STRENGTH &
POWER

1. God's
strength vs. your strength:

A. God is
infinitely more powerful than weak man:

Psa.8:3,4 When I consider Thy heavens... the moon &
the stars, which Thou hast [made]...what is man?

Isa.40:15,17,
22      All
nations before Him are as nothing...as a drop of a bucket...less
than nothing

Dan.4:35 All the inhabitants of earth are reputed as nothing,
none can stay His hand

1Cor.1:25                [Even]
the weakness of God is stronger than men

(See
also 2Chr.20:6; Psa.89:6.)

B. An honest
view of man & his strength:

Job
14:1,2               Man...is
of few days...he cometh forth like a flower, & is cut down (See also
Job 7:1)

Isa.40:6-8               All
flesh is grass...the grass withereth (See also Psa.90:5b,6; 103:15,16;
Jam.1:10,11; 1Pet.1:24,25.)

Job
8:9    We know
nothing...our days upon earth are a shadow

Psa.39:5,6               Every
man at his best state is altogether vanity

Psa.144:3,4             What
is man? Man is vanity: his days are as a shadow (See also 1Chr.29:15; Psa.62:9;
90:10; Eccl.6:12.)

Psa.78:39                He
remembered they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away (See also Isa.2:22;
Jam.4:14,15 .)

Psa.103:14              He
knoweth our frame...remembereth that we are dust (See also Gen.18:27;
Isa.29:5,6 .)

Job
25:6  Man is a worm

Isa.40:22 The inhabitants of the earth are as grasshoppers

(See
also Job 4:18-20; Rom.7:18.)

C. God is able to
do absolutely anything:

Jer.32:27 I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there
any thing too hard for Me? (See also Gen.18:14)

Job
42:2  I know that Thou canst do
everything

Psa.62:11                Power
belongeth unto God

Mat.19:26               With
men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible

Mat.28:18               All
power is given unto Me in Heaven & in earth

D. God has total
power over man:

Job
12:10                In
(His) hand is the soul of every living thing, & the breath of all
mankind (See also Dan.5:23)

Job
12:13-25          With
Him is strength...He increaseth the nations, & destroyeth them       (See
Psa.75:6,7; 107:33-40.)

Isa.43:13 There is none that can deliver out of My
hand

Psa.115:3                God...hath
done whatsoever He hath pleased

Isa.64:8   We are the clay, & Thou our
potter; we all are the work of Thy hand (See also Isa.45:9)

(See
also 1Chr.29:12; 2Chr.20:6; Job 9:4; Psa.104:29, 30; Isa.40:23,25.)

2. Trust in the
Lord, not your own strength:

A. Let God
strengthen you with His strength:

Eph.6:10 Be strong in the Lord, & in the
power of His might

2Chr.20:12              We
have no might against this great company...neither know we what to do: our eyes
are upon Thee

Psa.20:7,8               Some
trust in chariots, & some in horses: but we will remember the name of the
Lord our God

Psa.84:5  Blessed is the man whose strength is in
Thee

Psa.105:4                Seek
the Lord & His strength: seek His face evermore Isa.26:4 Trust in
the Lord, in the Lord is everlasting strength

2Cor.3:4,5               Not
that we are sufficient of ourselves...but our sufficiency is of God

Phi.3:3    We worship God...& have
no confidence in the flesh

(See
also Exo.15:2; 2Sam.22:33; Psa.27:1; 68:28,35; 118:8; 147:10,11.)

B. He can do what
you can't do:

Zech.4:6 Not by (your) might, nor by
power, but by My Spirit

1Sam.2:9b              By
[your own] strength shall no man prevail

Psa.60:11                Give
us help from trouble: vain is the help of man

Psa.127:1                Except
the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it

Jn.15:5    Without Me ye can do nothing

(See
also Job 9:19a; Psa.33:16,17.)

