ICS Daily Devotions
Strengthened By the Spirit
Ephesians 3:16 That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His spirit in the inner man.
The Epistle of Ephesians is an important book. The first three chapters teach us about the positional truth that Jesus has made available to us through all the spiritual blessings. Chapters four to six teach about how to walk out the truth. Paul prayed for the church to know, to have a revelation of who they are, what they have and what they can do in and through Christ! Knowledge puffs up but faith builds up because faith is built on revelation. When the revelation is received, men will or should act on the truth in their lives. This is the heart of the Apostle Paul. Just like the Apostle Paul who wrote this letter to the church in Ephesus; because of his love for them to know the truth and not just to establish his apostleship.
The Epistle to Ephesians has also revealed to us that the spiritual realm is real just as the physical realm. There are rulers of the air, principalities and powers that influences man and manipulate situation and circumstances. Therefore, this is the reason why the Apostle Paul asked us to put on the full armor of God and take an offensive stance rather than to be passive.
V16 (amplified) May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].
The term “strengthened” there in verse 16 is the word that means “made mighty.” The might is referring to power and in the modern terms it means dynamite, dynamo or electric energy. It is referring to intense energy being released on the inside of us! It is referring to the power of the resurrection, the power which raised Christ from the dead and the power of God which lives on the inside of us.
Our inner man is strengthened through meditation on the truth and understanding the knowledge of revelation. This power is not found in intellect nor in the emotional realm, but in the hidden man or the inner man whom the Bible refers to as the spirit man.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.
It is wonderful to know that we can be strengthened by His Spirit in the inner man. All of us need strength in our daily living especially when we are faced with insurmountable trials and tribulations. We often feel weak, helpless, and hopeless in difficult situations. Therefore, it is important for us to know that we can be strengthened in the midst of trials and persecutions through the power of the Holy Spirit. Faith and strength are found and established in the inner man.
2 Cor 4:16-17 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
There has been a lot on emphasis on building up the intellect but there has not been enough emphasis on building up the inner man. We have neglected listening to the voice of God through the work of the Holy Spirit where He reminds us on the biblical truth.
We do not really think or ponder about these truths during the normal routine of our lives but we lose our peace, faith, and joy whenever we encounter a challenge in life. It affects our prayer life and our faith in the midst of trials. Hence, we are urged to put on the full armour of God as we ward off all the fiery darts of the devil!
John 14:26-27 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
You have a Divine Partner living in you, and He is in you to strengthen you with power so that you have an ability that you did not have before! If you will learn to tap into Him, you will begin to learn to live in the reality of His presence!
Sermon series: Inner Man
