Power

Eph 6:10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." NKJV

Paul is wrapping it up. He is coming in for a landing. He is getting ready to end his letter. He has said a ton up to this point. I have really enjoyed going through the book of Ephesians. So rich. So practical. But this is it. This is what he wants these people to remember. If they forget it all (and they wouldn't) this is the one thing that he wants them to hang on to: "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."

I remember him saying stuff like this before. Eph 1:17-20 "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places," And how about this: Eph 3:20,21
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Paul is bringing these people back to the power of God. Paul is reminding these people of their dependence. "Not by (human) might, nor by (human) power, but by My Spirit says the Lord." Zech 4:6 Paul is reminding these people that they are in a battle and they cannot win this war on their own. They have to rely on the power of God's might. Our strength is not in ourselves, it is in God's Spirit.

This verse could actually read: "Finally, brothers, receive strength in the Lord and in the force of His strength and ability." It all goes back to chapter one. It all goes back to the fact this is all God. It is His choosing. It is His adoption. It is His forgiveness. It is His Will. It is His purpose. It is His glory. And it is His power and might. I can't live this life successfully on my own. I can't fight the battles, overcome the temptations, defeat the habits, eliminate the thoughts, correct the attitudes on my own. I have to receive strength from God. I have to live in the power that raised Jesus from the dead. I am totally and utterly dependent on God and His ability…not my ability.

The thing that I love about this is that Paul does not just leave it here. He tells us how. That is tomorrow.