Category Archives: Strength

Bible, Helplessness, Jesus, Scripture, Strength, Sufficiency, Weakness

HELPLESS

ROMANS 5:6

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Nothing is more depressing than to be helpless to change a situation that you desire so deeply to see changed. Without going into any detail, my wife and I are in that situation. We have been dealing with something for quite a while now that we are powerless to change. It’s out of our control. Now, we could choose to wallow in our self-pity and get mad or depressed. We have chosen (even though it is very hard) to lay it down at the feet of Jesus and let Him handle it. After all, whatever is over our head is under His feet.

The word Paul uses here translated as “helpless” is asthenés which comes “from a ‘without’ and sthenos, ‘vigor, strength’ – properly, without vigor, living in a state of weakness (depletion).” (HELPS Word-studies). Paul, knowing the futility of the law or the futility of the Gentiles’ gods, says we were all helpless, devoid of the ability to save ourselves. We need a Savior.

APPLICATION

I love the fact that God takes us in our weakness, saves us and then uses us. Look at 1 Corinthians 1:27, “but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,” Isn’t that awesome? You see, it’s not about our strength or our ability. You’ve heard it said, “God doesn’t want our ability. He wants our availability.”

Not only does Christ take our weakness, our inability to save ourselves, but He also commands us to help others who are weak. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:14, “We urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” As we know the strength of Christ in our own lives, we are to be quick to pass that along to others who are weak and helpless.

My wife and I are expecting our sixth grandchild in a few weeks. She will be born a helpless baby, totally dependent on her parents to feed, clean and protect. She won’t be able to walk for many months. She won’t feed herself for a long time. But as her parents and her grandparents care for her in her weakness, she will be getting stronger. Christ takes us in our spiritual infancy and strengthens us. He does not judge our immaturity. He builds on it. Today thank the Lord for your weakness which necessitates His strength.

Lord, I give You praise that in my weakness, You are my strength.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Might, Power, Scripture, Strength

SPIRITUAL MUSCLES

PHILIPPIANS 4:13

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

Read that verse again. I really prefer the literal Greek. It reads, “(For) all things I have strength in the (One) strengthening me.” That shows that we have no power in ourselves. No amount of muscle building will enable us. No amount of fasting and praying on our own will do it. There is nothing we can do on our own. But…(don’t you just love that word) we can do all things in Him.

Paul uses two different Greek words in this short verse to talk about power and strength. The first one is translated here as “I can do.” That’s the word ischuówhich means embodied strength that engages the resistance. In other words, this is the fighting strength the Lord gives us to do His work even in the face of opposition. The other word Paul uses is endunamoó which is translated “strengthen.” It implies the empowerment we receive from the Lord. Let’s look at those two words a bit.

APPLICATION

Let’s take the last one first, endunamoó. Picture a body builder. You can see the muscles rippling and his chiseled body. You can just imagine the power he has to lift weights. But all you see right now is the result of the empowering from hours and hours of weightlifting. You know the power is there. Paul uses this same word in Ephesians 6:10 where he says, “be strong in the Lord.” Trust the power that is within you.

The other word, ischuóis the picture of that same body builder lifting those weights. You see him bend down and pick up that enormous weight. You see him straining but keeping on. That is us in our fight against the forces of evil. We use the power within from the Lord and bust that devil right in the mouth, lol. Paul uses this word in Ephesians 6:10 also when he says, “of His might.” It’s God doing the fighting, not us.

So, with that thought in mind, why do we fear? Why do we worry? Why do we run and hide at the face of a trial? We have God’s power in us and have ability to yield it. Check out 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, if you don’t believe me. It’s one of my favorite passages and gives me the confidence each day to trust Him in every battle. You can also.

Father, You have strengthened me beyond my imagination. The same power You used to create the universe is within me. Hallelujah.

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Bible, Patience, Perseverance, Power, Scripture, Strength

STRENGTHENED FOR WHAT?

COLOSSIANS 1:11

“strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all perseverance and patience;” 

People lift weights and build muscle for a variety of reasons. Some do it to make their work easier. Others do it because they just enjoy working out. Still others do it to compete in muscle building contests. I know a few people in that latter category. They aren’t showboats or braggarts. They just love to compete, and this is their way of doing that. This type of training takes a lot of time. They have to persevere through pain and have to be patient as they see the results of their workouts.

