I've heard this proclaimed often in sermons in the past, read it in books, and even seen it written into movie scripts, and I used to think I knew what this meant, but after pondering more on the phrase, growing in faith and perspective, and dwelling on the scriptures, my knowledge of this has grown.
Firstly, I must emphasize this: our society has distorted and underwhelmed the meaning of the word 'power'. Often obtaining power today means having financial success, owning the most of fill-in-the-blank, or even conquering other people in some shape or form-even a simple conference standing somehow puts us above others. We as humans have given a worldly connotation to the idea of success, but there is a different kind of success-a different kind of power-that is spiritual and beautiful and God-filled, and this is the power of Christ.
What does it mean to actually have the power of Christ? It has endless meanings.
1) It means that eternal life has been made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
2) It means each human can accept that power and live by and through it-presently and eternally
3) It means that even when this life is hard, God has already won-whether we see that presently or eternally
The power that raised Christ from the grave lives in us now in the form of the Holy Spirit, which convicts, guides, counsels, and speaks to the heart of every believer.
Power existing in the name of Jesus means that God is for us in every way. There is no situation-not one-that lacks potential for life, because every circumstance points back to the Lord to glorify His name. On Tuesday nights at Breakaway when I look around and my heart swells at the sight of hundreds of college students worshipping Yahweh, I see the truth that God is for us. The awesome act of worship is glorifying to God. When trials come our way and the world seemingly beats us down to nothingness, I see the truth that God is for us. The tribulations have the potential to produce perseverance and character, and in that, the hard times are glorifying to God. In fact, His power is indeed made perfect in our weakest hours. There is not one event, not one happening that could possibly work against one single believer, because even if a situation seems dire, there is still eternal life.
'Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit'. -Romans 8:1-4
We have a choice. There is a clear battle happening in our world between Spirit and flesh-between good and evil-but we do not have to give in. As C.S. Lewis says, 'We are living in enemy occupied territory, but we can choose to fight behind enemy lines'. We can choose goodness, both now and forever.
In Tolkien's, 'Return of the King', the elf Arwen is told to leave and travel across the sea to escape the war that is overtaking Middle Earth-a war that is very much assumed to end in nothing but tragedy as predicted by everyone, including Arwen's father. As she is preparing to leave Rivendale, one of the gloriously flawless dwellings of the elves, Arwen has a vision of a world restored where she is married to her love and a young child exists, one that obviously belongs to her. The scene moves her to tears and she realizes she cannot leave the world she has known behind, because doing so would mean giving up on any hope in the fallen and broken world. She confronts her father, who is saddened at her return, asking him what he saw in her future. At first, he tells her that there is only death for her, should she choose to stay. Probing him further and with determination, Arwen stands by the hope that there is also life. When hearing this and seeing her perseverance, Elrond decides to pursue hope with her and fight the evil that is overtaking the world of Middle Earth.
This is the mindset for believers to have. When all we see is death or hardships, we must remember that there is also life. We are called to choose to embrace the existing power of the Lord. When life is joyful and working our way, we must credit that life where it is due, recognizing the good as a gift from the Father.
There is power in the name of Christ.
