'I have the power!'

So said ‘HeMan the Master of the Universe’ during his battles with his evil nemesis Skeletor! Such delusion!

As we were reminded at Swanwick the upside-down nature of the Kingdom of God means that true power, true strength comes through weakness. Genuine power comes from the Holy Spirit and as Jacques Ellul carefully points out, ‘the holy Spirit will give true power and efficacy only to means which are in exact agreement with the actual content of the gospel.’

Similarly Charles Ringma writes that ‘the exercise of true power never exploits. It only empowers others.’ So in a way those who have ‘true power’ are those who give it away.

I’m sure Skeletor will be pleased to hear that.