Are you strong?
How would you answer that question (I’m thinking here about inner strength, not physical strength!)? My instinct is to answer: no way... Maybe it’s my Kiwi tendency to talk myself down. Or perhaps it’s from all the times I struggle to flee from sin and pursue godliness.
But since studying 1 John early this year, this simple verse in chapter 2 has challenged some of my thinking.
I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one (1 John 2:14).
At times, it’s easy to notice our weaknesses. Even just using our phone less or stopping ourselves from making that unhelpful comment can seem like an insurmountable battle.
Dare I say it, sometimes I can even put more confidence in my own sin and weakness than in God’s power to overcome sin in my life.
But John’s encouragement here is clear – if you are a follower of Jesus, you are strong! We aren’t strong in ourselves, of course. We’re strong because God's word is in us and at work through the Holy Spirit.
God loves to work powerfully through weak people like us to display his glory. And as Peter and Paul remind us:
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1:3).
Through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2).
So often it doesn’t feel that way, though, does it? So what do we do? What does this all mean as we struggle against sin?
I think it means we should struggle prayerfully – not depending on our own strength, but depending on the strength of our Lord. As David says, the Lord is the strength of his people (Psalm 28:8).
And we should not struggle in despair, but with confidence. We can trust that God’s word is at work within us and his Spirit is making us more like Jesus.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen (Ephesians 3:20–21).
Grace and peace,
Tim