You’re Stronger Inside

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.  (Colossians 1:28-29)

Paul said that he labored in the ministry, but not through his own strength. He strove according to God's working within him. The Greek word for labor is energeia, meaning the strong, active, efficient operation of God. That is what was working inside Paul—dunamis power—miracle-working power. That is the engine Paul was running on.

This is not Paul being poetic; this is Paul describing the mechanics of how the Kingdom operates inside a born-again believer. God is not passive inside you. He is not sitting quietly, waiting to be acknowledged at the end of the day. He is active, efficient, strong, and rooted and grounded inside the inner man of every believer who has received Christ.

The anointing oil used in James 5, when elders pray for the sick, is not meant to bring something from outside. It is meant to remind the believer of what is already active and alive within them. The minister's job is to point that sick person to what is already dwelling in them and help them agree with it in faith. When the believer fully engages with what is inside—and when faith activates that strong operation—whatever the enemy puts on the outside must bow to what God has placed inside.

This is why you never have to feel alone, helpless, or without resources. The strong operation of God is in you. It is not dormant because God is holding back; it is dormant because faith has not yet released it. That’s on you. Activate it.

Practical Application

When you face a situation that feels bigger than you, stop and remind yourself that God's strong operation is at work within you in that moment. Then open your mouth and release it by speaking it. Say what the Word says about your situation. The activation switch is your faith expressed through your words.

1 Corinthians 2:6; Ephesians 5:2