Ephesians 6:10 (NKJV) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Ephesians 6:10 (Amplified) In conclusion, be strong in the Lord (be empowered through your union with Him); draw strength from Him (that strength which His boundless might provides).
Out of abundance of the heart we will speak what we think and believe when we are under pressure. It will also cause us to really take time to think about what we truly believe as Christians. This is critical because it will determine how we battle in time of crisis.
The Epistle to the Ephesians is one of the most powerful and complete letters ever written to teach and instruct believers in their newly found faith in Christ. It was written by the Apostle Paul when he was still in prison as he was being persecuted for the faith. To have written a letter to encourage and teach the saints while still being in the prison shows that Paul had a strong conviction on what he believed and he was living out the truth that he was teaching.
We have been spiritually blessed with being in and through Christ. There are spiritual blessings given and bestowed on us in Christ, apart from what we have done or not done. We might have been using our own strength to be strong at a work place, family, and society. However, there will be circumstances in our lives that will break us, which is more than our mental, intellectual and physical strength can handle. God did not ask us to be strong in ourselves but He asked of us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
The word “power” means ability to do what you could not do before Jesus came into your life. It is an inner strength that is available to you in the inner man. Your mind might be spinning very quickly with regards to all the negative scenarios but we need to learn to draw strength from the inner man to retain the peace in our hearts in order to make wise decisions! The Holy Spirit is now living in our inner man to strengthen us so that we are able to do what we could not do without Him. That is being strong in the Lord and the power of His might that is working in us.
We have to get used to the idea that we belong to a new kingdom. We are no longer in the devil’s camp. His influence or a slavery of sin has no hold on us anymore. We are saints living in a new Kingdom with a New Position, New Ability, New Creation and having a New Master who loves us! Our lives will never be the same again! We are now able to overcome what used to plague our lives for He who is in us is much greater and mightier than he who is in the world! We are more than conquerors through Him.
Being strong in God in the inner man is having a complete trust and faith in Him of who God is, His character, and the covenant that He has with us. We have faith in the power of His might that He is the Creator of all things and faith in God will begin to arise within us when we meditate upon the length, breadth, depth and height of His love for us. Because of what Jesus has done on the cross, we are now accepted and adopted as His children. He redeemed us by His blood so that we are made holy, blameless, and righteous before Him.
Romans 8:38 (NKJV) For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore, nothing shall separate us from God’s love and this truth will keep us strong in the Lord and in the power of His might!
Sermon series: Inner man
在主里刚强
以弗所书 6:10 我还有末了的话：你们要靠着主，倚赖他的大能大力作刚强的人。
第10节经文（扩大版圣经）总而言之，在主里刚强 (通过你与祂的连接，你被赐能力)；从神获得力量 加添(这个力量源自于神的无限大能)。
内在的丰盛让我们即便面临外在压力，也可以宣告出我们所想所信。这也引导我们花时间去思考作为基督徒，我们到底相信的是什么。这是决定面临危机时我们将如何争战的关键。
以弗所书是最有力又完整的书信之一，用于教导和指引基督里的新信徒们。使徒保罗因这个信仰被迫害入狱，这封信正是他在牢狱中所写。在牢狱中写信鼓励并教导圣徒，显明了使徒保罗信仰的坚信。他活出了他所教导的真理。
我们因在基督里，借着基督，在灵里得到大大祝福。这些属灵福气是在基督里而赐予我们的，属灵福气与我们做成或尚未完成的工作完全没有关系。在职场、家庭和社区，我们可能靠自身的力量刚强起来。然而，生活中仍会有状况来打倒我们，远超过仅仅依靠我们自身的毅力、智力或体力能应对的范围。神并没有要求我们靠自己刚强，祂吩咐我们在主里，靠着主，倚赖祂的大能大力作刚强的人。
“大能”这个字意味着耶稣进到你的生命之前，我们所无法拥有的能力。这是内在的力量，源自于你内在的人。你的头脑可能会陷入负面的漩涡无法自拔，这时，我们需要学会从内在的人身上汲取力量，保持内心的平安，做出明智的决定！圣灵现在已经住在我们内在的人里，要加添我们力量，以致先前我们无能为力的事情会因圣灵内住，现在我们有力量去做。这就是在主里刚强，神大能的力量在我们身上做工。
我们要习惯我们属于新国度的观念。我们不再受困于魔鬼的阵营。牠的影响或罪的奴役已经不再挟制我们。我们是圣徒，生活在全新的国度，具备了新的位份、新的能力、是新造的人、有一个爱我们、新的主！我们的生命将不再相同！我们现在有能力突破过去的愁困，因为祂在我们里面比世界的一切都大，更强大！靠着主我们得胜有余。
内在的人要在主里强壮，就是全然信靠祂和对祂所是的、祂的性格和祂与我们所立的盟约有信心。我们信靠祂的大能大力，祂是万物的创造者，并且当我们默想神对我们的慈爱的长阔高深，在神里的信心就会在我们里面兴起。因耶稣在十架上所成就的，我们得以被接纳成为神的儿女。耶稣用祂的宝血赎回了我们，让我们在祂面前成为圣洁、无可指摘，以及公义。
罗马书 8:28 因为我深信无论是死，是生，是天使，是掌权的，是有能的，是现在的事，是将来的事，是高处的，是低处的，是别的受造之物，都不能叫我们与 神的爱隔绝；这爱是在我们的主基督耶稣里的。
因此，没有什么能将我们与神的爱隔绝，而这真理使得我们在主里和祂的大能大力中得以刚强！
讲章系列：内在的人
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