Be Strong in the Lord.

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Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the full armor of God in order to stand against all the schemes of the devil. However, prior to that in verse 10 this scripture gives us a perquisite for that armor to be effective.

Before we are told to put on the full armour of God we are commanded to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Let us examine this exhortation.

To be strong, according to the ancient Greek language, means to be able to perform feats of strength. That is having the power to move heavy weights or perform physically demanding tasks.

We are called to be strong, not in our own strength but in God’s power.
Power in this verse is endowment. We are given by God through prayer his strength to perform tasks under his delegated authority.

So in effect we need the Lord’s empowerment to perform great feats of strength which we are commissioned by him to do.

We are called to be strong in the Lord with his mighty power, not reliance on our ability and resources but by his dumnis supernatural Holy Spirit power.

Power in this verse context means to be 
positioned in Jesus Christ’s supreme authority.

In other words we are to be strong in the Lord (positioned in his authority) and in the power of his might. Not just in authority but in power. Here is where many Christians miss it. They exercise authority in Jesus name but have not tapped in to Holy Spirit power.

Scriptures tell us that kind of teaching emphasizing form without power (concentration on our authority) has a form of knowledge but no power.

We can scream at the devil, demand that he jump to our command even using Jesus name and strut around in our Christian armor all we want but unless we have HOLY SPIRIT POWER to back up our claim its just a lot of noise.

Might in this verse is literally forcefulness which means to exert power,effort, strength stamina, exertion, pressure, to fight.

HIS MIGHT is the key. Not your might. Not your spiritual prowess or Biblical knowledge but through HIS MIGHT. This is because having Holy Spirit power requires surrender and that is just way too high a price for many Christians to pay.

Surrender to Holy Spirit requires death to self. Not just death to sin but death to self effort. Holy Spirit power requires depending on the Holy Spirit for everything. That’s why Paul said “If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Many Christians are born again of the Spirit and live in the Spirit but they don’t walk in the Spirit. Walking is more than positional. Walking it is an action. To walk in the Spirit is to move in the Spirit in every thing that we do. To rely on Holy Spirit as our source for every thing in life. All our decisions and all our actions.

Putting it all together, Ephesians 6:10 says, to be STRONG IN THE LORD AND IN HIS MIGHTY POWER. This means to be positioned in his great power (with the ability to perform by the Holy Spirit)and having dominion (authority and jurisdiction of the government control of God’s Kingdom) and HIS MIGHT (possessing great and impressive power or strength, especially on account of size.)

THEN AFTER we are commissioned and empowered with the Lord’s strength for battle, we can put on the full armor of God.

No soldier goes out to battle without a commission and back up of military power. This is the same with the soldier in God’s army.

When we are delegated athourity to exercise power to perform tasks of strength then we are able to go into battle.

Ephesians 6 tells us that once we are commissioned with delegated power and strength we are to then put on the whole armor of God so that we are able to stand against the wiles of the devil and his principalities and powers of whom we wage war with or wrestle.

Our battle according to this chapter in Ephesians 6 takes place in the spiritual realm or high places of wickedness and our use of Spiritual weapons provided for us by God are demonstrated through the function of prayer. We are battling demonic powers and therefore we need God’s supernatural power in this battle.

We are called to be constant in prayer with all kinds of prayer; supplications, petitions, intercessions, declarations , praying the word, praying in tongues. This constant prayer life is for the purpose of being watchful over the saints. It is also for praying that souls be saved. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-28)

Lastly, after we have done all through prayer and what God shows us to do then we are called to stand in faith.

This is another area we miss it. If we don’t see a manifestation right away or answered prayer in our time schedule we give up. We should never give up but trust God in faith that he will do what he has promised to do in his timing and in is way.

BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT and put on the full armor of God then you will be able to stand against all the schemes of the devil. Keep standing for victory is guaranteed to those who put their confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ.