The Holy Spirit is our Helper

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”  John 14:16-18 (NKJV)

The Greek term for “Helper” means “one called alongside to help”, someone who encourages and warns, advises and urges.  Notice that He will abide with the believer forever. 

The Holy Spirit would take the place of Jesus and do His work:

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”  John 14:26 (NKJV)

 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  John 16:7 (NKJV)

The Holy Spirit testifies about Jesus Christ.  He continually shows us Who Jesus is, how Jesus fits into our lives, and why we so desperately need Him: 

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”  John 15:26 (NKJV)

The word which Jesus used for “Helper” was paraclete, which has also been translated “Advocate”, “Counselor” and “Comforter”.  Be encouraged to let the Holy Spirit into that place where you may have difficult or painful emotions that may underlie your struggle with food.  He may convict you if there is sin, but He will not condemn you.  On the contrary, He is our Advocate and Comforter!  All comfort comes from God, and He is able to Heal the most painful wounds.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”  2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV)

The Holy Spirit is also referred to as “Counselor” who will teach believers all things.  Jesus has sent the “Spirit of truth” to abide with us and teach us all things.  Remember that Jesus said that the truth sets us free:

“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”  John 8:31-32 (NIV)

Jesus didn’t say he would send the “Controller”, or the “do everything for you” Spirit, but the “Helper”.  Relationship is a 2-part deal, not a situation where God will do everything and I get to do nothing.  Commentators define paraclete as “one who comes alongside”.  There’s His part and there’s our part.  If you are not sure about what God is asking you to do for your part, pray for Him to show you.  Sometimes we don’t even know what to pray for, but the Spirit does: 

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”  Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

And who can surpass the fruit of the Spirit, unsurpassed help to us as we walk through this world:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”  Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

I daresay there isn’t a problem that cannot be remedied by the fruit of the Spirit.  Think of the love, supernaturally born of God, that which only can help us to forgive the unforgivable so that we can heal from the underlying pain that may be driving overeating.  The love referred to here is “agape love” which is the love of choice, not of emotion.  Think of the joy that can meet the depression that may fuel overeating—a joy based on unchanging divine promises and eternal spiritual realities even in the most severe and painful circumstances, “for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).  Think of the peace that is available to meet the “anxiousness” that  emotional eaters may feel as feelings begin to surface which are habitually met with food to “calm” (very temporarily)—this peace is an inner calm, again unrelated to circumstances, not a merely physically calming (and fleeting) antidote of food.  Think of the longsuffering, a supernatural patience and willingness to accept irritating or painful situations such as feeling the uncomfortable feelings which food has been used to bury.  Think of the perpetual source of self-control available to restrain appetites even while we are in the tyranny of our flesh in which we may have no power over the bondage that controls us. 

This spiritual power is available to every believer.  But we have a responsibility--we are exhorted to walk in the Spirit.  How?  We must discipline our mind (set our mind), read the Word of God, and determine to live by it.  The choice lies with us!  We have to exercise effort, but the Spirit provides the ability to do so.  The Holy Spirit of God will empower the obedient believer. 

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”  2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)

Incomparably Great, Immeasurably More Power

Not only has God given believers all the spiritual resources we need for every trial, it is with His “incomparably great power”:

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”  Ephesians 1:18-23 (NIV)

This incomparably great power (more than any desire, bondage or addiction, as strong as they may seem) is given to every believer at the time of salvation and is always available.  Incomparably great power.  What more can be said?  I pray that God Reveal the power you already have, if you have received Christ, and that you use that power to the glory of God.  Not only are we given “everything we need for life and godliness”, it is “immeasurably more” than we can imagine, and I pray (along with Paul) for you to know it and operate in it:

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

  “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!  Amen.”  Ephesians 3:14-21 (NIV)

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”  Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”  2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)

Talk about a Helper!  So how do we access this “power that is at work within us”?  In upcoming blog posts we’ll see that God’s Word tells us how.

N.E.W. LIFE Books