C. Do what you can,
but success depends on God:

Pro.21:31                The
horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the Lord

Neh.4:14 Be not ye afraid of them: [but] remember the
Lord great & terrible, & fight for your brethren

3. Our weakness
causes us to depend upon God:

A. God's
strength is manifest in our weakness:

2Cor.4:7  We have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the ... power may be of God, & not of us

Isa.40:29 He giveth power to the faint; & to
them that have no might He increaseth strength

Psa.8:2    Out of mouth of babes...hast
Thou ordained strength

Psa.37:39                The
Lord...is their strength in the time of trouble

Psa.73:26                My
flesh & my heart faileth: but God is [my] strength

Isa.25:4   Thou (art) a strength to...the
needy in his distress

Isa.41:10 I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee

2Cor.1:8,9               We
were pressed out of measure, above strength...but we (do) not trust in
ourselves, but in God

2Cor.12:9,10           "My
strength is made perfect in (your) weakness"... When I am weak, then am I
strong

2Cor.13:4                We
are weak in Him, but we shall live...by power of God

Heb.11:34               [Bible
saints:] Out of weakness were made strong

(See
Psa.94:17,18)

B. When you have no
other help, He'll strengthen you:

Psa.72:12                He
shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, & him that hath no
helper

Lk.22:43,45             [Jesus'
disciples slept, but] an angel (came) from Heaven, strengthening Him

2Tim.4:16,17          No
man stood with me, but all men forsook me... the Lord stood with me, &
strengthened me

(See
also Psa.27:10)

C. He will give
strength day by day to keep you going:

Deut.33:25b           As
thy days, so shall thy strength be

Mat.6:34 Take no thought for the morrow...sufficient
unto the day is the evil thereof

D. When you have
only little strength, the Lord will help you:

Psa.37:24                Though
he fall...the Lord upholdeth him with His hand

Isa.35:4   Say to them that are of a fearful
heart, "Be strong"

Dan.11:34               When
they fall, they shall be holpen with a little help

Rev.3:8   Thou hast a little strength, &
hast kept My Word

4. God can
strengthen & use you:

A. How to receive
God's power:

Josh.1:5-9              Only
be thou strong & very courageous...observe the (Word)...then thou
shalt have good success

2Chr.16:9                The
Lord (shews) Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward
Him

Neh.8:10 The joy of the Lord is your strength

Psa.138:3                When
I cried Thou...strengthenedst me with strength

Isa.27:5   Let him take hold of My
strength

Isa.30:15 In quietness & in confidence
(faith) shall be your strength

Isa.40:31 They that wait on the Lord shall renew their
strength Dan.11:32 People that do know God shall be strong, & do
exploits

Mic.3:8   I am full of power by the Spirit of
the Lord...& of might

Acts
1:8 Ye shall receive power, after that the
Holy Ghost is come upon you

Eph.3:16 Strengthened with might by His Spirit in the
inner man

1Jn.2:14a                Ye
are strong [because] the Word of God abideth in you

B. He strengthens
you with His power:

Psa.18:29-34          It
is God that girdeth me with strength

Psa.68:28                Thy
God hath commanded thy strength

Psa.68:35                God...giveth
strength & power unto His people

Psa.71:16a              I
will go in the strength of the Lord God

Psa.80:17                Let
Thy hand be upon the man...whom Thou madest strong for Thyself

Psa.84:5,7               Blessed
is the man whose strength is in Thee...they go from strength to strength

Phi.4:13  I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me

Col.1:11  Strengthened with all might, (by) His
glorious power

Mat.10:1,8              He
gave (His disciples) power against unclean spirits

(See
also Judg.14:6,19; 15:14,15; Psa.8:2; Lk.10:19.)

C. Praise God for
strengthening you:

Psa.28:7,8               The
Lord is my strength...I am helped...with my song will I praise Him

D. Give God
the glory for working through you:

Phi.2:13  For it is God which worketh in
you

1Pet.4:11                Let
him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may
be glorified

Isa.10:13,15            [Proud]
saith, "By (my) strength...I have done it." Shall the axe
boast itself against him that heweth?

