Before He was arrested, Jesus told His disciples, ‘I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.’ The Greek source for the word ‘advocate’ is parakletos, which means ‘one who comes alongside’ to strengthen, encourage, and advise you. How amazing is that? When we feel discouraged, confused, and powerless, we have access to a wise, compassionate, competent helper who will show up to comfort us, support us and supply us with what we need. And that helper is the Holy Spirit. So instead of struggling to do everything alone, let’s learn to lean on Him, draw on His power, and trust Him to do His mighty work within us.

Paul also tells us, ‘He [the Holy Spirit] will tell you where to go and what to do, and then you won’t always be doing the wrong things your evil nature wants you to’ (Galatians 5:16 TLB). The battle between the Spirit within us versus our sinful fleshly natures is constant and relentless. Our fleshly natures can’t be subdued by our own thinking; if we try to defeat our old natures in our own power, we’ll only produce defeat and discouragement. We need the Holy Spirit to intervene. He ‘will tell you where to go and what to do’.

And here’s another wonderful benefit that the indwelling Holy Spirit will bring: ‘The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them. The Spirit we received does not make us slaves again to fear; it makes us children of God’ (Romans 8:14 NCV). The Holy Spirit is here to guide and direct our lives, remove our fears, and comfort us when we need support.

What Now?

What are you struggling with today? Whether it’s something big or small, as you face it (or the thought of it) today, say the words of Romans 8:14 to yourself: ‘The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them’ (NCV).