"Be Strong In The Lord..."

Eph. 6:10-11

  1. ... be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
  2. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand ...

Commentary

Being strong in the Lord is more than simply facing difficulty with the stiff upper lip of determination, standing on the feet of willpower when circumstances try to knock you down. Our own natural strength is not a substitute or even a supplement for the strength God gives - in fact, it can be a hindrance that must be removed before God's true strength can be manifested.

Gideon's 32,000 men might have made a small dent in the enemy on their own - so God reduced that number by over ninety-nine per cent. With man's strength out of the way, God's strength was free to work a great victory (Judg. 6 and 7).

When Samson's lifelong strength was taken away, he learned to truly depend on the One who had given it in the first place. A defeated captive in the enemy temple, he called on God and pressed his now-weak hands against the pillars. God's answer was greater strength than he had ever known before, and Samson slew more Philistines in his death than he had in his life (Judg. 16:30).

If we go out to battle in our own strength, neglecting to put on every piece of God's armor, we will swiftly discover how pitiful that strength really is. But if, as Paul admonishes, we put on the whole armor of God and stand in the power of His might, we will have a strength that no foe can assail.


All Scripture references from KJV. Commentary ©2011 Hitchcock Family Ministry. Unaltered text may be reproduced freely without financial gain. Original commentary and Scripture song available at http://www.freescripturesongs.org/be-strong-in-the-Lord.