By Lisa Bevere

Strong is not wrong.

Too often Christian women are associated with weakness rather than strength. Sometimes religion has taught us to hide rather than to rise. It is true that we are called to be meek, but not weak. Meek is best defined as strength under control. Both Moses and Jesus were meek, but not weak. The meek know their strength comes from God. Esther was meek, but she was no weakling. The meek are also the humble because they understand that their strength comes from a higher power. The meek know how and when to fight, but they are not looking for one.

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Strength is a two-edged sword that can be used as a weapon of destruction or a means of release that sets the captives free. It is not unusual that the first captive that requires release is ourselves.

This life requires strength. And as we live longer, life gets harder. Living godly in a godless culture will require much more strength than you or I can muster on our own. Thankfully we are not on our own. We are going to examine the following verses from Ephesians that outline why each of us must embrace the challenge and become strong. After describing how we interact in relationships, Paul begins Ephesians 6:10-18 with “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” (v. 10).

Relationships require strength. But whenever I try to love or even like someone in my own strength I am doomed to fail. We have a very limited human capacity for the type of strength we need each day. This is why we tap into the strength and power of our Lord. Another version simply says it this way, “God is strong, and he wants you strong” (MSG).

God knows we are not strong so he makes us strong. David tapped into this source of strength when he was a worshiping shepherd. Our God is almighty to make us mighty. Our Father is all-powerful to give his daughters power. God has a plan for your life and the devil has a scheme. His scheme is to knock you out of God’s plan. I must warn you the devil will not fight fairly. The moment you became a daughter of God, you were marked by God’s Holy Spirit and noted by the enemy. Before your rebirth you were his slave, and now you are a target. But once we are acquainted with our source of true strength, it’s time to armor up. “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Ephesians 6:11).

The above article is excerpted from Strong: Devotions to Live a Powerful and Passionate Life by Lisa Bevere. Copyright © 2020 by Lisa Bevere. Published by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson. www.thomasnelson.com. Pages 2-3. All rights reserved.

Strong is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway.

Bio: Lisa Bevere’s authentic and passionate teachings weave profound biblical truths with practical application. A New York Times bestselling author, her books are in the hands of millions worldwide. Lisa and her husband John, who’s also a bestselling author and teacher, are the founders of Messenger International.

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