Ephesians 3:16
“That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Context
Verses 14-21 form Paul's second prayer in Ephesians, offered on bended knee. Verse 16 is the first of its linked petitions, asking for inner strength as the foundation for all that follows.
What Does Ephesians 3:16 Mean?
Paul kneels in prayer and asks God to strengthen His people from the inside out. The request is for inner strength -- might supplied "by his Spirit in the inner man." Paul is not praying first for changed circumstances but for a fortified soul. The "inner man" is the hidden self, the place where courage, faith, and character either thrive or fail. It is precisely there, in the unseen core, that Paul asks God to pour His power.
Notice the measure of the request: "according to the riches of his glory." Paul has used this language of abundance throughout the letter, and he uses it here to set the scale of God's giving. God does not strengthen His people out of a small reserve but out of His own boundless glory. The means is the Spirit -- God's own presence at work within. This is a prayer worth praying for oneself and for others: not merely that hardships would ease, but that the inner person would be made strong enough to meet them with faith. For a reader facing pressure, discouragement, or fear, this verse points to a real and available resource. Strength for the soul is something God grants, drawn from a supply that cannot be exhausted, and it reaches the deepest part of us where we most need it.
In the Original Language
The Greek "krataioo" (strengthened) means to be made strong or empowered. "Dunamis" (might, power) is the root of the English "dynamite," denoting effective force.
Cross References
“Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;”
- Colossians 1:11
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.”
- 2 Corinthians 4:16
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
- Isaiah 40:31
Application
Pray for inner strength, not only for easier circumstances. Ask the Spirit to fortify the hidden self so you can meet whatever comes with steady faith.