Inner Strength

Ephesians 3:16
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

This is a prayer of the Apostle Paul. He prayed that we might be strengthened with power through His Spirit according to the riches of His glory.

God desires to grant His people inner strength and power through His Spirit. He does so by letting Christ dwell in our hearts through faith. As Christ dwells in our hearts, we will receive inner strength.

This strength is sourced from God's glorious riches. This will lead us to live a deeper and more reflective spiritual life.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

What is the source of our inner strength? It does not come from outside but deep inside us! It comes from Christ who is indwelling inside us. Nobody else.

This source of strength is eternal. It does not run on batteries or solar power. It comes from the Lord Himself. Even at times, when it feels as if we have lost all of our strength and all of our batteries have run out, His strength will enable us to continue to go on and live on. Our inner strength can never be depleted!

Proverbs 18:24
NKJV
A man who has friends must himself be friendly,
But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

ESV
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Many people have many friends but they themselves are not friendly. Some friends are manipulative. Some friends are slave drivers. Some friends are full of schemes and wits. Some friends have ulterior motives and agendas. Some friends are not friends. And very few friends are true and genuine.

But there is a Friend who sticks closer than a brother! He lives inside of us. He is always with us. He is the One who strengthens us each day! Yet how often have we despised Him by forgetting Him, ignoring Him and putting Him aside.

Many Christians esteem external friends to be more important than the Inner Friend inside their hearts! Their minds are the same as the people in the world.

In a world that is obsessed with having wider social networks and bigger base of followers and subscribers, many people believe that having many “friends” is a sign of success. But is that really the case?

In times of troubles, failures, downturns, disasters, sicknesses, joblessness and poverty, many friends are no longer friendly. Many friends may despise and forsake us. Many friends may leave us, not lending a helping hand.

But in such times, there is still a Friend inside of us. He sticks to us through the thick and thin. He is closer than our own brothers. And He gives us strength and courage to stand in the midst of stormy seas and raging waves! He strengthens us from within!

Have we ever wondered that many of the most remarkable people in history were overcomers? And very often, they overcame with some hidden inner strength beyond human understanding and comprehension. They are almost alone but never alone!

And many of these remarkable people are unsung heroes, unnamed and unknown.

Hebrews 11:36-40
36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—
38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Many of them were persecuted and brutally killed. They were poor, abused and treated badly. But the world was not good enough for them! They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and holes. All of these people are known for their faith. But none of them received what God had promised. But God planned to give us something better. Then they would be made perfect, but only together with us. We will follow their godly examples as they followed Christ!

Many of these overcomers have very few friends. But they are authentic. Today, many people may think that these overcomers are out of the world, unsociable and unfriendly. In reality, it is a sign of their strength and truthfulness.

They are true and genuine! They dare to be themselves! They are not constantly trying to find their place of prominence and importance in the world! They are not continually trying to please others or conform to what others would expect them to be!

These overcomers have this rare but very valuable inner strength to stay true to themselves. They follow their own godly values and principles without being swept easily away by the opinions of others.

These overcomers have their own lifestyles, their own perceptions, and their own ways of doing things. They do not copy the ways of the world, and they do not follow the changes of trends and tides.

They are authentic and virtuous! And in our world today, they are very hard to find. And they are truly admirable.

Many of these overcomers have found a Friend in Jesus. They grow in faith as they become fully dependent on Him. They have inner strength. And they do not need to depend on others for their happiness and self-worth.

Just look around us. How many people we know are always seeking validation from outside and not inside. They seek the approvals of men more than the approval of Christ! How many people can spend a single evening alone without feeling lost and worthless? How many people are easily affected by what others say or think about them?

Those, who have inner strength, have learned to stand on their own. They are different from the people in the world. They make difficult decisions, solve their own problems, and take responsibility for their lives.

They are not trapped by social obligations. They are free to pursue their godly goals, and live by the standards of the Bible. They find satisfaction in life even possessing very little. They are godly, and they are contented.

These overcomers are wise in choosing friends. They do not seek friendships just to fill a social and personal void. They know which friends are good for them, and which friends are not. They also are able to get out of toxic relationships without fearing this and that.

They are not afraid of being alone or having only a few friends. But those few friends understand them and enrich their life. These few friends do not bring unnecessary and dazzling noises, adding programs after programs, and doing activities after activities.

Their circles of friends may be smaller, but these circles are more valuable and long-lasting than the bigger circles of superficial and phony friends.

Many of the people, who have inner strength, look at the inside and not the outside. They grow daily in faith with a Friend named Jesus living inside their hearts! They are able to dive deep into themselves, and explore an inner relationship and friendship that most people never explore and treasure.

These overcomers do not listen to the wicked. They do not go where sinners go. They do not do what bad people do. They love the Word of God. They think and meditate about His Word day and night.

They are strong, like trees planted by a river. They produce fruit in season. Their leaves don’t fall and die. Everything they do will succeed.

But the people of the world people are not like that. Their leaves fall as the wind blows. They do not have inner strength to endure the harsh seasons of life.

When we spend a lot of time alone with our Friend, we will develop an incredible inner strength to remain true to Him and ourselves, even when social pressures demand us to do something else. He will strengthen us daily as we walk with Him each day!

Truly, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

Written on 2 November 2025