Spiritual Strength and God’s Word

“I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one” (1 John 2:14).  The distinguishing characteristic which is singled out for special consideration here is the spiritual strength of these Christians.  This is the strength that comes from God’s grace; strength to overcome temptations, to govern our passions and affections in the fear of God, to do the things which He commands.  Proverbs 16;32 gives us some indication of how greatly this excels outward physical strength: “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit , than he who captures a city.”  By grace there is sufficient power for the Christian to perform all spiritual duties.  This strength enables us to bear afflictions with patience, to resist temptations successfully, and to cheerfully do God’s will.  We see in this passage what we find throughout Scripture—that spiritual strength comes from God’s word.  The two are always intimately connected in the Bible.  The believer who is strong is the one on whom the word has made a deep impression.  Laziness is the neglect of God’s word and this enabling grace.