How Do We Walk Powerfully? Ephesians 1:15-23

Part 1: Setting the Stage

Let's open up Ephesians Chapter 1. Ephesians is a letter written by the Apostle Paul. Inside his letter is a prayer that he wrote for the believers in Ephesus—and it's for us too.

Here's the main idea: We can live bold, confident, and powerful lives, if we KNOW who we are, what we have, and what we can do with it. Let's learn those three things (who we are, what we have, and what we can do), because God has given us power. But if we don't know it's there, we can’t live like it is.

I want to live powerfully. How about you? 

Think about it like this. Imagine someone with a million dollars in the bank, but they don't know it. They never opened their bank app to check. They're living paycheck to paycheck, stressed about bills. And this whole time, they've got a ton of cash just sitting there. The money was always there. They just didn't know it.

That's how a lot of believers live.

When you get born again, God gives you a gift—holy spirit, inside you. There’s a Greek word used in the Bible that describes this gift of holy spirit— it’s dynamis— means inherent, potential power. Spiritual ability. It's like having an F-350 with a full tank of gas parked in the driveway. The power is there. It's ready. But just because it's sitting there, that doesn't mean it's being used powerfully. 

The power that raised Jesus from the dead? That power? It's already in us who believe. But if we don't know it's there, we can’t use it. So, let’s go back to the letter. 

So what does Paul pray for? Let’s read the entire prayer. Ephesians 1:15-23. 

(Eph 1:15 ) Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, (16) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; (17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: (18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, (19) And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (21) Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (22) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, (23) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Reading those verses can be hard to understand, right?

In short, Paul prayed that the believers in Ephesus would have their eyes opened—so that they'd see and know what they have. That’s what he prayed for. 

Quick Background

Paul writes Ephesians from a Roman prison. But he had spent about three years in Ephesus—a wealthy, pagan city in what's now Turkey. While he was there, God did amazing things through him: healings, deliverances, casting out spirits (Acts 19:11-12). The Ephesians had seen the power of God in action. So, later, when Paul writes to them about the exceeding greatness of God's power, they already know what he’s talking about.

Look at how Paul opens this letter in Verse 1 of Ephesians 1: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus."

To the saints and the faithful. In the Bible, a saint is simply a believer—someone who is born again. This letter wasn't written to a special class of Christians. No. It was written to ALL the faithful believers at Ephesus, AND to us too.

This Letter Is Doctrine

2 Timothy 3:16 tells us the Bible (every part) is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Each letter or book of the bible leans into one of these. Here's a simple way to think about it:

• Doctrine = teaches us how to believe rightly

• Reproof = shows us where we our believing is off

• Correction = gets us back on believing rightly

For example, in Galatians, Paul shows people how their believing action is wrong (reproof). In Corinthians, Paul corrects people on what they’re doing wrong. But in Ephesians? None of that. No correcting. He opens with a blessing in Verse 3 of Ephesians 1: Let’s read Eph 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."

He's not fixing something broken. He's speaking to blessed people, and teaching us what's true. This letter is doctrine — a foundational truth that we, ourselves, can build our lives upon. Because it’s written to us. 

So let's look at Paul's prayer. Verse by verse. Turn to Ephesians 1:15.

Part 2: The Prayer — Ephesians 1:15-23

Verses 15-16: "(15) Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, (16) cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers."

Paul is thankful for them. Their faith. Their love. He prays for them continually. And what does he pray for? Not for their circumstances to change. Not for their problems to go away. Look at what he asks God for… in the next two verses.

Verses 17-18: "(17) That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: (18) The eyes of your understanding being enlightened..."

Paul prays that they would know. That phrase "eyes of your understanding" can be translated as "eyes of your heart." He wants them flooded with light so they can see something.

What does Paul want them to see? Three things that he wants them to know:

"(Second part of Verse 18)...that ye may know (1) what is the hope of his calling, and (2) what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and (3) what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe..."

The First Category: The Hope of His Calling

Hope is something we look forward to—something we don't have yet but will. We hope for Christ's return, when we'll be gathered together (1 Thessalonians 4:17). That's the hope.

The Second Category: His Inheritance in the Saints

The 2nd thing he wants us to know? God's inheritance is us. We belong to Him. He put His spirit in us. And Colossians 1:27 says we have "Christ in [us], the hope of glory." We are God’s inheritance.