Jer.9:23,24              Let
not...the mighty man glory in his might...but glory in this, that he knoweth Me

Acts
12:21-23        The
angel of the Lord smote (Herod), because he gave not God the glory

E. Sometimes the Lord
Himself wants to do the whole thing:

Exo.14:13,14           Stand
still, & see the salvation of the Lord...Lord shall fight for you, & ye
shall hold your peace

Judg.7:all               [Gideon
& his 300 let God fight the battle His way]

2Chr.20:15              Be
not afraid...the battle is not yours, but God's

2Chr.20:17              Ye
shall not need to fight in this battle: stand ye still, & see the salvation
of the Lord

Neh.4:20 Our God shall fight for us

Psa.18:17                He
delivered me from my strong enemy...for they were too strong for me

Isa.30:7   Their strength is to sit still

5. Don't trust in
yourself:

A. Warnings against
trusting in your own strength:

Psa.52:5-7a            God
shall destroy...the man that made not God his strength

Psa.118:8,9             It
is better to trust in the Lord than...in man

Psa.146:3                Put
not your trust in...princes, nor in...men, in whom there is no help

Jer.9:23,24              Let
not...the mighty man glory in his might...but glory... that he knoweth Me, that
I am the Lord

Jer.17:5   Cursed be man that trusteth in man,
& maketh flesh his arm, & whose heart departeth from the Lord

Jn.15:4,5 Without Me ye can do nothing

(See
also Isa.31:3)

B. What happens
when you rely on your own strength & plans:

2Chr.26:16              When
he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed
against the Lord

Hos.10:13               Ye
have reaped iniquity...because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of
thy mighty men

1Cor.10:12              Him
that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall

(See
also 1Sam.15:1-28; 28:4-25 & 31:1-8 re: Saul.)

C. He will deliberately
let you fail:

Lev.26:18-20          If
ye will not...hearken...I will break your power...your strength shall be spent
in vain

Num.14:41-45        Go
not up, for the Lord is not among you...but they presumed to go up [to battle,
& were smitten]

2Chr.16:7                Because
thou relied on the king of Syria, & not on the Lord...the host (is) escaped
out of thine hand

(See
also 2Chr.25:7,8)

D. Lack of strength
often due to sin:

Psa.31:10                My
strength faileth because of mine iniquity

Lev.26:27,36,         I
will send a faintness into (your) hearts...& ye shall

37            have
no power to stand before your enemies

Josh.7:12                (They)
could not stand before their enemies...because they were accursed

Judg.2:13-15          They
forsook the Lord...(His) anger was against Israel ...they could not stand
before their enemies

(See
also Amos 2:13-15)

6. Power when
witnessing:

A. Power comes from
the Holy Spirit:

Acts
1:8 Ye shall receive power (when) the Holy
Ghost is come upon you: & ye shall be witnesses

Mic.3:8   I am full of power by the Spirit of
the Lord...to declare to Israel his sin

Jn.6:63    It is the Spirit that
quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing

Acts
4:8,13            Peter,
filled with the Holy Ghost...they saw the boldness of Peter

Acts
4:31,33          They
were filled with the Holy Ghost...& with great power gave the apostles
witness

1Thes.1:5               For
our gospel came unto you...in power

2Tim.1:7 God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but
of power

B. No man can stand
up to the power of God's Spirit:

Lk.21:15  I will give you a mouth...which all your
adversaries shall not be able to gainsay (contradict) nor resist

Jer.5:14   I will make My Words in thy mouth
fire, & people wood

Acts
6:10               They
were not able to resist the wisdom & the spirit by which he (Stephen) spake

2Cor.10:4                The
weapons of our warfare are...mighty through God to the pulling down of
strong holds

C. It has to
be by God's power:

1Cor.1:18                The
preaching of the cross...is the power of God

1Cor.2:4,5               My
preaching was...in...the Spirit & power: That your faith
should...stand...in the power of God

1Cor.4:20                The
Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power

(See
also Lk.4:14)

D. God can use you even
when you're weak:

Gal.4:13,14             [Paul
witnessed to & won the Galatians even though suffering infirmity in the
flesh]

E. God can take
over & powerfully use you:

Exo.4:10-12            I
am not eloquent...I am slow of speech. The Lord said, "I will be with thy
mouth, & teach thee"

Jer.1:6-9  I cannot speak. Lord said,
"Whatsoever I command thee ...speak. I have put My Words in thy
mouth"

Mat.10:20               For
it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit...which speaketh in you (See also
Mk.13:11; Lk.12:12.)

