Ephesians 6:10-20; Divine strength operated by faithfulness, faith, and wisdom.

Thursday March 10, 2022

Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength (Isa 45:24).

Isa 45:22-25

"Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth;

For I am God, and there is no other.

23 "I have sworn by Myself,

The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness

And will not turn back,

That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

24 "They will say of Me, 'Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength.'

Men will come to Him,

And all who were angry at Him shall be put to shame.

25 "In the Lord all the offspring of Israel

Will be justified, and will glory."

Little, obstinate Israel as well as people from all the ends of the earth will be saved because of God’s strength and righteousness.

We need strength to live the Christian life well, to enjoy it with courage and power, and how could we think that a life that is not given to the only One who has power could somehow obtain the power to live well?

In this study we are not going to focus on the source of power either being from the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, or the word of God. All are involved in revealing to us how to use the power of God. The Holy Spirit is more often shown to be the source of power, but close behind Him is the power that comes from Christ and the word. Our focus has been on the believer, on how he or she wields the power of God. “The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses” (2Co 10:4).

1Ti 1:12-13

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened (endunamoo) me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service; 13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor.

Paul was faithful to serving the Lord, therefore Christ strengthened him. Christ will only give strength to follow His way.

Faithfulness to obedience to the plan of God for your life makes the divine power flow.

Paul’s last written (doctrinal) words:

2Ti 4:17-18

But the Lord stood with me, and strengthened (endunamoo) me, in order that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was delivered out of the lion's mouth. 18 The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

To Him be the glory. You can palpably feel the joy in Paul’s writing. Knowing that we possess God’s very strength for the spiritual life because we are faithful, should make us happy and unafraid.

Sampson thought that he would retain God’s strength after his vow was violated.

Jdg 16:20

"I will go out as at other times and shake myself free." But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

Sampson’s Nazarite vow was his faithfulness to God. By allowing Delilah to cut his hair and then expect to retain his strength (not to mention so many other aspects of that hedonist’s life) shows that he had no concern for honoring God’s word and the result was as anyone who understands should expect.

God said to the high priest Eli who cared more for his selfish, stupid, fat sons than he did for God:

1Sa 2:30

those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed.

A song of thanksgiving from Asaph:

1Ch 16:6

Seek the Lord and His strength;

Seek His face continually.

It should be common sense, but we should know that there is no strength in sin.

Psa 31:10

My strength has failed because of my iniquity,

And my body has wasted away.

The word “strength” is used sixty times in the psalms. If we counted cognates such as might and power, we find that it is a major theme.

Pro 5 tells us that sexual sins take away strength. In Pro 31 King Lemuel’s mother tells him not to give his strength to other women but rather to marry a virtuous woman. This is one of the main reasons our society is filled with weak men. As for the virtuous woman that should have been sought out, God says that she “girds herself with strength,” and that “strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.”

We stand in strength because we are faithful and God gets the glory.

We will return to this when we look at standing. Paul stood and the Lord stood with Him. Be strong in the Lord and put on the full armor of the Lord that you may be able to stand, and Paul tells us that the Lord stood with him. Of course the Lord stood with Paul and He will stand with us. The Lord is faithful. He’s not going to do something for Paul that He won’t do for all the rest who are in His body.

Phi 4:13

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

When we stand (faithful to His way), the Lord stands with us and strengthens us. This will comfort us and give us confidence.

The Lord is glorified. He has the power and the armor. We receive them. He has the truth, righteousness, and the gospel of peace. We receive them and walk in them. Our faith and obedience to the life that is God’s and which life He has given us, does not glorify us, but Him.

The Lord therefore delivers us, as Paul writes, but we must be faithful and stand strong on the principles of Christ. So much harm was done to Paul. His imagery of the lion’s mouth shows us that he was close to death. In this again, Paul was faithful and he found God’s strength to carry on in very difficult circumstances.

In the previous paragraph he famously sums up what his attitude had been.

2Ti 4:7-8

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Col 1:29

And for this purpose [proclaiming Christ] also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

These passages show that strength is not about being faithful in any one thing, but being willing to be faithful to God in everything.

This letter is to Timothy. Timothy needs the same strength as Paul, as we all do.

We see here what power can really do.

2Ti 1:6-14

And for this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline [these and more must coexist in us]. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God [stand firm], 9 who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. 12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. 13 Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus [stand firm]. 14 Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.