ICS Daily Devotions
Being Strong in the Lord
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
V10 (Amplified) In conclusion, be strong in the Lord (be empowered through your union with Him); draw strength from Him (that strength which His boundless might provides)
Out of abundance of the heart we will speak what we think and believe when we are under pressure. It will also cause us to really take time to think about what we truly believe as Christians. This is critical because it will determine how we battle in time of crisis.
The Epistle to the Ephesians is one of the most powerful and complete letters ever written to teach and instruct believers in their newly found faith in Christ. It was written by the Apostle Paul when he was still in prison as he was being persecuted for the faith. To have written a letter to encourage and teach the saints while still being in the prison shows that Paul had a strong conviction on what he believed and he was living out the truth that he was teaching.
We have been spiritually blessed with being in and through Christ. There are spiritual blessings given and bestowed on us in Christ, apart from what we have done or not done. We might have been using our own strength to be strong at a work place, family, and society. However, there will be circumstances in our lives that will break us, which is more than our mental, intellectual and physical strength can handle. God did not ask us to be strong in ourselves but He asked of us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
The word “power” means ability to do what you could not do before Jesus came into your life. It is an inner strength that is available to you in the inner man. Your mind might be spinning very quickly with regards to all the negative scenarios but we need to learn to draw strength from the inner man to retain the peace in our hearts in order to make wise decisions! The Holy Spirit is now living in our inner man to strengthen us so that we are able to do what we could not do without Him. That is being strong in the Lord and the power of His might that is working in us.
We have to get used to the idea that we belong to a new kingdom. We are no longer in the devil’s camp. His influence or a slavery of sin has no hold on us anymore. We are saints living in a new Kingdom with a New Position, New Ability, New Creation and having a New Master who loves us! Our lives will never be the same again! We are now able to overcome what used to plague our lives for He who is in us is much greater and mightier than he who is in the world! We are more than conquerors through Him.
Being strong in God in the inner man is having a complete trust and faith in Him of who God is, His character, and the covenant that He has with us. We have faith in the power of His might that He is the Creator of all things and faith in God will begin to arise within us when we meditate upon the length, breadth, depth and height of His love for us. Because of what Jesus has done on the cross, we are now accepted and adopted as His children. He redeemed us by His blood so that we are made holy, blameless, and righteous before Him.
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore, nothing shall separate us from God’s love and this truth will keep us strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!
Sermon series: Inner Man
