Pastor Johnathan Ellison
Don't Let the Enemy Steal Your Joy: The Power You Can't Afford to Lose
Have you ever been through a power outage and felt that slow creep of panic set in? First hour, no big deal. Second hour, the kids are getting fussy. But by hour three? It's testing your marriage and your faith. I've been in blackouts in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mexico, Romania — and everybody acts the same. Without power, people begin to show who they really are. Frustration rises, tempers flare, and we start acting a lot like the ancient Israelites — grumbling and complaining even after they'd seen God do the impossible.
Here's the thing: a power outage is inconvenient, but it's not the most dangerous kind of powerlessness we can face.
The Most Dangerous Blackout You'll Ever Experience
"The most dangerous thing is the lack of power in a Christian — the lack of knowledge in the Lord, the lack of the fear of the Lord, the lack of dependence on the Lord, the lack of obedience to the Lord, and the lack of joy in the Lord."
We're continuing our series Ready for More, and this week we're digging deeper into the more of God's power. But before we get there, we have to be honest about something. We love to see the displays of God's power. We want to be guided by it. But too many churches and too many people have abused God's power to glorify themselves.
God's power isn't here to make us famous. It's not here to show how great we are. As Exodus 9:16 reminds us, God said, "But I have spared you for a purpose — to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth." His power exists to give glory to the One who is power.
Whose Power Are We Really Under?
The Israelites saw the sea part. They saw a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud guiding them. They witnessed mighty miracle after mighty miracle — and yet they quickly forgot who held the power. In Exodus 15:24, 16:2, and 17:3, we see them grumbling against Moses again and again: "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"
Sound familiar? It only took three hours without power for them to start complaining.
Here's something that needs to be said clearly: "God won't give his power to a generation that doesn't have the character to carry it." And we have to be honest — we live in a time when so many things are trying to reshape and redefine what moral character looks like, instead of sticking to what God says it is in His Word.
But no matter what happened this week, "God hasn't surrendered his authority. He never will."
And let me be direct about something else: "The power of God has never been dependent on favorable election results." We cannot confuse the advancement of a political platform with the advancement of the kingdom of God. Jesus didn't commission us to go into all the world and make Republicans or Democrats. He commissioned us to make disciples. That purpose has never changed. If losing an election causes us more distress than broken families, hurting children, struggling marriages, or people's eternal souls — we need to reevaluate our priorities.
Connected to Divine Power
In 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, the Apostle Paul — who planted churches across the ancient world — writes: "When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn't use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God's secret plan. For I decided that while I was with you, I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified. I came to you in weakness, timid and trembling, and my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so that you would trust not in human wisdom, but in the power of God."
There's a real commonality between Paul and Moses — both started by saying, "I'm not the person for this." But there's a lot that God can do in our weakness. He is actually attracted to those who depend on Him.
As 2 Peter 1:3-4 tells us: "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." Everything we need. Not some of what we need. Everything.
The church will only be bright enough to cut through the darkness using His divine power. Under our own power, it will fail.
So here are two questions worth sitting with: Are we living and relying on God's divine power or our own? And whose power do we truly value?
The Gift the Enemy Is After
There is a key gifting in God's power that I believe is central to everything else. It's something we've got to walk in every day and not give up. Because the moment we do, we're going to be like the Israelites — grumbling and complaining.
That gift is joy.
Nehemiah 8:10 declares: "Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." The enemy wants a weak church. If he can get us dejected, if he can make trials look insurmountable, he'll steal our joy — and a church without joy is a powerless church.
"Joy is not the absence of trouble, but rather the presence of Jesus."
Joy vs. Happiness: Know the Difference
Be careful not to confuse joy with happiness — the two are completely different. Happiness depends on circumstances. Lord, if you give me the right circumstances, then I'll be happy. But happiness goes up and down depending on the happenings, and it will take a toll on you emotionally. It will tear you down.
The Israelites never understood this, and an entire generation didn't make it to the Promised Land because of it.
Joy, on the other hand, "has much less to do with what's going around you and much more to do with what's going on inside of you."
Consider Paul and Silas — two men who were beaten and thrown into prison in chains for preaching the Gospel. Acts 16:25 tells us: "Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening." You're not going to pray and sing to God if there's no joy inside of you. And then? A massive earthquake shook the prison to its foundations. Every door flew open. Every chain fell off.
"No matter what trial you're facing, if you hold on to the joy of the Lord, it will shake the enemy's hold to the core, and freedom will come."
Joy is also contagious. It's transferable. God's powerful power is transferable. Think about it — nobody is lining up to spend a Friday night with the grumblers and complainers. But someone full of joy? You want to be around that. "Before you tangle with something more powerful than you, you better be sure that you have access to a power greater than what you're facing."
The Trial of Your Faith Is More Precious Than Gold
1 Peter 1:5-7 says: "Through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation which is ready to be revealed on the last day...Even though you must endure many trials for a little while, these trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold. Though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."
Every time you face a trial and hold on to that joy, it is much more precious than gold. And as David Platt says, "Nothing is impossible for the people of God who trust in the power of God to accomplish the will of God."
Putting It Into Practice
So how do we actually do this? Here's where to start:
Confess. Acknowledge it honestly: "Lord, I've let go of my joy. I feel hollow inside. I feel empty inside." Name what caused it.
Repent. "Lord, forgive me for being so fickle with your joy. Forgive me for not holding on. Forgive me for allowing your joy to not strengthen me."
Ask. Simply pray: "Holy Spirit, fill me with joy once again." Tell the enemy he can have the happiness — you want the complete fulfillment of the joy of the Lord.
Maybe you've let go of joy in your marriage, in your family, at work, or in your everyday life. Maybe trials have stolen it. Maybe unfairness has. Maybe grumbling and complaining have slowly drained it away.
Today is the day to take it back.
"Less of me, Lord, more of you." Rise above your circumstances, because the trial of your faith is much more precious than gold — and the joy of the Lord is still your strength.