The Source of Your Strength

Closing Remarks

It’s a Friday and you’ve just spent 2.5 hours in a chair. I ask you to stay for 15 more minutes, how many of you would stay? What is worth 15 more minutes of your time after you have spend 2.5 hours somewhere?

The ending of a Marvel movie.

We will stay for those post-credit scene because they often give more clarity on the ending or perhaps extra details to a future movie.

Paul starts the close of his letter with “Finally”. We’ve gone through quite a bit in Ephesians and he’s about to drop a end of credit scene bomb on us right here.

Ephesians 6:10-13 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

Do you know how many people leave the theater early without ever seeing that post credit scene?

What Paul is about to instruct the believer on in this section has massive implications for the life of a believer.

“Be strong” // “Be Strengthened”

Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.”

God and Paul both instruct Joshua, the Ephesians, and now us, that we need to “be strong”.

If we are not “strong” we will be weak.

Massive difference between the strength that we naturally think of and the strength that God & Paul is talking about.

The strength here is the strength to rely on something other than your own strength.

You already do this in many ways.

Most of you probably do not worry about where the money for the next bill, meal, or clothes is going to come from. You don’t carry that burden, someone in your family does and you rely on their financial strength.

You trust in the strength of your teachers to equip you and teach you the things to help you advance in education.

You trust in the strength of your coaches or instructors to get you better at whatever it might be from learning music, to a sport or some type of art.

We do this already, we already are exercising strength in something outside of ourselves.

How do I take what I am already doing and apply it to my spiritual life?

Let’s talk about this…straight FACTS

YOU CANNOT IN YOUR OWN POWER OVERCOME THE DEVIL.

GOD GIVES YOU THE RESOURCES TO OVERCOME…THAT IS THE REST OF CHAPTER 6.

Spiritual Power VS. Physical Power

EVERYONE LOOKS TO SOMETHING AS THEIR SOURCE OF STRENGTH.

The question you have to wrestle with is what is yours?

Where do you look to be the source of your strength?

To your grades? Your popularity? Your boyfriend, girlfriend?

Your Parents? Your money? Your athletic ability?

Your online profile?

We cannot strengthen ourselves we must be empowered.

This decision is not just a one time decision but a daily decision and a decision for a lifetime.

In the LORD

BELIEVERS RECEIVE ALL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, MEANING YOU HAVE THE FULL POWER OF GOD AND ARE ABLE TO

John 15:1-5 ““I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

john 16:7 “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”