Be Strong In The Power of His Might

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the lord, and in the power of his might. EPHESIANS 6:10

This tremendous verse in Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians has three different, but similar, words. These words are so similar that you will find all three translated ‘power’ in other verses in the King James Version. The three words are ‘strong’, ‘power’ and ‘might’.

1. The word ‘strong’ is translated from the Greek endunamoō:

Endunamoō is a combination of en = in and dunamis = power.

Endunamoō means literally ‘in-powered’, or empowered or enabled.

2. The word ‘power’ is translated from kratos. Kratos = strength or exerted strength.

3. The word ‘might’ is translated from ischus. Ischus = ability or ability in action.

Understanding the correct meaning of these three words, this verse should say:

Finally, be empowered in the lord and in the strength of his ability.

The ‘lord’ here is the lord Jesus Christ. The verb ‘empowered’ is passive voice, which means ‘the lord’ does the action to the subject. The subject is you and me! We are to be empowered in him, and also empowered in the strength of his ability. Well, how strong is his ability? He is seated at the right hand of the Father and he is ‘far above every ruler and authority and power and lordship, even every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age which is to come’. The strength of his ability is able to empower you and me. We are to be empowered in him.

How and when was the lord Jesus Christ enabled with this strong ability to empower us? Another unique and remarkable verse in Ephesians gives us the answer.

And what is the exceeding greatness of His power (dunamis) to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty (ischus) power (kratos). EPHESIANS 1:19

This verse tells us that God desires that the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened in order that we may know... “the exceeding greatness of His power (dunamis)” toward us who believe. Wow! Not only the greatness of His power, but the exceeding greatness! Only God could make it that big.

Then He continues to teach us that this exceeding great power is “according to the working of His mighty power which He wrought in Christ.”

Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised him from the dead, and set him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. EPHESIANS 1:20

The words ‘working’ and ‘wrought’ are both forms of the same word, energeō:

‘Working’ = energeia, energizing. Wrought’ = energeō, energized.

The phrase ‘His mighty power’ is exactly the same here as in Ephesians 6:10 and should also be translated ‘the strength of His ability’ (the kratos of His ischus). The one difference is the pronoun ‘His’ here refers to God: God’s ability.

There it is! God energized the strength of His ability in Christ. When? When God raised Christ from the dead. God alone has the strong ability to raise the dead and He energized that ability in His son when He raised His son from the dead.

Forty days after his resurrection Christ was ‘taken up’ and then ‘set’ (or seated) at the right hand of the Father. Note that the word is not ‘ascended’ but ‘taken up’.

And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. ACTS 1:9

God did the energizing. God did the taking up. God did the seating!

God also endued us with that same power (dunamis) that raised His son from the dead.

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power (dunamis) from on high. LUKE 24:49

The promise of the Father is His gift, holy spirit. By believing God we are endued with His power from on high, which is to be filled with holy spirit, which also is Christ in us! This is the essential element of that which men call ‘Christianity’. The essential, primary and central thing is not any work of man for Him but only the work of God in us by grace.

God sees us according to the holy spirit nature He created in us, and He wants us to think likewise according to His spirit in us.

You are not in the flesh but in the spirit, since the spirit from God dwells in you. But since Christ dwells in you, then the body [the old nature] is indeed dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of justness. If the spirit from Him Who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then He Who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His spirit dwelling in you. ROMANS 8:9A,10-11 From the Working Translation*

The spirit from God dwelling in us is where we are ‘empowered in the lord and the strength of his ability’. Being spiritually minded according to our inner-man realities we will walk in the power-filled victory God has given us in Christ.

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might (dunamis = power) by His spirit in the inner man. EPHESIANS 3:16

Be Strong In The Power of His Might

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