upon acquiring this automobile, I cover and lock it securely in my fortress of a garage; I never see it; I never start it; I never show it to anyone at all. There is no doubt in my mind that I have it—but, do I really possess it? Is there a possession if there is absolutely no action, or use?
Think on this: Only the use of power shows actual possession of the power. Action is necessary to give clear title of possession. Those that have potential power shall reveal actual possession of power through use.
In the beginning, God said to the first man, ‘I give to you the power gift of dominion, or My authority over all creation.’ Adam took the power of God’s authority and used it in the world as being God’s manager in the world. His use of this given power revealed that he not only had it available, but that he possessed it. There was evidence of the power in use.
The next or, another power gift from God to the first man, was the power to make a choice. He had it available to him at all times, but he never really ‘possessed’ it until he actually used it. One day the power of choice was used in a way that had an effect on the rest of the world forever, an action that revealed to all, that he actually possessed the power to make a choice. The result of using that power brought sin into the world, and the further result of the use of that power of choice was that all of mankind now possessed the sin nature. And, I might add, our continuous sinful actions showed that we now ‘possess’ the power of sin. (By the way, the gift of the power of God’s authority was lost to man because of the use of the gift of choice on that fateful day).
Fast-forward to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ which provided for the atonement of mankind. By faith I receive salvation, not of anything I can do; it is a gift of God. Not only am I now given eternal life with God, am I not also given the presence of God through the indwelling Holy Spirit? This also is a power gift. With salvation, I am given the potential use of the power of God. I do ‘have’ this, but the question remains, do I ‘possess’ it if I am not using it. I am told to “walk in the Spirit” and to display the “fruit of the Spirit.” I ‘have’ within me the ability to accomplish this and much more by the Spirit of God Who lives in me, but can I truly say I ‘possess’ it if no one ever sees it active in me?
You may say I am just playing with words here, but my bottom-line point is this: I genuinely want to possess all that Scripture says I have in Christ Jesus in such a way that everyone who encounters me knows that what I claim to have is a real possession. I just don’t want to have it in my mind (garage), but I want to use it, to show it in such a way that the whole world knows beyond a doubt that God possesses me and I possess Him. And, I want that for all who claim to be Christians as well, as we have far too many who do not show in action that they possess God’s Spirit.
“But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22-25)
