The Power of His Life in Me

The law shows us what life should be, but only union with Jesus supplies the power to live it.

Devotional Credit: Abide Above by Miles Stanford
Photo Credit: Unsplash

Miles Stanford brings us to a vital truth: love alone, as precious as it is, cannot sustain the believer’s walk or service. Love may move us, but it does not equip us to overcome sin, nor does it empower us to live victoriously. What carries us through is not the love motive but the life motive. Paul wrote in Romans 8:2 that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. This is not about trying harder or clinging to the law but about receiving life itself, the very life of the risen Lord expressed in us.

The law, though holy and good, reveals our inability. In the flesh we lack the power to do good consistently. The more we attempt to keep the law, the more we encounter our weakness and the stronger sin appears to be. The law exposes the futility of trying to live apart from the indwelling Christ. God’s answer was not to improve the flesh, nor to lower His standard, but to crucify the old man with Christ and unite us to Jesus in resurrection life.

Stanford points us to this greater reality. We were made dead to the law by the body of Christ on the Cross in order to be joined to Another, the risen Jesus. The law could only bind and condemn, but life in union with Him brings liberty, peace, and fruitfulness. The law belongs to the old creation, but in Christ we are new, joined to Him in an endless life that has no limitations.

This is the hope and joy of the believer: not striving to live by commandments that condemn, but living in the power of an indestructible life. The abiding life is not a life of self-effort but of Christ’s own life expressed in us moment by moment.

Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture

My child, you are not bound to the old way of the law. In Jesus you died to its demands, for I united you with Him in His death. You no longer live under the rule of sin and condemnation, for the law of the Spirit of life has set you free. Do not look back to the old order that only exposed your weakness. Look to the risen Lord in whom you now live.

The law served its purpose, revealing sin and pointing to your need, but it could not supply life. Life comes only through union with Jesus. You are no longer married to the law but joined to Him who was raised from the dead. In Him you bear fruit unto Me. This is not by your effort but by the power of His life in you.

You do not serve by striving to obey a written code, but by resting in the Spirit who indwells you. His life is endless, unconquerable, and sufficient. You walk now not after the law of a carnal commandment but in the power of an endless life. Trust Me, yield to Me, and let the risen Jesus live through you.

Scripture References: Romans 8:2, Romans 7:4-6, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Romans 6:4-11, Colossians 3:3-4, Hebrews 7:16, Philippians 3:9-10, Galatians 5:18.

Real-Life Analogy

Imagine a phone that is completely drained of power. No matter how many times you press the buttons, it will not respond. You could read the manual over and over, learning every instruction, but without a power source the phone remains lifeless. Only when connected to its charger does it come alive, fully able to do what it was made to do.

In the same way, the law is like the manual that tells us how life should work, but it cannot supply the power to live. Jesus is the source of life within us. Today when I am tempted to rely on self-effort, I can say, “Lord, I trust You to live Your life through me in this moment.” Just as the charger brings power to the phone, the indwelling Christ supplies all that is needed for me to live as He intends.

Prayer of Confidence

Lord, I thank You that I am no longer bound to the law, striving to produce life from myself. In Jesus, You have given me the power of an endless life. I rejoice that I am joined to Him in resurrection, set free from the law of sin and death. I rest today in Your Spirit who indwells me, confident that His life in me will bear fruit and bring glory to You.