Ephesians 6:10-13: Be Strong in the Lord
Be Strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10-13)
When Paul writes to the Ephesians in Ephesians 6:10, urging them to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might,” he is not offering a call to human self-sufficiency. Rather, he is pointing them, and by extension us, to a strength that surpasses our own—a divine strength that is only available through God. The reality is that we are all limited by our own weaknesses, but the might of God is limitless. The Apostle’s words serve as a reminder that our strength is not found in our ability to push through on our own but in our dependence on God, who equips and empowers us.
This isn’t a new concept in scripture. Throughout the Bible, we see people who, despite their weakness, are able to accomplish extraordinary feats because they relied on God’s strength. The lives of both men and women from the Old Testament bear witness to this truth. People like Gideon, Esther, David, and even Moses—individuals who, in their own right, may have seemed weak or ill-equipped—found their strength not in themselves but in the God who was with them. Their stories offer powerful illustrations of what it means to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
The Weakness of Gideon (Judges 6-7)
Take, for example, the story of Gideon. When we first encounter him in Judges 6, Gideon is anything but strong. He is hiding in a winepress, threshing wheat to avoid the Midianites, a people who were oppressing Israel at the time. God’s angel appears to him and calls him a “mighty warrior,” but Gideon’s response is filled with self-doubt. He says, “Pardon me, my Lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13). He sees himself as the least in his family, and his family as the least in the tribe of Manasseh.
Yet God calls him to lead Israel to victory. God doesn’t bolster Gideon’s confidence with affirmations of his greatness. Instead, God reassures him of God’s own power: “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive” (Judges 6:16). Gideon’s weakness becomes a backdrop for God’s strength. God tells him to reduce his army from thousands to just 300 men to show that it was not by human might but by God’s power that Israel would be delivered. The victory was not Gideon’s; it was the Lord’s.
Gideon’s story challenges us to stop measuring our ability by our own standards. Gideon didn’t look the part of a hero, and yet God used him mightily. He wasn’t strong in his own strength, but he found strength in trusting God’s promises. In the same way, Ephesians 6:10 reminds us to rely on God’s strength, not on our own frailty or insecurity. We may feel weak, but when we rely on God’s might, we become vessels of His power.
The Courage of Esther
Esther is another example of someone who, at first glance, might not appear strong but was empowered by God for a mighty purpose. Esther, a Jewish woman living in Persia, found herself in a position where her people were threatened by a plot to annihilate them. She was the queen, but even as queen, she was not immune to the king’s laws, and approaching the king without being summoned was a risky move. The penalty for this was death.
When Esther’s uncle Mordecai encourages her to speak up on behalf of the Jews, she hesitates. She knows that her strength is not enough to save her people. But Mordecai’s response to her reminds us of God’s sovereign plan: “Who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Esther must decide if she will rely on her own resources and stay hidden, or if she will trust God to give her strength for a moment that could change everything.
Esther’s strength didn’t come from her royal position or her ability to convince the king. It came from her willingness to step into the moment in faith, trusting that God’s strength would carry her. And God did empower her. She went before the king, and her boldness saved her people.
The Faith of David
David’s story is another testimony to the power of relying on God’s strength. As a young boy, David was overlooked by his father and brothers, and even by the prophet Samuel when he was sent to anoint the next king of Israel. Yet God chose him to lead the people. When David faced the giant Goliath, no one in Israel, not even King Saul, thought a young shepherd boy stood a chance. But David didn’t rely on his size or strength. Instead, he trusted in the name of the Lord.
David famously says to Goliath, “You come against me with sword and spear, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel” (1 Samuel 17:45). David’s strength wasn’t his skill with a sling or his courage—it was his confidence in God. Even when he faced a physical giant, David knew that the battle wasn’t his to fight alone. He knew that God was the one who would fight for him.
The Humility of Moses
Moses, too, exemplifies what it means to be strong in the Lord. Moses was called to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, but when God first called him, Moses didn’t feel up to the task. He was slow of speech and uncertain of his ability to lead such a massive group of people. He tried to make excuses, but God wouldn’t let him off the hook. God told him, “I will help you speak and will teach you what to say” (Exodus 4:12).
Moses’ story is a reminder that even when we feel weak, God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. He doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called. Moses wasn’t powerful on his own, but with God’s guidance and strength, he led Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness. Moses, like Paul, learned that strength is found not in our abilities but in our dependence on God’s provision.
The Role of Prayer in Our Strength
In Ephesians 6:13, Paul tells us to “put on the full armor of God” so that we can stand firm when the “day of evil” comes. But standing firm requires more than just putting on armor. It requires prayer. Paul writes in verses 18-20 about praying “in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Prayer is the key that unlocks the power of God in our lives. It connects us to the source of strength.
Even the Old Testament heroes relied on prayer to find strength in God. David’s psalms are full of cries for God’s help, and he frequently sought God’s guidance before making decisions. Esther fasted and prayed before approaching the king, asking God to give her favor. Gideon sought God’s direction at every step, asking for signs that confirmed God’s will. Their strength was not in their own plans but in God’s power, which they accessed through prayer.
“Be Strong in the Lord” and Meaning for Today
So, what does it mean for us today to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might”? It means recognizing that we are not enough on our own but that God is more than enough. It means putting on the armor of God daily, taking up the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit, and standing firm against the forces of evil. But more than that, it means humbling ourselves before God, acknowledging our weakness, and asking for His strength. It means being willing to step out in faith, just like Gideon, Esther, David, and Moses did, and trusting that God will be our strength when we are weak.
Each of these Old Testament heroes was weak in their own way. They were insecure, afraid, or ill-prepared for the tasks they faced. But they became strong in the Lord because they recognized that they couldn’t do it on their own. And in God’s strength, they accomplished things that seemed impossible.
When we face challenges today, we may feel weak, but we have the same promise: God’s strength will carry us. We don’t have to rely on our own ability. We can step into our calling and our mission, knowing that, like the heroes of the Bible, our weakness is an opportunity for God’s power to be displayed.
So, be strong in the Lord. Not because you are capable, but because God is capable. And when the battle seems too much, remember that it is not by our might, but by God’s Spirit, that we stand firm. We are strong in the Lord, and in His strength, we can face anything.
