The Enduement of Power for Church Growth – Apostle Mohammed SANOGO

The clothing of power for the growth of the Church

God does not support all His servants! This statement may be shocking, but it is biblical. In Isaiah 42:1, God says:

Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom my soul delights; I have placed my Spirit upon him…

This means that among those who serve God, some have His support, and others do not. Isn’t that terrifying? Serving God without being supported by Him makes ministry hard, an unending struggle, a work with no visible fruit. So what draws heaven’s support into your ministry?

Look at Jesus. After His baptism, the Bible says He was full of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1), but He didn’t start His ministry right away. The Spirit first led Him into the wilderness, where He was tested. When He came out of it, something had changed:

Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit… (Luke 4:14)

He was no longer just filled, He was clothed. And from that moment on, His impact became irresistible.

This is the difference between an ordinary ministry and a ministry supported by God: the clothing of power. Without this mantle, the church cannot grow, the work cannot prosper, the voice of the servant lacks authority, and his efforts are in vain.

The servant God supports is the one on whom the Spirit of the Lord rests. This is not just a one-time experience, but a constant reality to pursue. Having the Spirit in you guarantees salvation, but having the Spirit on you guarantees effectiveness!

You can preach, teach, organize, structure, but if you don’t have this clothing, everything will seem heavy, difficult, and ineffective. Many servants work with the Spirit within, but without the clothing. The result? They burn out, the church stagnates, and they become frustrated. Look at your ministry, your service, your commitment, and dare to ask yourself: am I supported by God?

The importance of the clothing: The officer in uniform

Imagine a police officer without a uniform. He’s been trained, he knows the law, he carries the authority within him, but on the street, no one obeys him until he is identified as a police officer. But as soon as he puts on the uniform, his authority is visible, and his influence immediate.

This is exactly what happens spiritually. You can be a man of God full of the Holy Spirit, knowing the Bible, preaching with fervor, but without the clothing, your authority remains ineffective. Souls won’t respond to your call, demons won’t obey you, everything feels complicated. But the day you are clothed, everything changes!

This is what happened to Jesus. Before His baptism, there was no sign of miracles, no demonstration of power. But once He came out of the Jordan, the Spirit came upon Him. In the desert, He was tested, and when He emerged, His fame spread. Why? Because He was clothed.

Look at your ministry, look at your spiritual life. Why do some churches, some ministries thrive, while others stagnate? Why do some preach with an authority that draws the masses, while others struggle to keep a handful of followers? It’s a question of clothing.

Moving from fullness to clothing: The indispensable transition

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is essential, but it is not enough. Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was led into the desert. This step is vital, because that is where one moves from simple fullness to being clothed. Many want the power without going through the desert. They want to be clothed without being tested. Yet, the desert is the place where God breaks your ego, where He tests the purity of your motives.

Why do you think Satan came to tempt Jesus precisely at this stage? He knew that if Jesus came out of the desert victorious, His ministry would shake the world! In the same way, if you want to see your life and your ministry change, you must embrace the desert. It is in that place that God refines your character, exposes your flaws, and purifies your motives.

The problem is that many fail at this stage. The pressure of the desert drives them to seek shortcuts. Instead of waiting for God’s clothing, they seek human solutions: manipulation, financial compromise, connections with influential people instead of waiting for divine favor. The result: they end up with a false clothing, an appearance of power, but devoid of God’s authentic support.

Satan said to Jesus:

If you will worship me, all this will be yours. (Luke 4:6–7)

Many today, without even realizing it, fall into this trap. They seek man’s recognition rather than God’s. They form alliances that do not glorify Christ. They build with worldly means instead of the power of the Holy Spirit.

But Jesus remained firm. He came out of the desert not just with knowledge, but clothed with power. That is what made Him an unstoppable ministry, and that is what will make you an unshakable servant.

The clothing: Key to growth and impact

A church that no longer wins souls is a church that has lost its clothing. A church that does not adapt to the spiritual seasons ends up dying out. Why did so many churches perish during the pandemic? It wasn’t just a structural issue, it was a spiritual failure.

The Holy Spirit always brings innovation, adaptation, multiplication. But a church stuck in its habits, that does not renew its approach, suffocates its own growth.

The clothing brings divine wisdom to manage and grow the work. It leads you to understand that God calls you not just to reach your city, but the nations:

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

God is not calling you to local impact, but to global impact.

At the heart of the Bible

Isaiah 42:1 – God supports His servants

Luke 4:14 – Jesus comes out of the desert clothed with power

Acts 1:8 – The power to witness to the nations

John 7:37 – Spiritual thirst draws the Holy Spirit