The Spirit Driveth Him

Mark 1:12

And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness.

The leading of the Holy Spirit is a term often used by lazy believers to say the Spirit led them to go to a place to do nothing. According to the Scriptures and the examples we see in the Scriptures, the Spirit never leads anyone to go anywhere to sit and do nothing.

The first time we see the Holy Spirit leading Christ in His earthly ministry, the Scriptures say that the Spirit driveth him. This statement shows great contrast between the modern-day preacher who makes it sound as if the Holy Spirit is gently leading someone in a fragile way so they don't get burnt out or disillusioned. What most people call being led by the Spirit is more being led by the flesh and personal, lazy desires. When the Holy Spirit leads, He drives, for drive is part of the word driveth. Let me share several thoughts about what it means when the Spirit driveth Him.

First, the leading of the Spirit will push you. To push something means pressure to go forward. The Holy Spirit pushes you to go forward by faith. So, to go backward is to push against the Spirit. Many believers are sadly fighting the Spirit when they say they are fighting the Devil because they are going backward and not forward. You will always have forward momentum pushing you when you are led by the Spirit because He driveth you or pushes you forward.

Second, the leading of the Spirit puts pressure on you. To drive someone means to put pressure on them. This soft generation that doesn't want any pressure put on them to do right is a generation that is surrendering to the pressure of the flesh to do nothing rather than yielding to the pressure of the Spirit to do something for God. If you are fighting against the pressure of the ministry, you are fighting against the Spirit of God because He driveth you, or He puts pressure on you to do right or more right.

Third, the leading of the Spirit will press you. Paul said, I press toward the mark…. That statement was an agreement that the Spirit of God caused him to press forward for something greater. When you are being led by the Spirit, you will find yourself reaching for higher goals that presses you or drives you to do something great for God. The Holy Spirit will never lead you to be comfortable; He always presses or drives you to do something greater for God.

Fourth, the leading of the Spirit provides the energy or power to do these greater works. Whatever drives something is what provides the power within. The Holy Spirit driveth you, or we could say He pushes, puts pressure on, or presses you to do greater things, but He is the power within you to help you to do these greater things for God by faith.

The key to this verse is in a suffix. The word driveth has the suffix -eth, which means the Holy Spirit continually drives you to do these things. For instance, the Holy Spirit puts pressure on you and continues with His pressure. He pushes you, but He continues to push you. He presses you to do more, but He continues to press you to do more. You can say you don't like to be pushed or have someone put pressure on you, but that statement is to say you don't like how the Holy Spirit works in your life. The Holy Spirit is the constant motivator who puts pressure on you to do more, but He never puts so much pressure on you that He doesn't provide the power to do what He driveth you to do.