Paul tells us today that we are to be “strengthened with all power.” Whose power? Well, Paul knew of only one source of true power – God. He prays for His power to strengthen us. The particular Greek word Paul uses here for “strengthened” is dunamoó. It “implies an infusion of strength or power, typically from an external source, such as God or the Holy Spirit, enabling individuals to perform tasks or endure situations beyond their natural capacity.” (Strong’s Lexicon) This particular form of this Greek word is only used twice in the New Testament. Here and also in Hebrews 11:34 referring to the faithful saints who were made strong in their weakness.

APPLICATION

How has the Lord strengthened you? Has He given you the strength to persevere through trials, to be patient in the midst of chaos? Think for just a minute about the last trial you went through. Maybe you are in one right now. As you pray about these trials, how does the Lord strengthen you? What does He say to you as you pour out your heart to Him?

The Greek word for “perseverance” means to be faithful under pressure. It means to trust in the promises of God, even though you cannot see a way out. It is total reliance on Him to see you through. You just keep putting one foot in front of another. It’s not blind faith because you know the one who is leading you. It’s patience in the midst of circumstances.

The word used for “patience” here is often translated as “long-suffering.” This word refers to patience with people. We all have people who can push our buttons, don’t we? That’s what this word is for. It can mean to show forbearance. It’s not just putting up with that person. It’s seeing them through God’s eyes and not our passion. Try that this week with family!

Who strengthens you? I think you know the answer to that. Trust His strength which is given to you as just the right time.

Father, strengthen me today so I can show perseverance and patience in my circumstances and towards others.

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Bible, Fighting, Power, Scripture, Strength

IN WHOSE POWER?

EPHESIANS 6:10

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

When I was in junior high and high school, I loved to lift weights. We had a great weightlifting coach who pushed us to get bigger and stronger. The results were phenomenal. I was benching twice my weight and deadlifting three to four times my weight. There is not one trace of all that work today. Why? Because I did not keep lifting.

Hmmm! Today’s verse talks about power and strength. In fact, there are three different Greek words used here by Paul. Why did he do that, or should I say why did the Spirit inspire him to use three different Greek words? Well, these three words carry different meanings of power or strength. Let’s take a look.

APPLICATION

The first word Paul uses is “be strong.” It is the Greek word, endynamóō, which means to impart ability or make able, to be empowered. This word is used by Paul in his letter to the Romans. In Romans 4:20 Paul is talking about Abraham and said, “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,” So, this word means to have the ability or power.

The next word used is “strength” which is the Greek word, krátos which is dominion or exerted power. We find this word over in 1 Peter 4:11, “Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking actual words of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” We saw the ability in the first power. Here we see that power exerted.

Finally, Paul uses another word, “might.” This is ischus, which carried a different definition. It means might or strength that can be seen but not necessarily exerted at the time. Think of a body builder just standing there flexing his muscles. You see the might or strength, but he has done anything to show just how strong he is. The word is used in 2 Thessalonians 1:9. It says, “These people will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,”

Three different words all showing the different aspects of strength or might or power. Isn’t it great how the Holy Spirit used Paul to pen these words so carefully to display God’s greatness? We will get into the Armor of God in the next several days. Hang on!

Father, Your power is limitless. We know that. Thank You that Your power does not diminish. 

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Abiding, Bible, Power, Scripture, Strength, Submission

STRENGTHENED INWARDLY

EPHESIANS 3:16

“that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self,”

I began walking again this summer. Why is that a big deal? Because I have pretty severe neuropathy in my feet. It can get painful at times, so I was hesitant to start walking again. I discovered something recently. The days I don’t walk my feet hurt worse. It seems the walking is stimulating the nerves in my feet in a positive way rather than causing more pain. Who would have thought that? I still have to be careful how I walk as I can trip easily since I can’t really feel my toes. But I am thankful my feet seem to be getting strengthened inwardly.

That fits our verse today. Paul explains to us that the Lord strengthens us “with power through His Spirit in the inner self.” I have never doubted that. Have you? The Greek word translated as “strengthened” is krataioó. It means “to prevail by God’s dominating strength, i.e. as His power prevails over opposition (gains mastery).” (HELPS Word studies. I was once told that when you see a Greek verb ending in “oo,” the emphasis is more about the result of the action rather than the action itself. The result of God’s prevailing power in our lives through the Holy Spirit is what Paul is talking about.

APPLICATION

In regards to the statement “in the inner man,” Albert Barnes says this, “The ‘body’ needs to be strengthened every day. In like manner the soul needs constant supplies of grace. Piety needs to be constantly invigorated, or it withers and decays. Every Christian needs grace given each day to enable him to bear trials, to resist temptation, to discharge his duty, to live a life of faith.” I need my daily Quiet Time. Without it, I wither on the vine. I need the daily nourishment.

