THE SPIRIT OF MIGHT, FOR EXPLOITS by Dr David Oyedepo

God is delivering unusual strength to the end time Church. True, the Church is destined for exploits but she must discover how to connect to the source of power for a release of strength. Locating mysteries is crucial but no principle can produce without a force being applied to it. From Joel 2, we can conclude that the end time Church is a Church of unique strength.

…A great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations …
The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
Joel 2:2,3-5

Horses are creatures of tremendous strength. You often hear a term like ‘horsepower’. It is used to describe a measure of power equal to that which is necessary to life. Of course it is a derivative of the enormous strength of a horse. God uses horsepower to describe the unique strength of the endtime army. They cannot be up today, down tomorrow like a yoyo. You need strength to do exploits (“the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”). And that strength is supplied by the Spirit of Might.

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord.
Isaiah 11:2

There is a Spirit of Might released to the latter day Church to bring God’s glorious vision of her to light.

And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.
Habakkuk 2:2

No vision produces without strength,

...that he may run that readeth it.

You don’t walk with any vision, Sir, you run. You run fast, you run hard, you run to obtain an incorruptible crown. But you cannot pursue a heavenly vision with natural strength. You need the Spirit of Might.

The Bible says when the Spirit of God came upon Samson, he used the jawbone of an ass to win a battle. He uprooted the gate of a city, carrying the gate and posts together, up a mountain. As long as the Spirit of Might was upon him, nobody had power enough to handle him.

Paul stayed in the deep one night. Another time he was stoned and left for dead but he jerked back to life. The man of war stood up. He had very strange strength. You need that kind of strength too. I see all the weakness in your life die right now!

Jesus also had this supernatural strength so he told his disciples, when they marvelled at His stamina,

...I have meat to eat that ye know not of
John 4:32

That “meat” made Him tirelessly progressive. It was the Spirit of Might that kept energizing Him.

Every great accomplishment requires heavenly strength to bring it to pass. There are many things your spirit is willing to do but your flesh is weak to accomplish. That’s why you see some men at 30 already stooping, walking like old men, or the ancient locomotive trains grinding their way uphill! No! Jesus taught for three days at a stretch - morning and evening. He never broke down. His motto was “I must work!” But you need strength to work, Sir!

Paul writing to the Church at Ephesus described the Spirit of Might and its operation thus:

That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.
Ephesians 3:16

God grants you the Spirit of Might to strengthen you in your inner man. It is what makes you tirelessly progressive. It energises and strengthens you. It makes you rock-solid!

After teaching two services in one evening service, I say “Goodnight” to my staff at about 10:00 p.m., but that’s the time I say “Good evening” to God. And I may stay with him for three hours, and in the morning I‘m still myself. That is possible only by the Spirit of Might. If you do that in the flesh, you’ll just die for free. You need to be strengthened with might in your inner man, not spineless like an amoeba or a vegetable!

HIS OPERATIONAL ROOT

One of the descriptions of the Holy Spirit is the Oil of Joy. It is this oil of joy that releases the Spirit of Might.

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of Joy for mourning …
And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations!
Isaiah 61:3, 4

The might of heaven needed to build up old wastes and raise up former desolations (talking about restoration), is released through joy – the Oil of Joy. Show me a man that is never broken hearted, that’s a man of unique strength.

… neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10

Everybody needs the Oil of Joy in his life. An inflow of it into your spirit man will do a strange work in your life. I have never had a sleepless night on this ministry once! I have never needed to be encouraged. No not any day! I’m in touch with the Oil of gladness. He strengthens my inner man to do unusual exploits in God’s kingdom.

Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 12:3

That’s talking about revelation. It takes joy to draw. And a “wise man is strong, yea a man of knowledge increaseth strength.” (Proverbs 24:5). So the Oil of Joy connects you to unlimited revelation, and unlimited revelation connects you to unusual strength! You become registered for exploits.

The Holy Ghost imparts to you Joy unspeakable, full of glory, described by Peter in 1 Peter 1:8,

… though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

This is the joy you can’t explain in natural terms. You are just on top, even when things are not working out as you expect. You refuse to be moved.

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield now meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The (joy of the) Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (emphasis added)

Only the Holy Ghost can give you joy when things are not working, when you stick your life to His joy, God releases some unique strength to you that will take you from the valley and catapult you into your high places in life.

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but Righteousness, and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost.
Romans 17:17

Receive joy in the Holy Ghost, this minute, in the name of Jesus!

You should be tired of being up today, down tomorrow, depressed today, oppressed tomorrow. That’s not the way up. I was a weakling before, up today, down tomorrow. I was also a victim of tuberculosis. But 28 years ago, Jesus healed me, and released upon me the Spirit of Might. Now I am turned into another man. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. If you work with me, you must lose weight. Because you’ll be baptized into labour when you arrive, no matter where you’re coming from. Our motto is “I must work!”

Jesus had unique strength that made for the exploits He recorded in ministry. He was energized in His spirit man, because He was anointed with the Oil of gladness.

Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Psalm 45:7

So, the mystery of the Spirit of Might is packaged in the oil of joy and gladness. Jesus had more of the Oil of Gladness than anybody. No wonder He demonstrated more strength than anyone else. He was “above (his) fellows.”

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Proverbs 17:22

Most sicknesses come out of a broken heart. It is a broken heart that results in a broken body. Somebody has a financial accident and his heart is broken, then his body breaks along – high blood pressure or hypertension or stroke steps in. Once you are broken inside, you will be broken outside. When the inner man is strengthened, the outer man will be strong, but when you see a man complaining, “Do you know what I’m facing? Last year, nothing worked …” He has a sickness of the spiritual heart which weakens the body.

Everything is working together for my good. If it’s not working for you, check it, it’s because your oil tank is dry. You need to refill it with the Oil of joy; joy unspeakable that produces glory.

How we came to Lagos is a mystery. We were on our way to London and America, but for three days, the flight was not ready, and we were stranded in Lagos. So I changed my mind about the trip and headed home. When we got to Kaduna, we couldn’t find my luggage. All I said was “Thank God it was not my wife’s box. If it was, I would have felt sorry for her.” As for me, I don’t have feelings for myself.

My wife wanted to make a list of the missing items. I told her not to bother, because the box has already switched ownership! It belonged to me, now it belongs to somebody else.

When one of the pastors learnt of it later, he said, “You mean you lost a box on that trip?”, I said humorously, “No, somebody took it, I didn’t throw it away!” The Oil of joy!

The day following, God spoke to me, “My son, arise, get out to Lagos and raise me a people.” Every time your spirit is heavy, the enemy wants to steal your blessing.

A box would have erased the mission to Lagos! Don’t destroy your destiny in God. Every broken heart breaks destiny. Stop the devil from breaking your destiny and disconnecting you from the source of your help. The Oil of joy helps you enter into the knowledge of God, and knowledge guarantees strength, making you a man of exploits.

Leave those depressive thoughts alone. Say to the Oil of joy, “I want an encounter with you this day!” and to the Spirit of Might, “Strengthen me with might in my inner man.”