The Innerworking of His Power – Part 1

At the conclusion of Ephesians 1 Paul prays a powerful prayer. Let’s see it in its full glory and then we’ll pull some nuggets out of it and show how it relates to our study. And please put this prayer to memory. Pray it. Stand on it. Declare it over your loved ones.

“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your [f]understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality[g] and [h]power and [i]might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” (Eph 1:15-21)

It is a mouthful I know. But I want to focus on what Paul called “the working of His mighty power” in verse 19. Paul said that the greatness of God’s power was at work in us who believe and that it is according to the “working” of His mighty power.

It is important to note that in this verse (19) there are four distinct words for power used. “and what is the exceeding greatness of His power (dynamis=”explosive power”) toward us who believe, according to the working (energeia=”operating power”) of His mighty (ischys=”force”) power (kratos=”dominion).”

Our focus in these articles will be God’s working – His energeia. This Greek word can be likened to the engine that powers a mighty ship. The force is powerful but unseen to the naked eye. The apostle Paul understood this power of God that worked in him and other believers. He confessed that it was because of the grace of God and the “effective working” of God’s power that he is able to minister. “Of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.” (Eph 3:76) Imagine if those who ministered today recognized the grace of God and His effective working like Paul did?

The first thing to note about this “working” power of God is that it is tied with faith. Paul said that the greatness of His dymamis power was toward us who believe. So we must ask God to increase our faith. We know of one sure way to do that. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:7) You see, as we hear the word with our spiritual ears faith will grow. Its important that we sit under faith-filled teaching.

The most amazing thing about God’s working power is where the source comes from. It comes from the most potent source of power ever known – the resurrection of Jesus. See it!”and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places.” (vv. 19-20)

That word worked is energeo, a verb related to our word energeia. Think on it for a second the incredible statement Paul was making. He was saying that the power working in the believers was the same power that raised Christ from the dead. To us who believe we have resurrection power running us from the inside. Not hybrid, nor gas, but resurrection power!

See the two powerful works of God’s resurrection power in verse 20. 1. Raising from the dead and 2. and seating at the right hand in the heavenly places. Thank God that not only was Jesus raised from the dead but we were raised with Him. Same goes for being seated at the right hand in heavenly places. Paul made those two points abundantly clear in the beginning of Ephesians 2.

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Eph 2:4-6)

Our being “raised” has profound significance in relation to our battle with the enemy. Paul describes Satan as the “prince of the power of the air.” Because of the resurrection power working in us we have been raised above the prince of the power of the air. We have been raised to a new spiritual stratosphere. With Christ we have been raised “far above all principality and power and might and dominion.” (Eph 1:21)

The “made us sit together” means a ruling with Jesus. We sit in a place of authority and victory. We rule and reign with Christ. We can be assured that these are not just nice words but realities. To us who believe the dynamis power of God works inside of us and through us. It IS the same power that raised Him and us from the dead, raised us up and seated us.