Ephesians 6:10 Meaning: Where Your Strength Comes From

The Greek verb behind “be strong” is endunamousthe, a passive command. It literally means “be empowered” or “be strengthened.” This is something that happens to you, not something you produce. Paul is not saying, “Try harder, muster your courage.” He is saying, “Let the Lord empower you.” The same verb appears in Acts 9:22 when Saul “grew more and more powerful”, the power came from outside him.

Then Paul piles up two nouns for power: kratos (strength, dominion) and ischus (might). These words echo Ephesians 1:19, where Paul prays that believers would know “the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe.” The same resurrection-strength that raised Christ from the dead is the strength offered here. This is not a pep talk; it is an invitation to draw on a supply that never runs out.

Christians have read this verse with a shared sense of human weakness and God’s provision. Reformed teachers like Calvin and Matthew Henry emphasize that the command “be strong” would be empty if the Lord did not supply the power. The exhortation itself is a promise: He will provide what He requires. Wesley notes that Paul calls the readers “brethren”, fellow soldiers in the same fight, and that the phrase “power of his might” is unusual, underscoring the extraordinary help believers need. Across traditions, there is agreement: the strength is not natural but given, not earned but received in the act of dependence.

A common misreading is to take “be strong” as a call to grit your teeth and pull yourself together. In fact, the Greek verb is passive: “be strengthened.” The command is not to produce strength but to receive it. When Paul says “in the Lord,” he points to the source. The battle does not start with your effort; it starts with your need.

This week, when you face something too heavy, a conflict you cannot fix, a temptation that keeps returning, a day when your energy is gone, try something different. Instead of telling yourself to be stronger, stop and say, “Lord, I cannot. I need You to strengthen me right now.” That is what this verse invites you to do. Paul is not asking you to be strong on your own; he is asking you to let the Lord’s might do its work in you. That might look like a short prayer before a difficult conversation, or a quiet moment asking for patience before your kids walk in the door. Strength comes as you reach for the Source.