And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:2–4)
There’s a great scene in Thor: Ragnarok during the siege of Asgard where Thor comes flying out of the heavens (not unlike a mighty rushing wind), complete with thunder and lightning, and single-handedly battles the hordes from the underworld. It’s pretty cool—the army of death rushes against an electrified Chris Hemsworth as Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” bumps the soundtrack. This, coupled with the image of the Valkyrie going to war on white flying horses against Hela (the goddess of death), is rather what one imagines the battle in Revelation 20:11 will be like.
The anticlimactic truth is that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is (generally) nothing like a Marvel movie. We don’t vanquish cosmic foes, we’re not imbued with supernatural powers, and we certainly don’t look like we’ve spent our leisure hours at CrossFit. We’re the same frail-framed humans we always have been—our spirits are willing, but our flesh remains weak. If that’s so, then why is the Holy Spirit called the Helper? What does he help us do? Why did he allow the apostles to heal the lame, cure the sick, and give sight to the blind, but not us? Does the scientific age need signs and wonders less than a superstitious era?
These questions go all the way back to the foundation-laying period of the church, which Editor-in-Chief Michael Horton explains in “Word, Water, Supper: The Work of the Spirit,” describing when and how the Spirit has acted (and continues to act) from the beginning of creation to today. He and White Horse Inn cohosts Kim Riddlebarger, Rod Rosenbladt, and Justin Holcomb unpack the contemporary settings of these questions in their roundtable discussion, focusing particularly on the difference between how the Spirit can act and how he has promised to act. Professor Hywel Jones elaborates on the work of the Spirit through the preached word by the prayers of Christ’s people, and Presbyterian pastor Nick Batzig brings the theological heat with his essay on how the current discussion over the “eternal subordination of the Son” debate—and a biblical understanding of the Trinitarian economy—enhances our understanding of who the Spirit is and what he does.
As we walk, run, plod, and crawl our way through this earthly pilgrimage, we may not feel like superheroes. But make no mistake: we are warriors, fighting the ultimate cosmic battle against the rulers, authorities, and powers of this present darkness. We cannot summon thunder and lightning at our command, but we can put on the full armor of God and extinguish the darts of the evil one. Our war is less visibly spectacular and our army underwhelming—but our Captain has already won, and his (and our!) kingdom will never be shaken.
Brooke Ventura associate editor
