Is there something you are willing to die for? Is there something or someone you’re willing to spend your very last measure? Paul said there was. In Ephesians 3.14-19 he said— “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
He believed in a cause. Not causes like you see today. Not selfish, self-derived, me-focused, pseudo-causes. No, instead he was willing to spend his very last measure for a cause greater than himself. He wasn’t willing to die for the environment, or a political alliance. No, he was baptized into a cause of eternal impact. He begins with— “For this cause…” He is really saying, I am infected. There was such a deep concern the members of the church of Ephesus that it caused him to drop to his knees, literally. He understood that the cause of Christ was souls. Isn’t it true we are most faithful to the things that have the greatest place in our hearts? In his heart, it was as the same as in Jesus’ heart, people. People took up the greatest place beside Jesus.
Immediately he prays for their strength in the inner man. Our outer man cannot be trusted. Flesh is weak and frail, when faced against the spiritual world. Here, Paul points out true strength has nothing to do with the outside of the cup. True spiritual strength is formed from within. Yes, formed. It does not come automatic. The inner man has to grow as much as your outer did and does.
To “walk by faith” is to stop trusting performance and start trusting His promises. As the scripture continues— “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” When we walk by sight we trust the outer. When we walk by faith we put trust in the inner. Therefore the answer to weakness in trials is not a step-by-step plan. The answer is to emulate Paul and get on our knees. Pray for yourself, for each other, and those who come behind. We all must humble ourselves and depend again on the inner strength of God.
Have you ever asked yourself the question— ‘Just how great am I?‘ Some would say it’s arrogant to even ask such a question. I disagree. I find it liberating to have the Spirit immediately answer— ‘you’re not!’ That’s the inner man being guided by the inner still small voice of God. In this we find our inner strength: that I have NONE outside of Him. Didn’t Jesus say as much in John 15.5— “…for without me ye can do nothing.” He didn’t say— ‘a little bit’, He said “nothing!” It’s simple math: Me + Me Strength = Zero. Then you have God-math: Me + Jesus = Infinite possibilities. Who doesn’t want some of that?! Well, those who depend on their own forms of strength, such as: intellect, friends, past success, heart-intent, etc. The list truly goes on and on like the excuses they fling at it. True strength comes not from self, in any form, but Jesus as Lord of everything in my life. He is THE source of true strength, only.
Everything in my life must fall before God, because everything I have comes from God. I am nothing without Him. He is my supply and my sustaining life-source. Everything that matters is found in Him, and nothing else matters. As Paul said— “that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” If filled, then there is no space to fill, and nothing to fill with. He is all I need.
Last, I want to show you a word-picture in this passage. The word “strengthened” is a naval term. It demonstrates one bracing themself. It is a picture of heavy swells crashing on a ship and a sailor bracing himself as each crash may send the bow over the wave, or plunge it to its doom. Life is meant to weaken you until you can no longer grip the railing. Feel like that now? Know someone who does? Look a little further into the text. We know it’s in the inner man, but he goes on to say how— “…strengthened with might by his Spirit…” The power of God Himself is there, on the inside, to strengthen your grip and face the trials and tribulations with grace, and most importantly, His power!
The cause of Jesus Christ is greater than anything, because He is greater than everything.