EPHESIANS 6:10 - PART 2

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might.”

As soon as I posted last week’s blog, I realized I might be leaving the impression that there are only two ways that we can grow strong in Him. If I left you with that idea, please let me apologize and clarify, because there are other ways that contribute meaningfully to our growing stronger in the Lord.

In the last blog we discussed how getting to know God brings strength to us. Two of the key ways we get to know Him and draw on His strength are reading His Word and having communion with Him through prayer. While these are probably considered the “big two” in building strength in the Lord, there are others that are also very important for us to be aware of.

Before I proceed further, it’s important that we understand that all these areas have been under systematic attack by the enemy from the very beginning. Unfortunately, the American church seems to have forgotten how much the devil hates the Church and in the last four or five decades the Church has lost significant ground in each one. Take scriptural knowledge for example: the current evangelical church in North America is the most Biblically illiterate in American history. The Church today has more access to Scripture than ever but less desire to know . . . how tragic! It is virtually the same for prayer and for the other areas that we will consider today.

The next area we will look at is the power of worship to build strength. There is a very broad definition of worship that says that everything a born-again believer does for the Lord is an act of worship and I don’t really have any argument with that. The caution that must be exercised here, however, is that this does not and never will preclude our personal, verbal praise and worship of Almighty God. “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1).

Psalm 22:3 makes it very plain that God is enthroned in the life of the believer who is overt in verbal praise and worship. Simply put, God draws close to those who actively worship Him . . . He draws close and He is a God of strength and power. “O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?” (Psalm 89:8, ESV). We are personally strengthened and encouraged when we take time to worship, which is an act of faith and opens the door to victory.  People who don’t actively worship are going to continually struggle to live a victorious life.

Another area that often is overlooked is that of fellowshipping with other believers. In Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV), the writer of Hebrews says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.”

 

To be a Christ follower means that we find the fullest expression of our faith in community with other believers; we are encouraged and strengthened when we are together with fellow believers.

Let me put in a little testimony here. Years ago when I was traveling heavily in evangelism, sometimes I was in church services every night for a week or ten days. I’d come home from a trip exhausted, and instead of going with Carol and the children to our home church, I’d stay home and read and pray (yes, I did both. I wasn’t playing golf or watching TV. I was doing what I said I would.) After several months, I came to a realization that my spiritual life was slipping and my behavior was the reason. I needed to be in fellowship with others; the submission to my home church brought encouragement to me, it built me up. I got back into regular attendance and I’ve never allowed that deceptive mind-set of “I don’t need the church” ever again into my life.

A third area of strengthening comes from the ministry we receive from pastors and teachers (Ephesians 4:11). In Ephesians 4:12 we are told that these ministries are for the equipping (perfecting) of the saints. The word equip in classical Greek is a medical word that was most commonly used in referring to setting a broken or displaced bone back in its proper place. You can never be “at strength” as long as that dislocation is left unfixed. The ministries of Ephesians 4:11 are to help you find the place where you fit in the body of Christ so you can be at full strength. A dislocated believer is not living at “full strength.”

Is it any wonder that the enemy is consistently attacking these areas that bring strength and victory into the life of the believer? The enemy knows that these are important in keeping believers strong and he is actively attacking or diverting attention from the true purpose of each one.

The areas that I have written briefly about in the last two weeks are not meant to comprise an inclusive list. I would love to hear from you with other things that you have found meaningful in building strength for the Lord.

 

Let’s be as strong in the Lord as we can!