But The Third Category: The Exceeding Greatness of His Power!

And here’s our focus right now.

Verse 19 — Read This One Slowly

"(19) And what is the exceeding greatness (megathos) of his power (dynamis) to us-ward who believe, according to the working (energeia) of his mighty (ischys) power (kratos)."

Look at the language Paul uses. He piles up words: exceeding greatness... power... working... mighty power. It's like he can't say it big enough.

Remember the dynamis we talked about at the beginning? That full tank of gas? That million bucks? Now Paul shows us what happens when we put it to use.

Let me break down the Greek words that Paul uses in this letter with a simple picture of a truck.

• “greatness” Megathos – that's an F-350 crew cab truck. The magnitude of that truck is big. 

• “power” Dynamis — the full tank of gas. Inherent, potential power. It's parked there, but it's not being used yet. Is gassed up and ready to go. 

• “working” Energeia — turning the key and putting the pedal to the metal. Power in action. God energizes it as we believe and act.

• “mighty” Ischys — the big 7.4 liter diesel engine under the hood. Mighty raw force, strength.

• “power” Kratos — actually driving down the road. Manifested power with impact.

Paul is saying: You've got all of this! A magnificent, full tank, key, engine—everything. The exceeding greatness of God's power is already in you - in us - who believe.

And notice, in verse 19, it says: "to us-ward who believe." Not just the apostles. It’s not just for special-Christians. Not just for pastors, reverends, or popes. This is to us. Who believe.

Verses 20-23 (the rest of the prayer)

“(20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (21) far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: (22) And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, (23) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Now, here, Paul tells us what power he's talking about. It's the same power that (a) raised Christ from the dead (verse 20), (b) seated him at God's right hand (verse 20), and (c) put him above every principality and power (verse 21).

And here's what changes everything—Ephesians 2:6 says we were raised up and seated with him (Jesus Christ). And Colossians 2:10 says we're complete in him. We are, right now, in a position of power and completeness. We lack nothing. Right now.

Because of this position of being complete and powerful, that’s why Jesus says in John 14:12 that we can do the works he did—and greater works than these, we can do also. How? Because we have holy spirit, power, in us, when we’re born again. The Book of Acts is filled with stories of born-again believers walking with great power, speaking boldly, walking with confidence, giving love, there are signs, wonders, healings, raising people, casting out spirits, and miracles. We have access to that same power as the Apostles—when we know who we are, what we have, and what we can do.

Part 3: What This Means for Us

So what does all of this mean to us? Think about the Ephesians way back then. The Ephesians, who first read this letter, had seen Paul heal the sick. They saw miracles and wonders. They knew what power looked like.

But Paul wasn't writing to tell them about his power. He was telling them about theirs. The same power that worked through Paul was also available to work in them who believe. And it's available for us today who believe.

Paul prayed that their eyes would be enlightened. And that same prayer is also for you and me.

Why? 

Because, just like Paul knew, that when we know who we are, and what we have, we can live a powerful life. 

If people don't know the power that's available, they can't believe for healing. They can't expect miracles to happen. They can’t effectively pray for other people. They can’t expect power and abundance in their lives. They'll live without everything… that God has made available.

BUT when our eyes are opened—when we see what's already ours in Christ—and we believe, that's how we walk powerfully. Not by striving and working long hours. Not by earning a lot of money. Not by suffering or following or carrying a cross. But… by knowing and believing.

We're All in This Together

And here's the beautiful thing—we're not alone. Look at and read Ephesians 4:4-6. 

(4) There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (5) One Lord, one faith, one baptism, (6) One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

One body. One Spirit. One Lord. One faith. One God and Father.

It doesn't matter what denomination someone grew up in. When we get born again, we become part of one body. The power that's toward us who believe is available to all the saints. Every faithful believer. Everywhere. Every fellowship. Every church. 

Two thousand years later, we're still that same body. Connected to the same head. Walking with the same power.

Closing

Paul wrote a letter from a prison cell, but he wasn't writing as a defeated man. He knew who he was. He knew what he had. And he wanted us to know it too.

When we believe who we are in Christ, and when we live according to our new human nature as God's children, when we live with the unconditional love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation, we are demonstrating in the physical world that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. And we have that power. 

So let's walk out of here tonight with our eyes open just a little bit more. Knowing the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe.

We can walk with confidence because that’s what we know.

You are the best.

Amen?