“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
(Ephesians 6:10-11)
The command to “be strong in the Lord” exposes the weakness of man apart from Christ. As spiritual strength is not native to the natural man, we cannot produce it by natural ability. Therefore, our strength must be found in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Prayer reveals this weakness, for as Scripture states, “we know not what we should pray for as we ought.” As well, none of our spiritual duties have any lasting spiritual value apart from Christ. There is likewise no strength or ability in the natural man to exercise grace independently of Christ; grace must be exercised in dependence on the One from whom spiritual life flows. Neither can fruitfulness that includes faith, love, repentance, patience, and obedience be summoned at will; they can only grow out of our union with Christ.
Paul’s victory over sin was not the achievement of unaided self-mastery but the fruit of Christ living in him, because sin is too strong to overcome in our natural strength. Powerful temptations and assaults of Satan cannot be resisted successfully apart from Christ. Hence the command, “Be strong in the Lord.”
David’s conflict with Goliath illustrates this dependence.[1] Had he gone forward trusting in himself, he would have been defeated. He overcame Goliath because he went in the name and strength of the Lord. So also the believer stands against the wiles of the devil when he puts on the armor God provides. The armor itself testifies that every essential provision and every necessary strength comes from God.
We must remember that it is sin to act as though spiritual duties, graces, mortification, resistance to temptation, or endurance in suffering could be carried on in our own strength. The believer must confess every attempt to live as though Christ were anything other than absolutely necessary, for the whole Christian life requires continual dependence upon the power of His might.
Contemplations:
- I Keep Reaching for Strength That Is Not There. I confess that I often pray, read, serve, and resist temptation with too little conscious dependence on You. Forgive my foolish self-confidence and help me make staying strong “in the Lord” the posture of my whole life.
- My Duties Need More Than My Effort. I can increase my spiritual duties and still forget that their spiritual value is not found in how often or how well I do them. Without serving in the strength of the Lord, they are all worthless. Let every prayer, every obedience, and every service be offered through dependence on Christ, whose righteousness alone gives me confidence before You.
- I Cannot Defeat Sin by Willpower Alone. I confess how often I have treated temptation as though my determination were enough. I resolve, restrain, and struggle, yet forget that victory requires Christ’s power. Teach me to fight sin actively, but never independently. Help me depend on Christ who lives in me to make every mortification of sin another proof that the victory was won in His strength, not mine.
- I Am Too Weak for Temptation Without You. Temptation appears manageable until it presses hard. Affliction seems bearable until its weight settles on me alone. Then I discover again how little strength I have naturally. Forgive the pride that assumes I can carry trials or resist Satan without the whole armor You provide and the strength You supply.
Prayer (Confession):
Lord, I confess my repeated attempts to live the Christian life in my own strength.
You command me to be strong in the Lord and in the power of Your might, yet I often act as though effort, discipline, knowledge, or determination were enough. Forgive me for turning dependence into an occasional necessity instead of the constant posture of my faith.
Even when I pray, worship, read, or serve, I am unable to make those duties spiritually acceptable by their own worth. So let all my service depend on Christ and His righteousness that gives it acceptance.
I confess my weakness in exercising grace. I cannot produce living faith, love, patience, or obedience independently of You. Keep me abiding in Christ, from whom all spiritual fruit must come.
Teach me to mortify my sin through the strength Christ supplies because I am insufficient in and of myself. Help me put on the whole armor of God and resist the devil in Your might rather than my own.
When trials press heavily, keep me from supposing that endurance can be produced by determination. Supply the grace to suffer faithfully as truly as You supply the grace to obey.
Strip away every form of spiritual self-reliance. Make me active, watchful, obedient, and persevering, yet always consciously dependent upon Christ.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References:
Rom. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:8; 1 Peter 5:8; Eph. 4:27
[1] Christopher Love, The Natural Man’s Case Stated, (London: E. Cotes for George Eversden .., 1652), 58-60.
