Let us return one last time to Romans 8, where we read: “the Spirit helps us in our weakness” (v. 26). This sentence seems to capture the essence of the work of the Spirit in the life of the Christian., so that the translation of ‘parakletos’ found in some versions, ‘Helper’ has much to commend it. For it is not only in prayer that we are weak. In every area of our lives, though our spirit may be willing to live for Christ and serve him faithfully, yet the flesh is weak, and all too often we fail to live out our faith effectively, and to live up to our fine resolutions. It is at such times that we need to ‘call to our side’ the ‘parakletos’, the great Helper of the weak, the ‘Jesus substitute’. We may be like Peter, walking in faith on the water (in our case, metaphorically!), but then suddenly sinking as his faith failed. “Lord, save me!”, he cried, and Jesus “stretched out his hand and took hold of him” (Matt 14. 30-1). Jesus in his earthly ministry could only stretch out his hand to one disciple at a time, but now, in the person of his Holy Spirit, his great substitute, he can come to the help of any of his disciples at any time, anywhere. He is only an arm’s length away from any of us – a cry-for-help away.
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