In Romans 7:14-25, we read about Paul’s struggle with the inner man of flesh. Take a few minutes and read that passage. But we read this in verse 22, “For I joyfully agree with the law of God in the inner person,” Paul knew it was all about submission to God, to His Spirit. We can fight with our inner self and lose every time. Or we can submit our inner self to God and let His power strengthen us.

Paul also uses krataioó in 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” God will strengthen us, but we must submit, we must be on the alert, we must stand firm in the faith. Let the Lord strengthen you today as you face those giants in your life. He may just put a sling and stones in your hand.

I know any power I have to defeat sin comes from You, O Lord. 

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Abiding, Bible, Grace, Power, Scripture, Strength

GOD’S POWER

EPHESIANS 3:7

“of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power.”

I used to be pretty strong. In high school I even won a weightlifting trophy my junior year. I loved pumping iron. I loved seeing the results in my body. I could bench press twice my body weight and dead lift close to 700 pounds. I was what they called a “stud” when it came to lifting those weights. Well, that was a long time ago and that power has diminished. Without continuing those sessions in the gym, my muscles started getting weaker. Now, here in my 60’s I do good to lift my eyelids, lol.

Oh, but Paul tells us today about another kind of power. It’s the kind that will never fade. The last phrase of this verse says, “according to the working of His power.” Whose power? God’s power. He created the world with just His words. He didn’t touch creation with His hands until when? Until He made man. We are a special creation, touched by the very hands of God. That’s something to shout about!

APPLICATION

When Jesus was on trial before the high priest, He said this in Matthew 26:64. “Jesus said to him, ‘You have said it yourself. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.’” Jesus holds the power of God. He is the source of power behind the saving grace of God.

One of my favorite memory passages in 2 Peter 1:3-4. “3 for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 Through these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust.” What excuse do we have for not living in that grace every day?

Tap into that power source. Not doing so is like living in a house that is connected to the electrical current and never using it. It’s there for us. Ask God to empower you today. He will show you how to live. He will give you the strength you need to face the challenges of this dark world. He is the power source.

Thank You, Lord, for giving me Your power that was exhibited through Your grace

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Bible, Eternity, Foundation, Messiah, Purpose, Scripture, Strength

THE CORNERSTONE

EPHESIANS 2:20

“having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone,”

Just what is a cornerstone? Well, it is a stone placed at the corner of a building. Thanks a lot, Carl. You are so smart. I’m not trying to be funny, but that is what it is. It is used to connect two walls and is used by the mason to make sure the walls are plumb. That cornerstone may be square or another shape but is still a very important foundational stone for any building.

Christ is the cornerstone. It says so right here in today’s verse. What does that mean. He is the stone that holds the two walls of the Gentiles and the Jews together. Together they make one building for God’s kingdom. Our people are connected through Jesus. As Paul says “the foundation” is important. Without that firm foundation, the building will crumble. All will fall. That is not possible with Jesus as our cornerstone.

APPLICATION

The Greek word that is used for “cornerstone” is used here and just once more over in 1 Peter 2:6. “For this is contained in Scripture: ‘BEHOLD, I AM LAYING IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE, AND THE ONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.’”

This quote comes from Isaiah 28:16. “For this is contained in Scripture: ‘BEHOLD, I AM LAYING IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNERSTONE, AND THE ONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.’” This forthtelling of Jesus is just one of the over 300 Messianic prophecies. Jesus was always God’s Plan A.

How does this apply to us? We must place our trust in Jesus and then trust He is able to handle anything. That cornerstone has been established for eternity. That cornerstone can withstand any storm that comes against it. That cornerstone cannot be removed. It is permanent! Believe that! Trust that! Amen?

How firm a foundation is our Lord. Thank You, Father, for laying that cornerstone.

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Battles, Bible, Might, Power, Scripture, Strength

HIS POWER

EPHESIANS 1:19

“and what is the boundless greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might”

People with real physical strength are impressive. As a young child, I used to love to watch the Olympic weightlifters. They could lift amazing amounts of weight. From 1960 through 1980 the Soviet Union dominated the heavyweight gold medals. They were big, strong and intimidating. Was their strength natural or chemically induced? We may never know.

Paul isn’t talking about weightlifting in today’s verse, though. He is talking about God’s power, His strength. In this verse, Paul uses three different Greek words to describe this. I want us to take a look at each of these and look at the difference. We know God is all-powerful or omnipotent. It’s one of His attributes, and one we should never doubt.

