INNER STRENGTH

One of the strongest men who ever lived was Samson. He was so strong that he was known to have killed a lion with his bare hands, caught three hundred foxes, and killed a thousand men with a jawbone of a donkey.

However, while he was physically strong, sadly, he was morally weak because he was ruled by lust.

Samson’s strength, therefore, was not true strength for true strength is not merely outward, but inward. True strength is the kind of inner strength that enables us to control our own emotions and appetites.

Does your strength today come from your inner man or outer man?

The inner man is the person’s mind, conscience, and will. The outer man involves our physical bodies. The Bible mentions this in 2 Corinthians 4:16 which says: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day…”

As Christians, there is a great need for us to be strengthened in the inner man. Otherwise, Paul would not have prayed for it in Ephesians 3:14-16: “…I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from 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 through the Spirit in the inner man…”

There was a certain pastor’s wife who had an encounter with a thief. One day, when her husband was not at home, a very notorious thief came through the gate of their house. As the thief came close to where the pastor’s wife was, she shouted at him the words “In the Name of Jesus!” Quickly, the scared thief fled out of their premises. In that moment, she experienced God’s power which strengthened her with might through the Spirit in her inner man.

To be strengthened with might could also mean to be enabled with a high degree of spiritual abilities for resisting temptations and enduring persecutions.

Joseph in the Bible was a man who had this kind of inner strength. He was strengthened by God in his inner man to resist and flee from the lustful temptation and advances made by his master’s wife.

The Early Church, on the other hand, led by the twelve Apostles, suffered greatly because of the persecution from Jews and Gentiles. They were imprisoned, stoned, driven out from cities, and beaten with rods for preaching the Gospel.

But despite all their difficulties, the Church was strengthened by God and they even grew daily in numbers. Today, Church persecution is still happening and such churches continue to draw their strength in the inner man from the Spirit of God.

Certainly, inner strength is the kind of strength that we should desire. Inner strength from the Holy Spirit gives us the strength to serve God, do our duty, and persevere in our Christian walk with cheerfulness despite all the troubles.

Is your life filled with troubles and ill-treatment from others? Jesus did not promise that our lives will be free from persecutions but He encouraged us in John 16:33, “…Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (NLT).”  May this promise be your source of strength.

Why do we need our inner man to be strengthened?

Inner strength doesn’t come to us naturally so we will need to ask for it in prayer just as Apostle Paul did.

Inner strength is so critical for us to have so that we will be able to endure the troubles that lie ahead. Dr. Brian Bailey once said, “It will take EVERYTHING that we have to make it in the last days.”

The last days will be full of troubles which will test what’s really inside of us. This is why the Bible tells us that in the last days, men's hearts shall wax cold and Christians shall faint.

There will also be Christians who shall grow weary in the last days because the tongue of the dragon or Satan shall weary the saints of God (Daniel 7:25).

What are the parts of our Inner Man that need to be strengthened?

Our Mind - Having a strong mind is having the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). This means taking on the humble and servant nature of Jesus. Taking on the form of a bondservant, Jesus made Himself of no reputation (Phil 2:5-7). Also, as a servant, He was completely obedient to the voice of His Master.

To have strong mind is to surrender all our earthly desires to God. Like Christ, are we willing to be humble servants of God who will give ourselves fully to the will of God and not follow our own interests?

Our Conscience – Conscience is defined as a person's moral sense of right and wrong. A strong conscience is quick to know what pleases the Lord and what doesn’t. On the contrary, a corrupt person’s conscience can be calloused with repetitive sinning and constant disobedience to God’s still small voice.

Our Will - A truly strong will is one that is surrendered fully to the will of the Lord. It is one that is tempered and fully controlled by God.

How is our Inner Man strengthened?

We can strengthen our inner man as we speak in tongues (1 Cor. 14:4). As we learn to pray in the Spirit, the anointing of might can flow not just in our physical body but in our spirit too.

We are also strengthened by God through adversity. In every trouble, God’s grace (“divine enablement”) is always sufficient for us. However, it is something we need to ask for and humbly receive. Apostle Paul was a man who experienced a lot of adversities but he also experienced the abundance of the grace of God. God’s strength was made perfect in his weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

Lastly, we are strengthened as we become righteous in the sight of God. Crooked ways should be straightened in our character by:

• Dealing with the lusts of the heart (1 Pet 4:2). The fleshly desires are the opposite of what the Spirit desires (Gal. 5:17). We need to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts (Rom 13:14).


• Taming the tongue. We need to avoid foolish disputes about the Bible for they are unprofitable and useless (Titus 3:9). Our speech should be gracious and not provoking (Col. 4:6). We need to ask the Holy Spirit to set a guard on our mouth so we will speak words of life (Psalm 141:3)


• Overcoming stubbornness. The opposite of a stubborn heart is a listening heart (Psalms 81:11-16). We need to ask God to soften our hearts and make us teachable to His ways.


• Praying for healing of the soul and spirit. The wounded needs to be bandaged and thankfully, God is our Great Physician. We can ask God for the “Balm of Gilead” to bring complete healing and wholeness.

Sources:

Caram, Paul G. True Christianity. Zion Christian Publishers, 2005.

Bailey, Brian J. Soldiers for Christ. Zion Christian Publishers, 1997.

Henry, Matthew. “Ephesians 3.” Bible Study Tools, www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/ephesians/3.html. Accessed November 2017.

“The Top 20 Countries where Christianity is Growing the Fastest.” Disciple All Nations, 25 Aug. 2013,
discipleallnations.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/the-top-20-countries-where-christianity-is-growing-the-fastest/. Accessed November 2017.