Acts
4:13               They...perceived
(Peter & John) were...ignorant men, they took knowledge...that they had
been with Jesus

(See
also 1Sam.10:6)

7. God's power vs.
your adversaries' physical power:

A. For your spiritual
battles, defending the faith:

Jude
3b  Ye should earnestly contend for
the faith

2Cor.10:3-5            We
do not war after (in) the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not
carnal, but mighty through God

(See
also 1Cor.10:11)

B. If you must physically
defend your loved ones or country:

Lk.11:21  When a strong man armed keepeth
his palace, his goods are in peace

Jn.10:11  The good shepherd giveth his life for the
sheep

C. Fleshly
"might" is no match for the power of God:

1Sam.17:45             Thou
(Goliath) comest to me with a sword, & with a spear...but I come to thee in
the name of the Lord

2Chr.32:8                With
him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord to help us, & to fight our
battles

Psa.9:19,20             Lord,
let not man prevail...put them in fear: that (they) may know themselves to be
but men

Isa.31:3   The Egyptians are men & not
God...when the Lord shall stretch out His hand...they all shall fail

(See
also Hos.1:7)

D. They may seem
strong, but their strength has departed:

Num.14:9                Neither
fear the people...for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from
them

Jer.46:17 Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath
passed the time appointed [his time is up]

E. God
decides the outcome, not physical, carnal might:

1Sam.2:4 The bows of the mighty men are broken,
[whereas] they that stumbled are girded with strength

2Chr.25:8                God
hath power to help, & to cast down

Psa.33:16                There
is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by
much strength

Psa.33:17                An
horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great
strength

Psa.35:10                The
Lord deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him

Psa.44:3-7              They
got not the land...by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them: but
Thy arm

F. You are not to
trust in fleshly might to fight your foes:

2Ki.18:21                Thou
trusteth upon...this bruised reed...on which if a man lean, it will (pierce)
his hand

Psa.44:5,6               Through
Thee will we push down our enemies: I will not trust in...my sword (to)
save me

Isa.31:1   Woe to them that go to Egypt for help...because
they are very strong; but look not unto...the Lord

G. You are not to
fear the power of man:

Deut.3:22               Ye
shall not fear them: the Lord shall fight for you

Psa.27:1-3              Of
whom shall I be afraid? Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall
not fear

Psa.118:6                The
Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

Pro.29:25                The
fear of man bringeth a snare

Isa.2:22   Cease (fearing) man, whose breath
is in his nostrils

Isa.51:12,13            (Why)
art thou...afraid of a man that shall die...as grass; & forgettest the Lord
thy Maker

Jer.1:8     Be not afraid of their
faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord

Lk.12:4,5 Be not afraid of them that kill the body

H. God is on your
side & you shall win:

Deut.20:1               When
thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, be not afraid...for the Lord
thy God is with thee

Deut.20:4               Lord
[will] fight...against your enemies, to save you

Deut.31:8               The
Lord...doth go before thee; He will be with thee

1Sam.17:47             Battle
is the Lord's, He will give you into our hands

Psa.108:13              Through
God we shall do valiantly: for He it is that shall tread down our enemies

Rom.8:31                If
God be for us, who can be against us?

(See
also 2Chr.14:11,12; 20:12-25; Zeph.3:17.)

I. The armies of
Heaven are on your side:

2Ki.6:14-17             [Elisha
said,] They that be with us are more than they that be with them

2Chr.32:7,8,21        [Hezekiah
said,] There be more with us than with him

Mat.26:52,53          [God
would] give Me more than 12 legions of angels

(See
also Josh.5:13,14; Psa.68:17; 91:11; Isa.37:33-36.)

J. You become far
more powerful than your adversaries:

1Jn.4:4    Greater is He that is in you,
than he...in the world

Josh.1:5  There shall not any man be able to stand
before thee

Josh.23:9,10           One
shall chase a thousand, for God fighteth for you

(See
also Deut.11:25; 28:7.)

K. God can help you
win against overwhelming odds:

1Sam.14:6               No
restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few

2Chr.14:11              Lord,
it is nothing with Thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no
power

2Chr.16:8,9a           A
huge host...because thou didst rely on the Lord, He delivered them into thine
hand