Have you ever tried to do something for God in your own strength? If you have, I’m sure you’ve noticed that there is an incredible difference between working in your own “flesh” and working in step with the Spirit. When working in step with the Spirit should come the faith and knowledge of knowing that when you are in line with what God is doing, nothing on earth can stop it. In Acts when Peter and the apostles were doing the work of the Lord, they were brought before the Sanhedrin and told to stop. When they refused, the teachers of the law began discussing what they would do with them. Then in chapter 5 verses 38 and 39 a Pharisee named Gamaliel, said in part:
"Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origins, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God."
You see, when God has a plan, no one can stop it. Even this Pharisee recognized that. I believe that God can bless anything that is done in his name - even things that we do in our own flesh. But when we are working in step with the Spirit, when we follow his lead and our hearts are in tuned with his as it was with the apostles, then the work can’t be stopped. So I encourage you, if you are doing work for the Lord, try to remain in step with him. If you do, nothing can stop his plan. If we work in our own flesh, we are striving without the power of the Holy Spirit. And if we work this way, our weak efforts will lack the anointing of God and can end in defeat.
---
I challenge you to consider if your efforts for God are of human effort or if they are of the Spirit. Even the Pharisee realized that if it is of the Spirit, if it is from God, nothing can stop it. Why would we want to do anything without the aid of the Spirit anyway? When we do, it always lacks the power and anointing that it could have if we were in step with the Spirit. But when we are in step, no one and nothing can stop it because if anyone tries, they will only end up fighting against God.