This Spring we’re going to unpack this idea of being Soul Strong. In Ephesians 6:10 Paul writes, “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.” The thing I love about Paul is he doesn't waste a single word or syllable. Take the word “finally” for instance. The starting point for change isn't resignation. It isn't resignation to the schemes of Satan, his lies, his temptations. It isn't resignation to your own flesh and blood, your thoughts and desires, your weakness, it's certainly not resignation to sickness, disease, and death.
The word “Finally” is the Christian's hopeful protest against all that opposes Christ. It's the pharmacy commercial I always hear on the radio, “Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?” Are you sick and tired of being depressed, anxious, angry, bitter, resentful, addicted to wine, wasted, lonely, broke…” At what point will you finally have had enough? The Evil One has come to kill, steal, and destroy. Are you to just lay down and let him have his way?
Allow me to be direct here. I've noticed most people only half-heartedly want to change. It's not that you don't recognize there is a problem in your soul, or in the soul of your marriage or family. It's that you’re not at a point of finality where you are sincerely resolved for that work of Satan to be undone. You'd rather maintain status quo, the pain, the price hasn't yet rattled you enough. So, you just keep kicking the can down the road, denying God's Holy Spirit to have His way in your life.
There is nothing that can really be done for an insincere, unrepentant person. Until you’re sincere about being changed—about repenting… No one but you can be sincere or repent. Does the Devil just need to have his way in your life a little longer before you change?
But at last, you will reach a point of finality… and this is so vital to understand. It's not that you are going to reach more deeply within yourself, to discover some treasure trove of power. No, as Paul says you are going to learn to “be strengthened” by the Lord's “vast power”! Every time you see the word strength or power in the English Bible its almost about the Greek word for dynamite. It's really unfortunate that the Greek word for God’s power was hijacked. When you think of “dynamite” you think of an uncontrolled powerful force being unleashed, with all its resulting destruction. The other issue is that it isn’t easy to conceptualize things much more powerful than dynamite!
But in Scripture dynamite refers to God's vast power. It’s the same power by which God created the universe, by which he spoke everything into its existence, order, and functionality. It’s that same power manifested in life of Israel and Christ. It’s the same power by which God's Spirit raised Christ from the dead. God's dynamite is the single greatest power in all universe. Look at Ephesians 6:12. It’s a power greater than what’s found within, in mere flesh and blood. Greater than that possessed by rulers, authorities, cosmic powers of darkness, by any evil force in this life or in the spiritual and heavenly realm.
Look again at Ephesians 6:10 Paul writes, “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.” “Vast strength” has the idea of an incomprehensibly great and magnificent, unquantifiable power. It's the power of our Great God—and essentially God discharges his power in our life, not for our destruction but for our good. The power has to come from without and affect within. It's marvel character language. Supernatural power is available to us who believe. And if God's power is in you…greater is He who is within than he who is in the world. When you’re “finally" not just at a breaking point, but sincerely repentant, God will infuse your weak soul with his dynamite, cosmic, and divine strength.
If you want an assignment, go to your favorite Bible App and search for all the verses that talk about what God's power is able to do. When infused with God's power not the wind nor waves, no shipwreck, no deadly snake bite, no thorn, no sinful impulse, not even death itself can ultimately prevail against you. There is no height of goodness, righteousness, justice, love, godliness, or holiness left unattainable to you. Bank it. 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”
Now how does God infuse us with his dynamite strength? In Ephesians 6:14 Paul says, “14 Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist…” Of all the features of Roman Armor, Paul could have first named first—he mentions a belt! I don't know about you, but I've reached a point in life when I don't dare leave home without a belt. A belt holds everything up that needs to be held up, and it holds everything together than needs to be held together! Until you put the belt on, nothing else you put on really matters.
So here is an incredible life principle—Truth Makes us Soul Strong. You might recall how in Jesus' trial, Jesus mentions truth, and Pilate cynically asks, “What is truth?” In the simplest sense Truth is all “That Is" or “What Actually Is." Now as human beings, we’re quite subjective. It's not that we can't know the Truth as it is, it’s that we are so vested in our own perceptions, beliefs, and understandings. Our perspective might conform to Truth (true reality) but often it does not.
But I want to go a little further here. When it comes to Ephesians 6:14 and being Soul Strong, it’s helpful to think of Truth NOT as all “that" or “what" is. But instead think of Truth as all “Who is.” The most vital Truth is Relational. It's the truth about God, truth about Ourselves and truth about Others.
Three Quick Points. First, for Paul, undergirding ourselves with the Truth about Who God Is, makes us Soul Strong. I think of Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:17-21, “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength. 20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens— 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” For Paul, to be Soul Strong is not only to realize the immeasurable (vast) goodness and greatness of God’s power—but to confidently know and expect that mighty power (vast strength) dwells within us who believe. We’re not talking about a mental trick, or psychological trick. Through faith, God makes his vast strength manifest in us.
So, we pray to, “God I can't… but with your strength…” God when your part of my life… Ephesians 3… Well then “4 For this reason I kneel before [you my] Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that [you] may grant [me], according to the riches of [your] glory, to be strengthened with power in [my] inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in [my] heart through faith. I pray that [I myself], being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of [your] love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that [I] may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3 is what it looks like for the Truth of God’s Love, Power, and Relationship prevail upon us.
So, the Soul Strong Person embraces to the TRUTH of WHO GOD IS. Now secondly the Soul Strong Person embraces the TRUTH of WHO He, She, I AM. In our culture is fashionable to speak of “your truth" and “my truth” as if no objective truth exists… that our feelings, our sentiments are our Truth. Well, as we know, concern for mental health is all the rage these days. Imagine if there is no truth of God, and that you believe you must be God. You believe your feelings and sentiments, your thoughts, ways, and judgements are the most ultimate truth—and ultimate not just for you, but others. It's no secret today that people are riddled with shame and guilt, depression and anxiety. There is no weaker approach to life than to accept as the ultimate truth about God or yourself whatever your mood, or thoughts, or feelings, or sentiments of the day may be.
The Soul Strong person embraces God’s Truth about self. If I think of myself as the Devil would scheme, why he wants to kill, destroy, or steal my life. But how would God have me see myself? How about Ephesians 1? A soul strong person sees himself or herself as God sees. Think of the transformative POWER of every young person having the following kinds of self belief…
“3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ 10 as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him. 11 In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory. 13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.”
Now closely wed with the Truth of God and the Truth of Self is the Truth of Who Other Is. It's not just “God and Me”, but God-Me-Other. It’s true that Ephesians 2:12,… “At that time you were without Christ, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.” But here is the larger truth of “Other" Ephesians 2:13-22, “But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In his flesh, 15 he made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that he might create in himself one new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that he might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross by which he put the hostility to death. 17 He came and proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So, then, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building, being put together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you are also being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit.” To Be “Soul Strong” is to see God as he Truly Is… Self… and Other as they Truly are in Christ.