Let me use one or two illustrations. A sister came to me with her troubles and after talking awhile she said something like this: "I have really no problem except the problem of my own bad temper. I keep losing my temper with my husband and with my children. I have prayed and prayed about it, but the more I pray for victory, the more my temper gets the better of me. Why is it? I know the Lord is my Savior; why doesn't He save me from my bad temper? I know the Lord hears prayer; why doesn't He hear my prayers about my bad temper? I know His life is mighty; why can't His mighty life overcome this little temper of mine?" All that she said was very reasonable. The Lord's life within us is a mighty life, and the Lord is a hearer and answerer of prayer. Why then is that little temper not overcome? Please do not misunderstand me when I say that the life of the Lord has been put within you and me to meet the needs of God's great kingdom, not to meet the need of our little temper. So I said to that sister, "Who is Lord of your life, you or the Lord? Is the authority in your hands or in His?" And when she reasoned again about her temper, I asked again, "Who is on the throne of your life, you or God?" When I pressed the point and refused her a loop-hole to escape, at long last the answer came: "I am in charge of my own life." Then I said, "Sister, what need is there to say anything more? You are on the throne and you want the Lord to help you. If He is not in the place of authority in your life, how can He do anything for you?"

That is our whole trouble today. Why cannot God's mighty life deal with our little tempers? The question is not one of little problems or big problems; the question is this: Who is on the throne? You are always hoping God will confine Himself to the throne in heaven while you occupy the throne in your life. Then you are bothered by your weaknesses and sins, so you call upon Him to help you. You cry out to Him: "Are You not the Mighty One? Have You not promised to answer prayer? Can You bear to see Your child living a life of defeat?" Yes, He can bear to see you defeated, and He will let you go on being defeated until you realize that He has put His life within you in order to establish His kingdom within you.

You must let Him have the throne. Let Him take control. Let Him establish His kingdom in your life. Then every foe will be overcome. There will be no need then to pray about your weaknesses, for if He has His place on the throne of your life every foe will be vanquished. In the Old Testament days, when Jehovah had His place as King over His people, all their enemies were subject to them, but when they refused to let Him have dominion, the enemies gained the ascendancy. Then all their cries were unavailing. Their enemies took the holy city, destroyed the temple, carried off the ark, and took God's own people captive.

A brother once came to me and said something like this: "Why is it that my platform ministry is so weak? I pray a great deal about it. I sometimes fast and pray, and at times I spend a night in prayer before accepting a speaking invitation. Why am I still powerless?" My answer was the same as before: "Who is in control of your life?" That is the whole question. If you try to restrict God to the throne in heaven and refuse Him the throne in your life, all your cries for help will avail nothing. The question is not one of weakness or power; the question is one of the throne.

We read of the river of living water that "on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month" (Rev. 22:2). Wherever this river flowed, every need was met. But where did the river come from? "And He showed me a river of water of life...proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Rev. 22:1). Life is always associated with the throne. When we yield to God's authority and let Him establish His kingdom in our lives, then we are maintained in victory and in fullness of life, for then we too are in authority.