Spiritually Strong

“Spiritually Strong”
by Pastor Kent Munsey
October 4, 2020

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

• Ephesians 6:10 (NIV)

Ephesians 10:6 tells us to be strong in the Lord. That is our calling, yet it doesn’t just happen overnight. Spiritual strength needs to be developed just like physical strength. We are vulnerable as we face social unrest, political division, and a pandemic. Since we don’t gather as much as before, we can become spiritually weak. There is a real heaven and hell, and the forces of good and evil battle for our soul. We are part of God’s eternal plan, and Satan has already lost the battle. We are spiritually strengthened by the Lord. We are strong in his mighty power. 

In Exodus 10, when the Lord sent the plagues upon Egypt, Pharaoh’s response demonstrates the strategy of the enemy in our lives. 

1: Lies. 

The first thing Pharaoh did is that he lied. The spirit of the world will lie to you and convince you of things that are not true. The devil is a liar; in fact, he is the Father of Lies. When God is developing spiritual strength in you, you’re going to have to discern what is true and what is false, what is good and evil, and what is going to lead to life and what is going to lead to death. 

2: Compromise. 

Secondly, Pharaoh tried to compromise. We cannot compromise with the spirit of this age. We cannot compromise because compromise gives Satan a foothold in our lives. We should never settle for anything less than the place God promised us. 

3: Pride 

James 4:6 says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. To resist means to set yourself in enemy formation against--meaning God sets himself in enemy formation against the proud. Pharaoh was proud. The Bible says we are to clothe ourselves in humility. It’s our sinful nature to be proud; we have to put on humility every day. 

When God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt into freedom, it was by his power expressed over a period of several months. He sent the plagues and strengthened his children with his power. His blood is on the doors of our hearts, and the consequences of our sin have been passed over. His parting of the Red Sea is the same power at work in us. We can see all that God has for us beyond the divisiveness before us. We emulate his gentleness, omnipotence, omnipresence, humility, love, and kindness as we walk in his strength. The following allows us to develop strength:

1. Our Walk

Our walk matters. As Moses walked, he walked with a staff, leaning on God’s Word, believing that what God said was true. To become spiritually strong, we have to obey God. Every time we take a step in obedience, we walk in power and freedom. When we pray for the person whom the enemy has convinced us is our enemy, when we forgive the person who hurt us, we become spiritually strong. When we trust and obey God, our walk reflects that. 

2. Our Words

Our words matter. The Bible says God has set before us life and death. James says our tongue is like a rudder. Our words direct the course of our life. The devil himself attacked Jesus after 40 days in the wilderness in Matthew 4:4, and Jesus defeated him with the Word of God, saying “it is written.” The word of God is like a double-edged sword. When we declare the word of God over our life, we can overcome the devil. We need to speak to that mountain of difficulty before us and speak the promises of God over our lives every day.

3. Our Worship

Our worship matters. We have to acknowledge that there is a God in heaven, but we also have to be aware that there is a real devil. Right now, we could be weakened because we are not gathering in worship, but we can gather spiritually in the name of Jesus. When we draw near to God, he draws near to us. 

If we can stay together and stay committed to the faith and to our spiritual practices, then what the enemy has meant for evil, God will turn around for good. We can come out on the other side of this pandemic, this trial, this year, spiritually strong. There is nothing our God can’t do. Let’s be spiritually strong and do what God has asked us to do: let’s walk in obedience, speak words of faith and stay in a place where our hearts are drawing near to God, then we will become spiritually strong. 

Reflection/Discussion Questions:

1. How have you seen God develop spiritual strength in your life in the past? 

2. Think of a time when you or someone you know modeled spiritual strength through obedience, words and worship in the midst of a trial. What happened as a result? 

3. What area of your life--your walk, words, or worship--could use more spiritual strength? How can you put the principles from today’s message into practice to strengthen this area? 

4. What has God called you to do with the spiritual strength he has given you?