By Samuel Hanke
Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”
One may hear the phrase “Be strong” spoken to individuals suffering a hardship. “Be strong; you can get through this,” is an idea commonly expressed in attempt to comfort and encourage friends suffering financial impossibilities, relational strains, or physical loss. Yet Paul believes that the strategy conveyed in this condolence is not sufficient; rather, he exhorts thus: “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”
In Ephesians 6:10, Paul is acknowledging the Christian’s need of strength for the spiritual warfare in which he is engaged. This warfare is a conflict requiring unparalleled power and resiliency from its participants. Paul gives testimony of the nature of the conflict in verse 12: “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The high spiritual demand placed upon the soldier in this battle prompted his exhortation to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:3: “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”
However, Paul is not exhorting in Ephesians 6:10 that the believer simply “Be strong.” It is human nature for one to “hunker down” and attempt to “tough out” a difficulty on his own; something inside a man urges him to resist help until he cannot refuse it. But the type of “strength” displayed in such instances of self-reliance is not what Paul is calling for. Rather, Paul is commanding the believer to consciously re-source his power from himself to God Almighty. “Be strong . . . in the power of His [the Lord’s] might,” he instructs. Paul knows that if he is to succeed in the conflict, a “good soldier of Jesus Christ” must first be conquered, or he will not win any battles. He must defeat himself first, purposefully and consciously subjecting himself once again to his Creator and rightful Lord. (This subordination too cannot be successfully concluded apart from the “power of [God’s] might.”)
If God’s crusade is to meet with any success, the Christian soldier must—and I repeat,must—fight every aspect of the warfare in the power of the God for Whom he is fighting. Furthermore, when he walks in the Spirit and fights his battles by God’s power, a Christian can only be successful, for he fights by the same Might that created everything from nothing, sustains all creation with ease, and saves the vilest soul when he cries for salvation. Exodus 15:6 “Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: Thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.” Therefore, Paul does not exhort the believer to fight in his own strength but instead commands him to fight in God’s might so that this believer may gain the victory in the battles in which he partakes.
A soldier’s need to fight in the power of the Spirit is not as uncommonly recognized as howto fight in the Spirit is. Therefore, the questions are raised, how does one know he is fighting in the power of the flesh? How does one fight in the power of the Spirit? To find answers to the first question, consider this non-exhaustive list of three everyday indications that one is fighting in the power of the flesh. First, when an individual knows that a temptation or a conflict will
arise in the foreseeable future and thinks that he will be able to handle the situation, he is trusting in and preparing to fight in his flesh. One must recognize his insufficiency for every demand placed upon him; after all, even his breath is ultimately not under his control but is granted to him by God. Secondly, when someone shirks quoting or memorizing verses to ward off wicked thoughts, instead responding with the thought, “I won’t think about this if I just try hard to keep my mind busy on other thoughts,” he too is choosing to fight in the power of his flesh. “Thinking hard about other things” does not involve God in the situation; rather, it is an expression of the individual’s self-sufficiency to control his thoughts and overcome the challenge. Thirdly, when a person first resorts to his own wisdom for advice about what decision(s) to make in a hardship instead of first asking for the guidance of God, he is fighting the battle in his flesh. No man can make correct decisions on his own, for his sin nature will always lead him to make decisions that are selfish, self-promoting, and self-aiding.
Now, how does one fight in the power of God’s might? Two weapons of warfare are listed in the armor of God (which is found just a few verses beyond Ephesians 6:10), the Sword of the Spirit and prayer. How may one use the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, to fight? One of the means is to memorize and/or quote scripture applicable to the current conflict. Although quoting one verse will not always ward off the Devil’s attacks immediately, quoting the Word of God is a sure-fire method for occupying one’s mind with Godly thinking and one’s fight with direct-hit blows. Another method of employing the Bible as a weapon is to study it to find therein God’s stated principals applicable to the conflict. God’s Word will never give incorrect instruction for dealing with life’s problems. A third method is to seek for Biblical counsel from those who are trustworthy to give it. Other people, from their third-person viewpoint, may know facts about the situation that a first-person viewer does not. Now for the second weapon—prayer. First, how may one employ the weapon of prayer? He may simply cry out to God and express what is upon his heart. This he must do when he is right with God, having no sin severing his fellowship with God, else God will not heed his prayers. Secondly, when may one employ prayer? He may pray at any moment of life. Concerning temptations and other tests, he may employ the weapon of prayer at the moment of testing and hours beforehand if he foresees it. Thirdly, for whom may one pray? He may pray for anyone—for himself, his friends or his family; Ephesians 6:18 demands his prayer for “all saints.” Fourthly, for what may the soldier pray? Books may be written in answer to this question. Only consider at the moment Paul’s request in the following verses: “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Ephesians 6:19-20). The ability to articulate the Gospel and to do so boldly is a vital for any soldier to succeed in the battle.
Two basic battle strategies have been laid before you.
“Be strong; give it all you’ve got, and you can get through.” “Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”
The strategy you choose to employ will determine the outcome of your battles.
Which will you choose?