APPLICATION

The first word Paul uses is dunamis, translated as “power.” It means the “ability to perform”; for the believer, power to achieve by applying the Lord’s inherent abilities. ‘Power through God’s ability’” (HELPS Word-studies). The key here is ability. We should always know we have His power to achieve whatever He asks us to do. It’s not our power. It’s His.

The second word Paul uses is kratos, translated as strength or might. It refers to exerted power. That’s what I saw as a boy when I saw those weightlifters lift those tremendous weights. I saw the strength being exercised. It was visible. How have you seen God’s strength exercised? How about in the winds of a hurricane or in the shaking of an earthquake? How about in the creation of the world itself? His strength is visible all around. It can be visible in us as we use His power to show His strength in and through us.

Finally, Paul uses ischus, translated as “might.” This word shows the force against resistance. Boy, we need that, don’t we? We are in a battle every day. God’s inherent might is visible in and through us as we resist temptations every day. We exert that might through the Holy Spirit. We use the Word of God to combat the impulses of our flesh.

So, how strong are you today? Are you trusting in your own power, strength and might or in the Lord’s. I think Zechariah 4:6 sums it up well. “Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel, saying, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the LORD of armies.’”

Thank You, Lord, for Your power, strength and might in my life.

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Battles, Bible, Power, Scripture, Strength, Weakness, Worthless

WEAK AND WORTHLESS

GALATIANS 4:9

“But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again?”

No one wants to be seen as weak and worthless. I know I sure didn’t. When I was in junior high and high school, I had a weight-lifting coach who had an incredible strength building regiment. I loved lifting weights. I wanted to be the biggest and strongest guy on the team, so I worked hard in the gym. It paid off, and I was able to gain the muscle I wanted to compete on the football field.

Paul isn’t talking about “bulking up” physically. He is, however, talking about those weak and worthless things in our lives that rob us of our spiritual strength. He was warning the Galatians about going back to their former way of thinking, to the things of their former lives that were without any spiritual good. The Greek word for “worthless” literally means like a beggar. Who wants that?

APPLICATION

We have all heard about drug addicts who go through rehab, learn coping skills to deal with their addiction, get better, get released and then almost immediately return to their former way of living. They return to those weak and worthless things. We are warned about that. Jesus said in Luke 9:62, “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’” You can’t return to the old way of living.

So, what do we do to prevent this from happening? I love how Paul puts it in his letter to the Philippians. In 3:14 he says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” That’s it! We press on. Just like I had to do those bench presses and shoulder presses and leg presses to build physical muscle, I have to press against anything that tries to pull me back into my former way of thinking or living. That pushing back will build spiritual muscle.

I don’t want to become some spiritually muscle-bound Christian who doesn’t know how to apply what I know. I want to be fit for the kingdom and actually in the battle. How about you? Are you ready to “get fit” for Jesus? Are you ready to lay down anything from the past that is weak and worthless? Let’s do it.

Father, pump me up spiritually so I am able to fight the battles that are headed my way.

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Bible, God's Will, Modeling, Perfection, Scripture, Strength, Suffering, Testimony, Testing

WHAT ARE YOU SUFFERING FOR?

GALATIANS 3:4

“Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?”

Raise your hand if you are suffering right now? That wasn’t very many. Let’s try that again. Just kidding. I can’t really see your hands raised. But if I asked each of you individually that same question, you may respond in the affirmative. Perhaps you are suffering for your faith right now. You may face ridicule and scorn from family or friends. Your employer may harass you because of your Christian stance on issues. If that is your case, then Paul asks you a question today.

As Paul addressed the Galatian believers, he asked them this question we find in today’s verse. Many of them had suffered for turning to Christ. Some of them may have lost everything to follow Jesus. If they had not personally suffered, they probably knew someone who had. Suffering in the first century for Jesus was not an uncommon thing. Is it worth it today?

APPLICATION

In Philippians 1:29, Paul says this about the issue of suffering. “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,” How about Romans 5:3-4. “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”

There’s a purpose in our sufferings. Recently, I was with someone who is going through a tough physical challenge. I told them that God allows us to go through things in our lives for a couple of reasons. One is to draw us to Himself. He will often use our life experiences to show Himself to us and call us into His family. Secondly, as believers, I believe He uses suffering to refine us and make us more like Jesus.

Paul is reminding the Galatians believers that their suffering was not in vain. God had brought them so far for a purpose. He had proven that He was all they needed. Why go back to the fleshly way of living? Why go back to trying to earn your way to heaven? God was and will always be all we need. He has given us direct access to the throne through His Son, Jesus. Simply rest in Him.

O Lord, You are all I need. I thank You that You consider me worthy of suffering for Your name.

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