Strengthening the Inner Man (being)

Sometimes I get discouraged and feel like my work is in vain, but then the Holy Spirit revives my soul again; He gives me strength. Can anyone here witness through testimony that “It is well with your soul today because “He gives you Strength?

Context

This passage is the second of two prayers recorded in Ephesians, the first one being Ephesians 1:15–23. In the first prayer, the emphasis is on enlightenment; but in this prayer, the emphasis is on enablement. It is not so much a matter of knowing as being—laying our hands on what God has for us and by faith making it a vital part of our lives. Paul is saying, “I want you to get your hands on your RICHES, realize how vast it is, and start to use it.”

It is worth noting that both of these prayers, as well as the other prison prayers (Phil. 1:9–11; Col. 1:9–12), deal with the spiritual condition of the inner man, and not the material needs of the body. Certainly it is not wrong to pray for physical and material needs, but the emphasis in these petitions is on the spiritual. Paul knew that if the inner man is what he ought to be, the outer man will be taken care of in due time. Too many of our prayers focus only on physical and material needs and fail to lay hold of the deeper inner needs of the heart. It would do us good to use these prison prayers as our own, and ask God to help us in our inner person. That is where the greatest needs are.

That is what this message is concerned with today, namely strengthening your inner being. The Apostles Paul said in Eph 3:14-19:

Ephesians 3:14–19 (NASB95)

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

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

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,

19 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 30–31.

Genre

A quick overview of the Literary Typing of the document reveals that Ephesians is a Community Letter. A Community Letter is a letter sent to a Christian Community to instruct, advise, and encourage the congregation (Lexham Glossary of Literary Types). The Lexham Bible Dictionary says of THE LETTER TO EPHESIANS,

A letter attributed to the Apostle Paul and addressed to the Christians at Ephesus, a city on the western coast of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). Ephesians is one of four so-called Prison Letters (the others are Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon) and is commonly grouped with Colossians due to overlapping themes and structure. Ephesians might have been a circular letter sent to multiple churches in the region, including the congregation at Ephesus.

Jason C. Kuo, “Ephesians, Letter to the,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).

Author

it should be noted that there has been and continues to be some debate concerning Paul’s authorship. Some of the reasons for the skepticism arises from:

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Author

• the relative lack of personal addresses in the letter;

• linguistic and stylistic differences with Paul’s undisputed letters;

• apparent borrowing from Colossians; and

• different theological emphases compared to Paul’s undisputed letters.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Author)

Some scholars continue to recognize Paul as the writer of Ephesians, arguing that the evidence cited against Pauline authorship is not conclusive. For example, O’Brien proposes that the lack of personal addressees would be understandable if Ephesians were written as a general letter, rather than addressed to a specific congregation (O’Brien, Ephesians, 5). Unique terms and expressions could simply reflect Paul’s ability to vary his language depending on the context (as he seems to do in other letters). As for Ephesians’ apparent borrowing from Colossians, it is quite possible that Paul wrote both letters during the same period of imprisonment and used an overlapping structure and parallel expressions (O’Brien, Ephesians, 20). In addition, the developed theological ideas in Ephesians need not be the result of a post-Pauline author, but rather could reflect Paul’s own development and adaptation to the contexts of his audiences.

In other words, there is no good reason that we should not accept Paul as the author of Ephesians.

There are six chapters within the Body of this letter. The section that calls for our attention falls within an expositional argument found from chap 1:15-3:21.

Expositional Argument — (NT) A text that interprets various Old Testament passages in service of a larger theological argument.

Douglas Mangum, The Lexham Glossary of Literary Types (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).

The problem was that of Jews and Gentiles not allowed the same standing with God. See Eph 2:12

Ephesians 2:12 NASB95

12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Cosmic Reconciliation in Christ)

The central message of Ephesians concerns the reconciliation of the cosmos in Christ (O’Brien, Ephesians, 58). Paul states that God’s purpose in revealing the “mystery of his will” is “to unite all things in him” (1:9–10 ESV). Through Christ, believers are adopted into the family of God, redeemed, and forgiven (1:5, 7). Verses 9 and 10 take that reconcilation to a global scale, for in Christ “God’s overarching purposes for the whole of the created order are included” (O’Brien, Ephesians, 59). The word “reconcile” (ἀποκαταλλάσσω, apokatallassō) occurs only three times in the New Testament—all in Ephesians and Colossians (Eph 2:16; Col 1:20, 22).Reconciliation in Christ is characterized by “peace” (εἰρήνη, eirēnē)—a word that appears eight times in Ephesians. It describes not only a cessation of hostilities (2:16), but also a wholeness that is fully realized in salvation (2:17). Through Christ, believers are given access to the fullness of God (3:17–19).

The Need

the Ephesians needed strength in the inner being; described as the deepest aspects of human nature, known completely by God, to be contrasted with the outward appearance or public image of a person.

The contrast of the inner being with the outward person

Biblically,

The inner being is not subject to physical constraints

2 Corinthians 4:7–18 NASB95

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; 8 we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death works in us, but life in you. 13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed, therefore I spoke,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, 14 knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

The desires of the inner being

Romans 7:14–25 NASB95

14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 15 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. 16 But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. 17 So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. 21 I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. 22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.

See also Ps 51:3–6

The inner being should take priority over the outward person

1 Peter 3:3–4 NASB95

3 Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

See also 1 Sa 16:7; Eph 3:16–19